Resumes that begin to fall apart under a microscope

At the time meaning...'92? (when Reggie in fact defeated Parks)

Hopkins was barely graduating to 10-rounders around then. So yeah, most any contender is going to be a better fighter than a complete novice...

As for deserving the nod over Toney - minority view. I'd say extreme minority, even. He put up a hard fight, as Toney himself acknowledged, scoring a knockdown - the first of just three in Toney's 90-bout, 26-year career - but Toney had taken control by the midway point.

 

Management is key. Some fighters can beat anyone, but some cannot. That's when good management can throw up a smokescreen and makes it important to really ****yze the resume closely. Some resumes do fall apart under a microscope.

Some fighters have had long, consistent careers but their resume still falls apart under scrutiny.

Exhibt A: Brian Mitchell. International Boxing Hall of Fame member. Held a Junior Lightweight title for many years. Had many defenses. His resume is filled with challengers who were never weres or fringe contender types. His best win was over former champion Tony Lopez. Second best win: Frankie Mitchell or maybe Joey Gamache. There are a plethora of fighters who were his contemporaries who he never fought. Granted, the politics of the time limited who would fight him, but his overall resume is pretty weak.

 

Sugar Ray Leonard was a notorious cherry picker. Everything he did , he did only when he had an advantage. ..Few of his fights were on an even level for his opponents.

He was a great fighter, but much of his legend was smoke and mirrors and carries a slight murky feel to it.

 

That isn't putting SRL under a microscope, though.

More like viewing him with the Hubble.

 

Well yes.... But, if you are looking at resume alone, he could be a TOP 10 ATG. But, he is not, because ... He was a cherry picker.

He is still an ATG, But I would have him higher had he fought some of his guys earlier and without getting every advantage he could. ( Ring size, Glove size, Etc)

 

Ward LITERALLY stopped him with a headbutt. After the "final" headbutt busted Kessler's eye open, the fight was stopped because of all the headbutts.

And saying how well Froch and Kessler travel has new bearing is simply false. Every time Froch has fought in the States, he's performed poorly. He fights much better with huge crowds cheering him on. Same with Kessler, who went his entire career undefeated at home.

Ward knows traveling for a fight is more difficult, which is why he NEVER does.

If the biggest wins of Andre Ward's career are a headbutt TKO of Kessler and outpointing Froch in the States (which everyone he's fought in the States came within a razor of doing), that's hardly anything to brag about.

That's all I'm saying.

 

All fighters can be beat.

12 title defenses on the road? Win over an undefeated Frankie Mitchell, Beard, undefeated McDonnell and the teak-tough Lopez? Given that he had two restrictive careers, the first only in South Africa and the second only on the road, I would say he did as well as could be expected… and is, I dare say, underrated.

 

Aaron Pryor's resume is also abysmal.

 

Agreed 100%. He is underrated nowadays.

 

I don't agree but respect your opinion. Overall quality of opposition not there for an IBOF fighter.

Beard was past his best, had already been stopped by Dennis Cruz. McDonnell was tough but proved to be nothing special. Mitchell was a lower tier top 10 type. The Lopez fights were nip and tuck affairs.

I think Mitchell was a good champion but not IBHF worthly when his biggest win is a razor close decision over Tony Lopez.

How would he have done against Lockridge, Chavez, Laporte, Nelson, Fenech, Molina, Knight, etc.

 

Ford a three division world champion Adrien Broner resume is pathetic. But i guess no one need a microscope to see that.

I would say Terry Norris. Fantastic fighter though. What would you say are his top 3 wins ?

 

:nod

Just pointing out that such complaints are so commonplace any time Leonard's name comes up that it hardly requires mounting his career on a little square glass slide to reach that conclusion.

Subjecting him to intense scrutiny, you can reach much harsher conclusions about SRL (case in point: endless ramblings from our very own duranimal, redrooster, etc)

 

Are you kidding? Chavez fought EVERYONE at 140, and throughout his career.

Mayweather
Sammy Fuentes
De Las Mercedes (44-0 at the time, decked Trinidad, beat Baldomir)
Taylor twice
Dupleissis (36-1)
Lonnie Smith
Camacho (40-1)
Haugen
Alli
Whitaker
Randall twice
Tony Lopez
David Kamau (26-0)
De La Hoya
Joey Gamache
Miguel Angel Gonzalez
Kostya Tszu

This 6 hall of famers, or close. And Chavez was past his best weight at 140

 

I wonder just how much of it really is backlash against the unrealistic fanboyism that has prime Mike as some modern day Heracles that simply Heisman-arms his way through every single ATG ever - and how much of it would exist without that.

I have to imagine quite a lot is the former. There's just no other explanation for how disproportionately hated the man is compared with other champs. (some of whom gave him a run for his money in just about every category for which he gets heat - both in terms of personal foibles and professional hype-manufacture)