I agree! Floyd-Hearns would be a great one (as soon as they invent a time machine). My money would be on Tommy because he was so long, tough and hard hitting. That era was great and Hearns was a pleasure to watch fight. The Hagler fight is still one of my all time favorites. Tommy came out on the wrong side of that one but he gave Hagler a war. Hearns was so aggressive and wanted to knock guys out. He would have probably won more fights if he was more conservative or defensive oriented but Hearns was a true warrior in every way. One of my top two or three favorites of all time.
Yeah, but even then, it's one victory, pre-prime, against another guy who would be better known as a featherweight. That's a pretty small control sample. We know what Duran was capable of doing at LW, but not what he was capable of doing had he stayed at 130lbs. For that reason, it's tough to rate him H2H at that weight, imo.
I agree with your assessment. Arguello was one of my favorites and I was sad when he lost to Pryor. That first fight with Pryor was one of my favorites. Little Pryor fought like a super-human. Pryor never got back to that level after the second fight but for a brief moment in time, I think he was unbeatable. That version of Pryor would have given any ATG nightmares. Oh, you are correct about Duran, Loma and Floyd. Alexis would have battled all three but I think he was too conventional to beat them. I would be rooting for him but don’t think I’d be happy with the outcome. RIP Arguello. I feel sorry for modern day boxing fans because the sport was completely different in the not so distant past. The best guys usually fought each other, they fought more frequently, and many big fights were on free TV. Yes, I sound like a total geezer. I’m not looking for the same scenario today but it’s hard to get a feel for most fighters these days because most fight so infrequently. I’m cool with PPV, don’t like the fact that top fighters seem to avoid other top fighters but the thing I miss most is frequency. Top guys should fight at least three times per year. Okay, rant over. Sorry...
Hello Jackman. Arguello was one of my early favorites too. Used to watch him fight on network TV. You are right about Pyror. For a short time there, I think he was unbeatable. Flamed out quick though. He sure hit an awesome peak and then fell off the ledge suddenly. Always seemed strange. I think at the time it was rumored he had cocaine issues but I dont know if that was true. Yeah...I'm a geezer too. It gives me some perspective though.
I think that's a very fair and informed assessment. I hold Floyd in high esteem but you raise good points.
I think Mayweather has a good argument at this weight he did the majority of his work here, heat the best SFW of the 90's in Genaro at 21, beat a top P4P champ in Corrales who was one of the best SFW/LW of the 00's multiple time multi weight champ, best a few future Champs and top contenders in Chavez & Hernandez along with other maybe not championship level but solid fighters and contenders like Manfredy, Burton...then he's a matchup nightmare probably the best version of Mayweather with speed power offense and defense.
I think he looked best at 135-140, even at 135 he still looked somewhat raw. You can see he looks a lot messier in the Hernandez fight, kind of like a Ryan Garcia going for the haymaker with every shot. Physically, he had the biggest advantage at 130-135 but his skills kept developing over the years. By the time he got to 140-147, he was a wizard.
That's harsh. I wouldnt call any pro boxer, especially one who is taking on fighters naturally bigger than him, a chicken. It's true Floyd didnt carry his pop up to 147. Hes a little dude. It's a testament to his boxing IQ and overall skillset that he still found a way to win up there. He wasnt going to win by banging with 147 pounders. He was smart enough to know that and adjust.
I went back and watched some Armstrong film. The game has evolved. Technique has gotten more refined. Compared to the best fighters today, he seems crude. Yes, he was a dynamo and strong but the game has evolved. The art of boxing has progressed. That's my honest take.
Sorry but Armstrong had better head movement, footwork, stamina, and was more fluid than any active fighter today.
Definitely better stamina and more fluid. Does he have better footwork than Loma? Probably not, or Usyk? Again not imo. He's obviously greater than anyone today but I think better footwork and maybe Headmovement is a stretch.
Hard to prove one way or another. He was definitely a dynamic guy. Like Dempsey fighting Willard, he was in many ways a generation ahead of where fighters were in his era. My view is others caught up. We will just have to.disagree on this. Really.hard to.prove.one way or the other. I admit that.
The way he could cut off the ring I would say he definitely had better footwork. Usyk isn't even in the conversation. Loma you could make an argument.
