Jose Napoles vs Donald Curry At WW

Me first? OK. I'll go with the Don on points if it's Curry ca 83-85. Napoles was the smaller man and wouldn't have had the power to knock Don out of his stride.

It's a close one. He would have been the best opponent Don ever beat but in a fight of close margins, the size disparity gets the Cobra over the line. Close decision or possibly cuts stoppage (the other factor in Curry's favour was Napoles' tendency to cut. Not ideal against a sharpshooter like Curry). And Don could hit. Not even Julian Jackson seemed to visibly shake McCallum the way Curry did and that was not Don in his prime.

I can see this being an unpopular choice with other posters but that would be to revise Don's career post Honeyghan which, admittedly, was less than stellar.

But from 84-86 he was considered p4p the man, or thereabouts, and seen as the only realistic threat on Hagler's horizon (given what Honeyghan did to him, albeit a weight drained version, Hagler would have been a bad night for Don).

The mid 80s was not short of talent so that was no mean feat, to be viewed as being at the top of the heap. If he can make weight without leaving too much behind, I think he is good enough, big enough and fresh enough to beat Napoles.

However, longevity and lack of bad defeats, as well as his great style would make Napoles the greater fighter overall. He tends to make a lot of top 5 or 6 welterweight lists which Don doesn't. But in that right time window, Don does him.

 

Napoles automatically loses to everybody in history, 'on cuts, he cuts so easy'.

 

Curry was an excellent fighter at his best,...Napoles was great..he beats the best version of Curry by stoppage.

 

How do you see it panning out, red? I just envisage a rather technical fight with Curry in control from distance and too compact defensively for Napoles to have enough joy against when they're in close.

I also see Napoles' smoothness being in Curry's favour. Don seemed able to cope well with slicksters - Starling, McCallum until the 5th round - but struggled with Honeyghan's one night only whirlwind. I don't see Jose being wild enough to sufficiently ruffle Don over enough of the fight.

 

I see a conservatively boxing Napoles outpointing even a peak Curry...or a fired up, vindictive version of Mantequilla flat out stopping him. I don't think Don could withstand Jose's power.

 

With all due respect EE, none of the guys you've mentioned aren't anywhere near on par with Jose Napoles.

 

Napoles, ahead on points, losses by 14th round tko.

On cuts.

 

Not even McCallum?

 

Not even McCallum...though Mike's in the stratospheres too.

 

Fair enough red. I just had a quick look at Jose on youtube and may have to concede I have been talking out my ar5e. I'm going to duck out now with the final point that Don of 83-85 gives him a tough fight. Will you let me have that?

 

Check out as much as you can about Mantequilla Napoles....remembering that he was slightly past his best in the 70's when he was champion....and that's kinda scary when you think about it.

 

Oh come on Red,....tell me you're pulling a BE here.

 

2 greats in their prime, but Butter was better, especially post prime.

 

Napoles on the Curtis Cokes fights:

"Cokes didn't know where all the blows were coming from. I spread mantequilla on him".