Do you rate Chavez/Taylor as one of the greatest fights in boxing history?

It was a great fight.

One of the greatest ever? I don't know, I don't have a definitive list. I don't think it would make my top 20.

The revisionist history kind of annoys me though.

 

Yes, possibly the best fight of the 90s. 2 elite level p4p warriors in their prime.

 

I don't think it was one of the best per se, definitely a great fight, but it's a great "case study" type of fight.

 

Lots say Taylor was blowing him out until the last moments of the fight.

 

Well, for one, the HBO Legendary Nights stuff.

They sort of imply (or people took it that way) that Taylor went from the next Ray Leonard to a poor fighter overnight.

In reality, Taylor was an excellent fighter, but flawed, and unlikely to be a long-reigning top fighter for a long time. He was meant to be more of a shooting star.

After Chavez, Taylor went up to 147, as Taylor complained about weight issues at 140. He claimed he fought the last 3 rounds against Chavez dehyrdated due to weight issues. He may have been exaggerating there, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he had weight issues at 140. Look at his frame.

He scored the 2nd best win of his career a year after Chavez, beating Aaron Davis for a title at 147. He was still very good, although not the same fighter.

People act like he was no good after Chavez. He was still a world champ and top fighter for a couple years. I actually don't see his career being all that much different even if he had never fought Chavez.

Let's say he never fights Chavez. He still goes up to 147 and beats Davis for the WBA title. What changes? He still would have Cristano Espana as a mandatory who would always be a horrific style matchup for Taylor.

147 was loaded with talent. Strong, powerful guys in the division or about to enter. Guys like Ike Quartey, Simon Brown, Felix Trinidad. Or a boxing genius like Pernell Whitaker. Does anyone see Taylor, with his modest power, size, and tendency to brawl, being successful for that long at 147? He would get stopped by those big strong powerful WWs, or outsmarted by Whitaker.

He would have to have been protected to stay champ for awhile. And his team proved that they were not the protective type, they put him in with far more experienced fighters like McGirt and Chavez and cashed out on him against Norris.

I would like to hear arguments on how his career would've been much different if he had beaten Chavez, or if he had never fought him, or taken minimal damage.

 

Great fight.

 

Fight of the Decade for the 90's I believe. Remember watching it at a local bar and going bonkers when Steele stopped it. Will never agree with the stoppage

 

More like one of the greatest robberies in boxing history.

 

How?

 

I think it's a great fight as far as being a very historic fight, and from an action/entertainment point of view it's very good, but there are better ones out there.

Bogo and Thread Stealer seem to feel similarly to me, and I absolutely agree about some of the revisionist history, including the myth that Taylor was winning every round.