I'm a huge Taylor fan and have been since early into his career. I'm not saying his inside fighting - which usually tends to void whatever reach advantage he had over his opponent - would lead to him losing to Lopez, but nobody can take Taylor's reach advantage and list it as an asset in a fight. And inside fighting favors Lopez in this match, his shorter arms are able to punch/pull faster because less distance travelled and because he's the thicker and more explosive athlete. I love both of them, I could never pick a winner between them, and any fight between them could go any way. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Lopez won, and I think I favor him at the moment over Taylor. I think he's noticeably more skilled than Taylor overall as well, at least in the traditional boxing sense.
Nobody beats down Taylor at 140 without having legit otherworldly dynamite in their fists and the heart and stamina of a prime desert orchid.
In his peak years (now) no one is beating down Taylor at 140. People underestimate his skill, and added to that he's teak tough with great stamina and decent power. Not a formula for a beat down....
Not relevant to the premise of the thread. Any differences in explosive athleticism between the two is not enough to justify calling a 'beat down'....
Excellent fight and I'd absolutely love to see it. I'd lean ever so slightly towards Teo because of his hand speed and his quick twitch power. Plus, he continues to get better with each fight too. I thought his footwork and ring IQ were much improved vs Loma. I think Josh is a fantastic fighter, great skillset and tough as nails, but he is there to be hit and has a tendency to fight small. Teo's power and athleticism are very real. Quite honestly I don't see this fight happening because I don't know how long Taylor can continue to make 140. I think he'll be at 147 after he mangles Ramirez.
Teo struggles fighting backwards and when Loma got in close he gave Lopez fits. Taylor will back up and beat the **** out of Lopez if they ever fought.
The truth is in the Postol fight. Taylor is a level below and would either catch huge counters or shell up.