Absolute peaks - Roy Jones jr or Pernell Whitaker ?

Roy was the total package.

Got to be Jones

 

Pick em

 

Very close, two of the best fighters ever H2H at their peak. I do feel Whitaker was the more complete fighter of the two, although they were both extremely effective. I'd probably have to give Whitaker a very small edge based on his durability and being so well-rounded. I have no quarrels with anyone who says Jones though, its very tight.

 

To be clear, as far as who rates higher in an ATG sense, Whitaker clearly. But as far as who was the better fighter at their peak, it's pretty much even money. Again, two of the very elites of all time in that regard.

 

Yes, I agree with this.

I will attempt to illustrate this more clearly by looking specifically at their absolute peaks:

The Whitaker of the Haughen fight, Ramirez II, Azumah Nelson, the lightweight version of 1989-1990

or

The Jones Jr of the Toney fight, right up to the Brannon fight (encompassing wins over Byrd, Pazienza, Thornton, Sosa and Lucas), the supermiddleweight version of 1994-96


If you watch the fights encompassed in these two periods, Jones looks like the more explosive and probably slightly more 'above' the fighters he was fighting against, ie whereas Whitaker hopelessly outboxes and outclasses whoever he is in with, Jones looks like if he got annoyed and went for it, he could just KO his opponent and end the fight at any time.

However, IMO Whitaker was fighting a higher standard of opposition at his absolute peak than Jones was, and this works as a metaphor for their whole careers, hence the reason I rate Whitaker higher in ATG terms but find them very difficult to separate in terms of ability at their respective absolute peaks.

 

Overall: Pea.

 

Who would win between Lennox Lewis and Ricardo Lopez in a fight?

 

That's because Lewis was typically fighting world class boxers while Lopez was typically fighting no class boxers.

 

He was an excellent technician, no doubt, but never really proved himself against an elite until he took on Rosendo Alvarez (in two close fights, the first of which was a draw) toward the end of his career.

 

I voted far too close to call.I was mesmerized by both men when they were in their primes.