Seeing as Canelo is moving up 2 weightclasses in a few weeks, how would these ATGs fare at LHW in their respective eras? All fighters are in their primes Marvin Hagler Roberto Duran Freddie Steele Carlos Monzon Rocky Graziano
None of them beat their respective 175lbs champions. I don't consider Graziano a great fighter let alone an ATG!
Hagler would pick up a win or 2, he happened to fight under a very tough, competitive LHW division tho and guys like Saad and Lopez would be very tough nights for Marvin, although we'd have got some unbelievable action. Poorly, ain't no way Duran could move up another weight class and beat guys like Saad, Spinks, Qawi, Mustafa or Galindez. I think all of them stop Duran, as do guys like Johnson and Lopez. Barkley Duran could possibly beat Steele probably does the best here. He has the weakest LHW, aside from Foster in Monzon's. I'd say he could beat the champs in the 30s, guys like Henry Lewis and Rosenbloom aren't gonna beat Steele imo and Lesnevich defo ain't. Monzon ain't beating Foster. So let's have a look at the guys after him. Ring's top 10 in 1972, which was probably the pinnacle of Monzon's career imo. Andy Kendall Pierre Fourie Eddie Owens Len Hutchins Rudiger Schmidtke Chris Finnegan Victor Emilio Galindez Pat O'Connor Ramon Avenamar Peralta Johnny Frankham Yeah I'd probably pick Monzon all. Galindez would be too raw at this point to trouble Monzon Shocking. He was really a natural 154er and would get torn apart by the beasts of the best 175 division in history. He don't even get past guys like Oakland Billy Smith or Curtis Sheppard.
Put John Henry of your list to study up on. The guy was never ever beaten at Light Heavyweight and is easily one of the most underrated fighters in history nowadays. Hagler, Monzon, Steele etc most certainly aren't beating him imo. A more fitting debate would be if Foster, Charles, Moore and co can beat him.
The middle champs that you mention...have listed, that is...were ideally suited for middleweight...none of them had the frame or the musculature of a Dlck Tiger,...they would at most have been able to go up as high as super middle, but not lightheavy....IMHO, that is.
I've never seen Lewis footage, I don't even know if there is any but I know about him, his résumé is deep but he did lose to Maxie, Louis and Braddock. These are imo the best he fought, he was very consistent tho, based on levels I'd favour Steele, although again, I need to see footage.
He also beat Slapsy as well and Slapsy always had the weight advantage (except one time they weighed the same) even if mild at times (and always over the 175 mark). Losing (in his last bout) to peak Louis when weighing just above the light heavyweight limit is pretty predictable and there's a solid story behind the whole affair. Eddie Futch said he was one of the two best light heavyweights he ever saw.
Hagler vs Mike Spinks Spinks by 9th round TKO Duran too much to ask of a lightweight Steele? I honestly don't think so Monzon vs Bob Foster Foster executes him in 4 Graziano vs any good light heavy gets ko'ed badly
Graziano, Hagler and Duran...not well. Too small for 175, especially Duran. I can envision the tall Monzon beefing up and dioing respectably well at 175 lbs. I doubt he could beat a prime Foster, but might have been able to beat the fading Foster of 1973-1974.. I don't know anything about Freddie Steele so cannot really coment on how he'd do at 175 lbs.
