Are there any fighters you prefer to watch their "green" version in comparison to their "prime"?

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Did Steward-Wlad matches ever capture again this level of action? Don't get me wrong, octopus Wlad is clearly superior, but in terms of pure entertainment the glass cannon one was just so fun to watch with his reckless, confident combinations.

 

Bernard Hopkins.

He was a mean intentioned puncher early on who morphed into a mauling, spoiling, boring fighter atg, par excellence.

 

Nigel Benn.

 

Big Lennox and Wlad. Benn another great shout. And a curveball, young Ali had movement, hand speed and confidence most fighters can only dream of, but his earliest years are never called his prime unless we just refer to Ali as prime Ali until the end..

 

Wlad was an offensive powerhouse pre-Steward. Even though Steward did what was necessary to extend his career & make him a more consistent winner, I can't help but look back in longing @ some of those earlier displays.

Eddie Machen looked like a killer in his early, pre-Johansson fights. After that loss, I don't think he ever displayed quite the same intensity & killer instinct as he had early in his career.

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My guess would be Harada although he only had one,good green footage of him.

 

Lennox Lewis, certainly.

 

Fantastic shouts so far, like many of you, Wlad was also the first name that jumped into my head when I read the thread title.

Floyd Mayweather is another one for me - granted he had one or two fun fights near the end of his career (Cotto, Maidana) those could easily be chalked up to the opponent.

He was much more balanced between offense and defense, threw more combinations, and had more killer instinct to try to put some hurt on his opponents after catching them.

 

As much as that offensive mindset left him, his punch was still just as murderous as ever. Makes me think of the quote where Frazier says that Eddie rocked him hard.

 

David Tua, Sam Peter.

 

Me too, from a purely entertainment, not effectiveness, perspective.

 

Naseem Hamed. The young Hamed had no doubt he was the best, even if there was evidence he might not be. As he got older he became a somewhat caricatured version of his younger self. 'Green' Hamed was some kind of monster!!

 

Joe Louis, who imo had his peak performances before the first Schmeling fight

 

Early Winky Wright was more of a boxer-puncher who threw a lot of punches and wasn't as defensive minded. I enjoy the version of Wright that most usually know him as (high guard with piston jab) but the younger version was a much different fighter and more fun to watch.