Ricardo Lopez lifting the title

Yeah...so how do you justify it? He fought dire to decent opposition for the most part, particularly in comparison to the above fighters (and a good many others, if you want to get down to it), and was made to look quite human by the best fighter he did face (losing the first fight, in my opinion) in Rosendo Alvarez, albeit when on the slide. Obviously an excellent mid to long range technical boxer-puncher, but surely too unproven by comparison to be called great. At least if you exclude all other manner of fighter in the process of deeming him so.

You honestly don't consider Whitaker or Jones Jr. great fighters, at the very least?

 

I didn't assume that. Flea Man did.:good

I would, however, favor Chang in a fight between the two were it ever possible for them to have met.

 

Yeah, i saw that it was Flea Man, that wasn't aimed at you, just as i was finishing off my response i thought i'd tie that in with my post. I'd take Chang as well, clearly my number one at his best weight.

 

How do you guys suppose Lopez would have got on against a Yoko Gushiken? He looks tremendous on film.

 

Well Gushiken is bona fide versatile, Lopez is probably more proven though ironically. There'd be a lot of distance fighting going on, but mostly a proper technical affair in which the fighters are both trying to get off power shots/combos. Would be a great spectacle in that regard. Lopez likely isn't going to storm Gushiken the way Flores did. Gushiken is actually the more likely to do that to Lopez. Very hard to say Addie and good question, i'll be back later, i got me a lecture now.

 

Gushiken Vs Lopez is a hard one for me.

I've seen Gushiken get buzzed and hurt (againts Guzman, if I'm not right), but that was early on when he first fought for the title, and he seemed to become more nuanced and less all-out aggressive as he progressed, which would see him ship less IMO.

He has the sharp shooting southpaw style to offset Lopez's textbook brilliance, but personally I'd go for Lopez, I feel he was just slightly more proven and well-rounded. On points, in a close fight, I just think he might be a little too snappy and stop Gushiken from landing his shots too often, which in turn would stop him wading in and throwing more. However, in close I feel Gushiken had more balls. Lopez just wasn't all that great there.

 

Gushiken's competition was pretty mediocre too overall, but the past prime ALfonso Lopez and Martin vargas he fought were at least as good as anyone Ricardo took on.The likes of Rigo Marcano, Guzman, Rafael Pedroza etc were about on par with the Ohashi's and Sorjaturongs.


Gushiken should have campaigned on at Flyweight imo,His career came to a thoroughly sorry anticlimactic end against the mediocre Flores.

 

Yeah, that was an odd ending.

Nearly as odd as Khaokor Galaxys, a fighter who also had a lot to give IMO (and another Oriental fighter with whom there are numerous dodgy stories attached)

 

Khaokor was probably into some seriously dodgy stuff, not hard to imagine with the rampant corruption in Thai boxing.God knows what happened behind the scenes of the Espinosa fight, but there's no way that was a legit stoppage.

 

0% chance. Supposedly his Brother is dodgy outside of boxing, according to two Thai blokes I spoke to whilst on holiday. Neither of them had heard of Khaokor I was devastated.

 

That Espinsosa stoppage was nuts. I couldn't believe what I was watching.

 

Have you watched Moon II and Vasquez yet, Addie?

 

Gushiken's lack of activity generally will hurt him here. He normally controls the bout with his jab, but it is more the threat of his combinations that control the bout. As he leaps in with those sharp shooting combo's.

I like Lopez to get off first with his own jab and dictate the fight by getting off first, changing angles and shooting again. Completely off-setting Gushiken's control and composure and disrupting his rhythm leading to Gushiken struggling to get off IMO.

Think this is a horrible stylistic match up for Gushiken and I could see him being stopped late with a superb combination catching him unaware.