I think the stoppage against Leonard was unjustified, he was seconds away from going the distance and in no major trouble when the fight was stopped.
True. Similar to Pac-Cotto? There was more time left there. IMO, Leonard was beating him emphatically nonetheless.
This is a discussion forum after all and I'm prepared to go as many rounds as it takes. But I can understand if you're not interested. The Pacquiao-Cotto fight was less competitive and a worse beating in my opinion. Benitez and Leonard were trading shots in the 15th, it was a good round and eventually Benitez went down from a chopping left. He didn't seem to be in trouble but the referee thought otherwise. Either way he would have lost but he didn't really display any durability problems in that fight. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBXTa1gvOLM[/ame]
True. I'm actually sticking up for Benitez:good gooners debate with this man (if you can :good) edit: I was referring to Cotto being pulled out when he'd been hurt worse times before when he could've lasted the distance. Guess cause it's still in my mind.
Very arrogant. :-( I only stopped because its seems i will never change your mind and vice versa, so what is the point. My cards are on the table though. McCallum's jab would negate Benitez's long game and his body attacks would mean he would be able to follow up. Kalambay fight is irrelevant to me because Benitez does not use the ring like Kalambay. He fights much more from mid range than Kalamabay ever did and that would make him more susceptible against McCallum. Long range & mid range two different things. Benitez was down many times against a lesser fighter than McCallum in Curry so tell me which is worse, losing a fight to an extremely slick fighter like Kalambay who has wins over guys like Barkley, De Witt, Collins, Graham 2x or robbing a guy of Curry's caliber to eak out a win?
I didn't mean it in an arrogant way. By the way I wasn't sure what you meant with this: "Im not gonna have to respectively disagree bud" Were you willing to respectfully disagree or not? That's what I took a bit of offense to. Maybe I understood it wrong, in that case I apologize. If you count out the Kalambay fight yet bring up Benitez's bad performances then it's a bit difficult to discuss this. Bruce Curry was no bum and Benitez was an arrogant 140 pound 18 year old who traded shots with a puncher. Far from the solid 154 lb Benitez who knocked Maurice Hope out cold. I'm not here bringing up the times when McCallum in his 20's was knocked out cleanly twice in the amateurs. He obviously improved from those days and displayed a solid chin since. Benitez too went 15 rounds with Hearns, Leonard, Palomino, Duran. I didn't agree with the stoppage in that fight, not that Cotto wasn't hurt, but he had been hurt far worse and should have probably been stopped earlier in the fight. I didn't see the point in letting him go until the 12th round and calling the fight off when he wasn't truly even hurt. So I agree with you. I just thought the Benitez-Leonard fight wasn't quite comparable to Pacquiao-Cotto.
I make mistakes sometimes when i type, its not that im dyslexic or anything but i dont take care when posting sometimes and i was posting something else but changed my mind and left that part in my post by accident, however i edited it out seconds later after posting that because i realized id left it in by mistake. I dont count it out. I just dont think that Benitez and Kalambay are similar in the way negotiate their way around the ring. Which ever way you rig it Curry was not a great fighter and certainly not on McCallum's level like Kalambay clearly was. Well McCallum was probably a boy when that happened. We are rating two pro's when they were pro's
Thanks for clearing that up. My point was that Benitez too was a boy when he was knocked around the ring by Bruce Curry. McCallum was actually older when he was knocked out.
I know you, you know me, you know i respect your opinion because ive told you before. I would not post something like intentionally to offend you because we disagree on what could be considered a 50/50 fight. I know Benitez could very well win the fight to but id have to roll with McCalluim for early reasons stated. :bbb
This is how I see it. I think Benitez nullifies what McCallum has and Mike cannot wear him out the way he does other guys and Mike would come on late but not enough and Wilfred would win a decision.