I feel like both Benitez and Duran out slicked and out quicked Palomino. They used finesse as his kryptonite. Pipino was more of a blunt force drama type of threat. I don't think he is gonna be slipping Carlos punches either. It's a good fight.
My gut tells me that when a fighter depends solely on power to get it done for them they struggle for answers when that day comes that power isn't enough. Palomino might be the guy that demands answers. Like "I'm still here!" "How this hook to the body feel?"
Yeah you are right. Pipino Cuevas was a bum who fought poor quality opposition. His 10 knockouts in 11 title defenses was not impressive.
Who said that? I said Cuevas was a greater fighter than Palomino and more iconic.. I don't think I ever called Palomino a bum. I just don't think he was as great as Cuevas, who gets a bad reputation for losing to Hearns in 2 rounds. Hearns was Hearns. Losing to Hearns was no big insult, and when Duran fought Cuevas, Pipino was not in his championship form.. 3 years removed. Although, I do think Duran always beats Cuevas. The style was always there. But in 1980 for the title, that would have been a great fight.
A friend of mine talked to Palomino at the Boxing Hall of Fame and he said Palomino told him that's what happened.
Palomino & Cuevas were both great for boxing in the late 70's. Don't remember excuses coming from either one when things went against them 'fight result' wise.
There is a good Sports Illustrated article back in 1980 that covers the Hearns fight that is worth reading. Maybe Duran getting wiped out by Hearns falls under your same question.
You can't win them all. Sometimes someone is just too good. Cuevas punched air vs Hearns and Tommy had his own immense artillery raining down on Pipino with speed of which he had never witnessed.
he threw it but Hearns leaned back. I thought boy Hearns just leaned back, but Hearns always sort of put himself into the fire. Even against Cuevas and Duran, he was just a lack of a lean back to getting hit by Cuevas, and Duran hit him with a couple of nice right hands. Hearns weakness was that he liked to land his punch so much, he would keep himself in range of his opponent to do it. It was not hit and not get hit for him. His thinking was more like get a hit a little to drop the big punch.
If Cuevas had landed his left hook vs Hearns the fight would have been over and Pipino's hand raised. Tommy never gave him the chance.
Watching that first round of the Cuevas Vs Hearns fight: Cuevas seemed to lose all of his aggression after he got tagged a couple of times by Hearns. After that he was a sitting duck. He was running scared as Hearns went in for the kill. Cuevas might have had a better chance by continuing to go forward, hoping to land a lucky punch. Running away he had no chance at all.