Out of these fighters who all had a short prime, who was the most effective when they were operating at their very best?
I was going to include Benitez, but I think he lost to Hearns and Ray when he was actually at his peak. He was just competing in a ridiculously stacked era full of wonderful talent. If the training stories are true, he only had himself to blame that he wasn't quite on their level. Considering the fighters in the poll, who do you feel was most effective at their best?
I think Chavez fans believe he had a short prime, because he was said to be green in his sfw days and past-prime by 1993. That only leaves a relatively small prime window. Compare that to Roy Jones, who was prime from 1993 to 2003 IMO, or Floyd Mayweather who was prime from 1998 to 2007.
Thanks for the insight DINAMITA, but you didn't really address the thread question. Out of the fighters in the poll, who was the most effective at their best and why?
In answer to the actual thread question, I'd say Nunn. Before he met an elite fighter like Toney, we thought he was a serious ATG talent. Had he never met someone with Toney's resilience, composure, accuracy and power, he could've kept that unbeaten streak. he was a great fighter who just ran into the wrong man at the wrong time.
I would have said Michael Nunn, also. His performances against Kalamby and Tate were extraordinary. Nobody did that to Kalamby, and considering Nunn was not even known to have a knockout punch makes it even more shocking. Not to take anything away from Toney, but he was behind on the cards when that huge lunging shot came. I find it sad to see Nunn down on the canvas, now knowing what happened to him afterwards.
I went for Curry, its close between him and Nunn though, both amazingly impressive prodigy's who could have potentially have become top30 ATGs. I'd add Tyson, Frazier, Ibeaubuchi and Hamed to the list
I like Bowe for this question- who was the most effective when they were operating at their very best?
I don't know about that. Bowe was a terrific in-fighter at his best, respectable outside skills, but always rather easy to tag. We don't know how he would have done against a big puncher. He/Newman avoided Lewis. Yeah I think it was business and all and it eventually would've happened, but still, it brings to question his success against a skilled, big punching HW. The punchers he faced gave him trouble. Hide hurt him every time he hit him cleanly. Golota hurt him numerous times. With someone like Curry, he didn't have this sort of glaring weakness. He'd be very tough for a "pure boxer" to beat with his tight technical skills, and slugging it out with him, it's also a tall order with Curry's power and accuracy and tight defensive skills.
Curry for me, he was on his way to be a future ATG and middleweight champ. Nunn is the other guy worth consideration but outside of Kalambay I'm not sure he was ever THAT impressive. His other big win was against Tate who was only ever a "blue collar" type champ IMHO (nowt wrong with that though!).