If Whitaker faced Chavez 2 years earlier

I had Chavez winning in San Antonio, so 2 years earlier he wins emphatically.

 

I think Chavez gave a great effort against Whitaker.

He was past his prime yes, but he fought with a smarter strategy than he did against Taylor say three years earlier where he let Taylor build up a massive points lead and then left it all but too late to come back.

Against Whitaker he got out of the gates fast and was putting on good, hard pressure.

In the early stages he looked really intense, more than he had for years imo, and even though Whitaker broke away in the second half of the fight it's hard to see Chavez fighting with that level of intensity for 12 rounds even if he was at his peak.

We was a little slower than he was in the early stages of his 140 days of course, and a bit slower again from his 135 days, but Whitaker had noticeably slowed at welterweight as well.

I don't think the speed differentials would make that much of a difference really to the fight outcome. Chavez may land a few more clean shots, but he'd never land enough to debilitate Whitaker and overcome him like he did Taylor. Whitaker proved how tough he was when he was far and away from his prime. Chavez would never take his heart.

I think looking at how Chavez fell off after the Whitaker fight is irrelevant to what he did in the fight.

Chavez never fought with that same desire again and Whitaker stole his aura of invincibility - and as we know psychology and belief are massive in sport.

Randall would not have beaten the Chavez that Whitaker fought, nor the one at 140 a few years earlier. Chavez would never run him roughshod though, a peak Randall was too good for that.

 

Prime for prime at 135lbs, i would still favor Pea in a very competitive match...Would look like the first half of their fight in '93 for all 12 rounds, with Pea finishing stronger and taking a 115-113 type decision IMO.

Pea is one of the WORST stylistic nightmares for anyone.

 

Actually 2 years earlier and it would have been a clearer shut out win for Pernell Whitaker.
Much more active, faster combinations, quicker than the welterweight version...

 

Styles make fights and sweetpea had the style to befuddle anyone.

 

Oddly enough when Sweetpea stood his ground and slugged it out with the mighty Chavez, he seemed to have the upperhand there also.

 

Pea had a great offense as well as a great defense. :good

 

In the actual fight, Chávez had the early upper hand with aggression; the right-hand lead was finding Pea and keeping Pea back on his heels.

Then, Pea resorted to spoiling tactics and Chávez wore down.

A peak Chávez would not wear down; Pea would be pounded for however long the fight lasted. Chávez would not have to outland Pea; his educated pressure --like in the Taylor fight-- would result in one solid Chávez blow telling more than any two Pea shots.

Joe Frazier, that quintessential pressure fighter, said it: the head can be pulled away, but the body stays in place. Pea has nothing to keep Chávez away.

Pea can run, but not hide for 12 rounds.

 

I see a far better fight.

 

It wouldn't have made any diffrance when ever they fought even if they were matched up at lightweight. Whitaker would have won going away. Chavez's only hope would be bad judging.

 

Pretty much.

Speed and skills kill, and Pea had more of each than Chavez did.

Couple with an amazing, and I do mean amazing, defense and ring awareness, and Chavez' hopes of something like the Taylor fight go out the window.

 

Whitaker would always neutralise and stand Chavez on his head, styles make fights, the movement, angles, jab, countering, ability to in-fight, there just wasn't anything Chavez could do with his skillset. Although Whitaker may just have been a level above anyway

 

I think in greatness they are on a similar level, but in ability, Whitaker is absolutely a level above.

I'll say it again: One of the ten or eleven best boxers to ever do the trick in terms of craft.

There were harder hitters, faster guys, better chins, but he's in that handful, that super elite, in terms of skill and craft. He shakes hands with the Pep's and the Locche's of this sports great pantheon, no doubt.

The finest, best fighter I've ever seen live.