Rate/Discuss these post-war British middleweights

lora you have included light middle maurice hope not a problem just wondering about howard eastman and chris pyatt

 

Randy Turpin- A strong talent, a very good athlete made even more effective by his unorthodoxy. However, not the type of guy I'd ever expect to have a long reign or consistent stay at the top in a great era. The reason being those same unorthodoxies playing against him as often as they would in his favor against the right kind of opponent. He could be strong technically, but he also had a bit of Graham in him.

Terry Downes- Competent pure boxing type, but hardly an outstanding talent the way I see him. Good enough to get by in most aspects, standout in none.

Bunny Sterling- An interesting case. On the same page as many of the Light Heavies that came on shortly afterwards (like Lonnie Bennet and Jesse Burnett, then again I might just lump them in with each other because their names all sound vaguely similar in some sense), a guy with a lot of talent that didn't seem to live up to it for one reason or another. I've only ever seen his fight with Rodriguez (who at the time was well on the slide), and he gave him a pretty thorough hiding.

Alan Minter- Nice, tidy, strong southpaw with real power in his blows. He worked equally well as a physically imposing force in range or a counter-puncher working off his opponent's moves. Probably one of the most consistent fighters listed.

Kevin Finnegan- Technically I'd argue he may've even been a bit better than his more reknowned brother, Chris. I thought Kevin was a bit more varied and smooth with his movements, and may've presented a more difficult target because of it. On the other hand, Chris's slightly more rigid, compact style (a bit like a bigger Jim Watt at times) combined with his greater durability ultimately served him a bit better in the long run I'd say.

Maurice Hope- Despite the fact that I'm not a big fan, I can't help but think he gets underrated a bit too much these days. A bit too static and erratic with his style for my liking, but the guy had some nice tools when he decided to use them. That left hand was pretty dynamic, and the southpaw jab was a stunner when he decided to throw it in an educated manner. Unfortunately, he didn't really strike me as the thinking man's fighter most of the time, or at least the most defensively aware. That was proven emphatically against Benitez.

Tony Sibson- A little dynamo this guy was. Not in the sense that he was just a head-first swarming berserker, mind you. He actually had really strong fundamentals. Very smooth with both his movements and his punches. He blended everything in his offense together seamlessly. Not the kind of fighter you'd expect him to be on first glance, even if he was capable of turning the tide and simply blowing a lesser matched opponent out. More or less just lacked the size and physical characteristics to hold at the top level, especially with Hagler around.

Mark Kaylor- Another competent stand-up boxer type, in the mold of a Terry Downes. Not outstanding in any respect, but good enough in most. A good, solid fighter.

Herol Graham- Undeniably effective, but impossible for me to be a fan of. I honestly found him appalling to watch. Sure, his comically outlandish unorthodoxy worked the majority of the time, but it also kept him from ever reaching the top of the sport, even when it seemed like he was on the verge.

Nigel Benn- Gets his dues these days, at times a bit more than he should. Nonetheless a very good fighter. His versatility if anything is what gets underrated. He really switched his style up as his career progressed, from a swarming, vulnerable power puncher to a much more calculated timing boxer-puncher. Never the most orthodox, but one of the most effective fighters in the history of the 168 pound division.

Chris Eubank- He drove me a bit mad watching him. One of the most inconsistent performers. Not in the Bunny Sterling sense, but in the sense that he seemed to either phone in certain fights or have his glaring deficiencies exposed pretty often. Certain styles, seemingly regardless of class, were just not good for Chris. A strong, educated counter/combination-puncher with good defensive footwork when moving laterally, a general klutz otherwise. That said, I think some of his robberies are overblown due to the fact that he was facing fighters below his league, giving them the sympathy vote.

Michael Watson- Very strong talent, technically and physically. The guy was a physical monster with ever-improving technical chops. Shame his career was cut short so soon. One of those guys who seemed to have the mental resolve to make it at the top level as well.

 

That's a nice little avatar you've got there. What say we switch?