Mercer by early KO in devastating fashion Ray Mercer in his prime was an extremely strong 6’1 235lb heavyweight. Valdes at 6’3 215lb would be the smaller man by about 20lb. Valdes could crack with both hands and was very strong himself. If Mercer showed up on one of his off nights and Valdes got his jab working and boxed from the outside, he could steal a decision over Ray. However this is very unlikely. First, we are taking both fighters at their best, in which Ray fought a prime Lennox Lewis to 10 dead even rounds and had him in trouble in round 2. Lewis is 6’6 240lb and a ATG champion. Valdes best win was over a sluggish overweight 191lb Ezzard Charles, who doesn’t remotely compare to Lennox Lewis as a heavyweight. secondly, While Valdes had a powerful jab, he didn’t throw it enough. It was not his style to utilize his 80” reach and box from the outside. Valdes used his powerful jab to work his way inside where he loved to brawl, maul, and slug toe to toe. It worked in his era against smaller men, and sometimes it didn’t work as he lost sometimes to much smaller men in important fights. The idea of a 215lb Valdes going toe to toe with a Peak 235lb Ray Mercer is suicide. Ray had a ramrod jab himself, better than Valdez’s when he got it going. Ray was a big puncher and murderous finisher at his best. Valdes could hit hard, but he would be outgunned here. He would be overwhelmed by Mercer’s savagery and killer instinct and he would go into a shell like he did when he tasted Satterfield power. Mercer would pound away with lethal flurries. Valdes never faced anyone with the size strength and power of a Mercer. Valdes doesn’t have the stamina and heart to weather the storm as evident in the way he allowed a 38 year old archie Moore to outwork and batter him late in the fight to win the title eliminator. I think Valdes tastes mercers power early and realizes he’s overmatched and goes into a shell. Mercer walks him down and ices Valdes out cold in round 3
Ray Mercer might be the most Jekyll and Hyde fighter of all time capable of beating a prime top 3 ATG of all time on his best night and fighting to a draw with a 7-12 tomato can on his worst night
