Kid Gavilan - head-to-head monster?

Whose opinion your own?

This may be true but I wouldn't go as to say by far so, a fairly weak era for the 175 lb class. Hearns was finishing a higher percentage of his opponents and more quickly than Jones at welter (bar Leonard) to make up for a lack of quality opponents anyway.

 

Hearns' 147 winning resume is nowhere near Jones' 175 winning resume. Jones had had a near perfect KO record for a while at the start of his career also, that doesn't mean ****. Hearns wasn't exactly fighting world-beaters where he scored those knockouts.

 

Seriously, who did Jones beat at 175 that was so impressive? Ill give him Griffin but the talent pool is shallow beyond that.

 

I'd put money on Robinson.

I'd abstaining from betting if he fought Leonard or Hearns.

I'd give Napoles a great shot.

Other than that, I think he's about tops.

 

At Welter, Hearns did Bruce, Espedas and Cuevas inside the distance (first names that spring to mind this early in the morning) so he wasn't exactly Tony Ayala in the resume stakes.

 

Cuevas as a single win is better than any win Jones has at 175.

 

Hell, even his losing performance against Leonard is good enough to give him a strong chance against Gavilan, the way I see it.

 

The question is who did Hearns beat at 147? That talent pool is not just shallow, it's simply empty.

 

Give him a chance - yes. Make him a favorite, or even score a KO, as seems to be an opinion of many people here - give me a break.

 

No way anyone's stopping Gavilan at Welterweight. I don't think anyone's picked him to do so, either.

 

Never said Hearns comp was strong at 147, I just wanna know where this huge disparity in class between opposition is coming from?

 

How about counting former, reigning or future titlists that Hearns beat at 147 lbs? And please, no arguments that anybody could win a title now, the fact that somebody like Pipino Cuevas was able not only to win, but to make several defences of the title, shows not everything was good at that time either.

 

Cuevas, Gazo, Muangsurin, Curry, Espada along with contender types in Shields, Weston, Colbert, Gray & Finch.

There were 2 more titles around in Jones's day (WBO & IBF), as far as WBA & WBC title holders he had wins over five in Tarver (lost 2 out of 3), Griffin, Del Valle, Hill and McCallum. Reggie Johnson also held a WBA title at middleweight.

 

Which of them held titles at welterweight (or higher)? Gazo was overweight fight, anyway.

 

Cuevas, Espada & Gazo. Should he have dug up John Stracey or Jose Napoles? Palomino retired after being beaten by Duran (KO'd in two by Hearns) and the Benitez fight took place at 154 lbs.

As was Jones vs Virgil Hill, technically.