Which performance was more impressive?

A look back at an old thread

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/which-win-would-be-more-impressive.700561/

Now that the fights have actually happened and the dust has settled, what was more impressive? Lomachenko's controversial losing effort vs Haney or Inoue's clear victory against Fulton?

This content is protected

This content is protected

 

Hard to see any way in which Lomachenko was more impressive. The Monster impressively won a title in his 4th weight class and, in doing so, beat a quality fighter. Stephen Fulton has gone on to win a world title at 126. On the other hand, whether you think he won or lost, it's fair to say The Matrix struggled with Devin Haney and did not look particularly great through most of the fight.

Hands down, Naoya Inoue was the more impressive fighter.

 

I really don’t see the point of revisiting this since Loma lost.

If he would’ve No Mas’d Haney then that would’ve been more impressive. But he didn’t, so there’s not much of a question here is there?

 

Inoue's performance was more impressive
His record is more impressive
He will go down as a a greater fighter
Inoue is simply more impressive in a nutshell

 

Now that the dust has settled ive gone Loma against Haney.

But in the moment Haney was just an email champ that didn't even merit a rematch clause

 

In the moment Haney was the undisputed lightweight champion of the world.

 

Fulton was probably one of the poorest world champions at the time in a weak division. Haney was a top fighter in a stacked division, he was also much, much bigger than Loma….

With that said, Loma barely “won” (I felt Haney did enough to win and the decision was good…) and Inoue dominated, so his performance was more impressive IMO.

Inoue is easily the greater fighter overall as well, although it has more to do with career management and circumstance than it does being better. It’s hard to say who is “better”, both simply AMAZING fighters.

 

When he begun chasing a fight with Loma he was an email champ that no one felt Loma needed to fight.

Two victories over a Kambosos that Loma absolutely dominated doesnt change that.

So yes Haney was a defending champion. But he was also the same fighter Loma didnt need to fight.

 

Loma is a great fighter, his downfall is that he rushed (his first loss) and fighting out of his weight, which is honorable but it hurt his legacy.

I think Loma is the better fighter but in this case Monster is the winner, he will most likely end up with the better career/legacy also.

 

Yeah, I forgot Loma dropped the belt not to fight Haney. After that Haney whooped Kambosos two times, beat Loma and then Loma whopped Kambosos.

 

Haneys a juiced up fraud whos had a contrived & privileged career because they were trying to find a new Mayweather for the American market

 

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

 

Fulton was being lauded as a P4P candidate by a number of respectable boxing voices and was coming off of a very good run having beaten Figueroa, Roman, and Leo. If anything, Fulton probably has a better resume than Haney and I would argue that he’s a better fighter too. He was far from being one of the sport’s poorest champs.

 

You’ll have to give me examples of the other world champs of their respective weights who Fulton was better than.. Here’s a list of 2023 Ring Champions/top rated for vacant classes:

Usyk
Opetaia
Bivol/Beterbiev
Canelo
Janibek/Adames
Jermell Charlo
Crawford
Teofimo
Lomachenko/Tank
Navarrette/Foster
Wood/Alberto Lopez
Fulton
Inoue
Estrada
Bam/Sunny
Teraji
Nyomtrong/Shigeoka

I think most people, at the time, would consider Fulton better than or equal to a maximum of 4-6 of the 17 best of the weight classes here.. in my mind, that puts him pretty well into being “one of” the poorest champions at the time…..and when I say champion I mean people viewed as “the champion”, not wbf belt holders or whatever.

Im sure there was probably a narrative at the time making Fulton out to be more than he was, as is the case with most of Inoues resume….