The best example of range-control in boxing? Video. Lopez KO2 Lin

In my opinion Hopkins doesn't rate much higher than Lopez all time.

 

I can't read **** anymore. **** you Belgium.

 

Napoles and Monzon are good candidates. I love watching Napoles glide across the ring. Brilliant technically, just exceedingly smooth and reserved. Monzon on the other hand was just brilliant at keeping the fiught at his distance and pace.

 

No, not overrated per se.

I'm trying to provide my balanced opinion on the man, good and bad.

All things considered, he's an excellent lighter-weight fighter.I'm just uncomfortable with too much superlatives being applied to him for the reasons stated previously.

It's just too hard to say how he would have done against a higher class of fighter of certain styles.

Would he have still looked so poised and precise with a lanky quicker fighter making him miss loads like Zapata, or a lightning fast swarmer like Chang not giving him any room to compose and execute at his own leisure.

It's tough to say for sure.He certainly belongs in the discussion though and those, plus others like Arbachakov are great matchups.

 

As I said, in a textbook sense, he's technically among the best ever for sure.

But there are other aspects of fighting not as refined to certain techniques that are still questionable.

 

delete. i don't want to be beheaded.

 

One of my favouite fighters ever, a supreme technician (arguably the best ever) that was master at ring generalship. Infact it's reasonable to say he was the closest to a complate fighter ever. At 105 I'd favour him to clearly beat anyone, and at 108 I'd pick him over most including Carbajal, Gonzales and Chang (although Chang would be tough). If I were to compare someone in regards to controlling the distance I'd say Monzon, although I still feel there about even in the category.

It's a tragedy that we never got to see him against some of the top fighters from 105-112 during his reign, I don't think anyone would blow him out (although some of the Flyweights would beat him).

Brilliant fighter, too bad many fans have never seen him.

 

A world class performance against a solid opponent here. Good find McGrain.

Clearly Lopez is a fighter with very few flaws. However, he always struck me as a very basic fighter. His generalship is impressive to be sure, but other recent fighters such as Virgil Hill and Michael Nunn displayed identical levels, imo.

He did nothing outstanding, from a physical or even mental point of view.

I think that is, ironically, Lopez' great strength: his basic techniques (ie circle, find the range, jab, and engage) were so excellent that they were no longer basic techniques, but rather highly advanced techniques that world class fighters struggled with.

An all-time great to be sure.