When has a good prime little man beat a good prime bigger man?

I'm thinking about if there is a strong historical precedence in trying to work out what Pacquiao's chances are of beating Cotto.

Before you guys respond, please note that I don't mean one-division jumps like Leonard-Hagler (where Leonard was taller) or jumps where one guy was clearly past-prime (like Mayweather-De La Hoya and Pacquiao-De La Hoya) or jumps where one guy was great and one was mediocre (like Jones-Ruiz or Mayweather-Baldomir) or jumps where although there is a jump, the size difference is not very big (like Hopkins-Tarver).

Bear in mind that Pacquiao is prime, Cotto is prime, Pacquiao is likely to weigh around 148-150lbs on fightnight and Cotto could weigh as much as 160lbs (he weighed 159lbs on fightnight vs Urkal), and that Pacquiao used to be a flyweight and a superbantamweight, whereas Cotto started at light-welter and has now been a big, strong welter for a number of years.

Can anyone think of good examples of a good prime little man beating a good prime big man?

(the more recent the better, I know guys like Greb and Armstrong often fought far bigger guys, but it was a different world back then)

:bbb

 

It is the best answer, but do you have any alternatives? With or without the criteria?

 

As highly as I value that win, I don't view it as a good answer to this question. I have the fight on dvd, and I'm pretty sure Pac outweighed MAB on the night, and had height and reach advantages. Also, that was only a single division jump.

If that is a valid answer, then so is a million single division jumps, like Mosley-De La Hoya for example, where size clearly wasn't an issue.

Pac will give away 8-10lbs on the night against Cotto, and it's a natural featherweight against a natural welterweight. That's a big difference.

 

Hopkins-Tarver probably is a good shout to be honest, but I just felt that Hopkins was a good size lhw and always would have been, and I doubt there was a great disparity in weight on the night like there will be for Pac-Cotto.

Mosley-DLH?? Come on mate. There was almost no size difference at all there. In fact, I bet Shane was heavier at fight-time. I have it on dvd, I'll check.

 

Yes, that is a very good one I didn't think of :good

 

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Pac will give away 8-10lbs on the night against a top-class opponent.

Did Mosley against Oscar?
Has Floyd beaten anyone of Cotto's quality at welterweight who was in their prime?