Are there any pure boxers you'd take over a peak Donald Curry at Welterweight?

Pea, since you're high on Curry just now, here are some posts I done on him a while ago.

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Curry was a very good long range boxer, with an excellent jab. He was also just as good inside. Accuracy was one of Curry's biggest strengths. The big problem for him against Duran would be movement. He was a decent mover, but not in the same class as Leonard. While boxing behind the jab, Curry was more inclined to stay right in front of opponent. Duran would have the ability to read Curry and slip his jabs, thus getting inside. And as good as Curry was inside, he'd be no match for Duran.

Duran TKO8

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Curry was a complete fighter at his very best. Technically gifted, and had a very tight defense. He picked his opponents punches off with his high guard while stalking them down. But was never the type of boxer who liked to keep things stricly at long range. He was a hunter most of the time really. He just doesn't possess Leonard's tactical brilliance against fighters of like Duran and Hearns. Curry would have been competitive against both those guys, but just not quite enough in the end to defeat them.

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Curry was struggling with making 147lbs as far back as 1982. Four years before he lost to Honeyghan.

He balloned up to 168 between his fights with Rodriguez and Honeyghan, and was 158lbs a week before he squared off against Honeyghan.

On Curry changing his training camp to New Orleans. Goram said, "When a guy is trying to make weight he should be working in a dry climate, not a humid one. Humidity saps too much strength. And besides all that, fighters are creatures of habit. Change isn't always good".

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"Based on everything I had seen prior to the fight, I can honestly say the loss wasn't a total surprise" Says Dave Goran, Curry's manager. "But even so I still felt he'd win"

Also two weeks before the Honeyghan fight, Curry stated to his advisor it would be best get a fight at junior middleweight and call the fight with Honeyghan off as he felt he could not make the weight. His adviser stated "Donald, I think you have the professional obligation to go ahead and make the weight and fight".

He was advised by manager Goram, and three other camp associates to move to 154lbs after his fight with Rodriquez, and he stubbornly refused stating "I liked being one of only two undisputed champions" he said "I don't want to give up my title after winning it".

Curry also felt six months without a scheduled fight and six months out of the gym hurt him. "I think the long lay off hurt me" Curry admitted "Its the reason I went up to 168. I should have stayed busy".

Gorman was not with Curry until three days before the fight, as Curry asked him not to come to training camp because they had an on going contract problem together.

Goram also stated "Everything done in training camp was different" and the manager adds "I didn't think he had enough carbohydrates in his diet. And I know he didn't take any potassium tablets. Those are simple things I never overlooked.

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Vargas was ruined from the demolition at the hands of Trinidad. Taylor and Vargas were destroyed mentally and physically. They were never the same again due to long hard gruelling fights, weight not being a problem. Many fighters careers went downhill after Chavez and Trinidad got a hold of them.

Curry's case was a slightly different scenario. Two things ultimatley led to his defeat. Weight problems and the class of Honeyghan. Curry almost went down from a right hand, and he was behind on points at the time of the stoppage. But he never took heavy artillery during every round. He was getting outscored, more than destroyed. His corners decision to pull him out of the fight was down to a number of reasons. Bad cut over the eye, behind on points, being outclassed, and they seen he simply "never had it on the night".

 

And another post from a while back which echos you're opinion.

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Curry easily makes my top 10 favourites. His style was so good on the eye. Not crude, but not particularly flashy either. Extremely controlled, accurate, and techincally among the best of the last 30 years.

 

I need to see more of Curry admitedly, he was a very good fighter from what Ive seen, its just unlucky that too many casuals remember the Honegan & McCallum fights more than any other.

The 3 names Ive come up with that would have to try beat him without power are Whitaker, Benitez & Mayweather but I wouldnt bet either way with any of them.

 

i just found a pretty extensive highlight compilation of McCallum on youtube.

Got some good stuff from the curry bout in part 2.The fight with a very weight drained Kalule just pisses me off.That had the potential to be a great technical fight had they met both at their best.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TZQCoS4FSfk&feature=related

 

I remember 2 fights that showed Curry's greatness and his shortcomings. His first fight after Honeyghan was against Tony Montgomery. Curry put on an absolute in-fighting clinic. Montgomery wanted out of the fight and got DQ'd because of repeated headbutts. Curry was just too stubborn to get out of harms way from an inferior, fouling opponent. I haven't watched the Santos fight recently, but butting ended that one too.
As mentioned, Curry was clearly ahead in the McCallum fight. But despite that, Curry's eye was closing rapidly. Curry hit McCallum with a right hand in the 2nd round which I thought was as good as the left hook that knocked Curry out, McCallum just took it better. It seemed to me that McCallum landed a couple good body shots late in the 4th round and Curry began lowering his guard.
Bottom line, Curry was a great fighter, and masterful technician, but durability was a weakness. Good topic.

 

If Donald Curry doesn't make Canastota, it's the biggest scandal since Watergate. Mainly considering the fighters who have got in ahead of him already. McGuigan, Zaragoza, Buchanan, etc.

Donald Curry has HOF credentials, no question. He was welterweight champion for over 3 years. He fought the best the division had to offer at the time. Starling, Jones, McCrory, etc. And he became undisputed champion at the weight. And picking up the WBC jr middleweight title against Rossi in Italy enhances his standing further.

*The Ring magazine fighter of the year, 1985. Shared with Hagler.

*The best pound for pound fighter in the world. Perhaps shared with Hagler.

And yes, he did lose to Honeyghan which was seen as an easy defense considering Curry's high reputation at the time. But that shouldn't prevent him being inducted. Hey, McGuian lost to Cruz who was pretty much on the same level as Honeyghan. And Buchanan proved next to nothing after getting beaten by Duran.

 

Buchanan only got in because of his association with Duran.

 

Exactly. I always wondered why Lou Bizarro never got in my self. I mean, he got beat up by Duran as well, what more does a man have to do to prove his worth?

Perhaps it's that he also got Ko'ed by a mediocre fighter..... If he had been Ko'ed by two mediocre fighters perhaps he would have been fine as far as induction goes

 

Curry would have WASTED Breland. That woulda been a mismatch.

And Floyd aint beating a prime Curry at 147. He wouldnt have fought him anyway.:rofl

 

Napoles and Curry would be a good fight but they are quite similar in some of the things they do and in a similar fight normally the faster man wins. Not saying Curry would win but it would be close

Do you not think Oscar has a habit of not commiting in his bigger fights and was often overcautious and thought too much and Curry could pick him apart

Mayweather if he ofugth like he did at SFW at WW would have a chance but not by the way he fights at WW he would be picked apart.

Maybe that is the case but Buchanan was a great fighter he beat Laguna twice.

maybe his resume isnt that great but i feel he is a top 20 LW at least

my pick would be Pernell Whittaker who was in his elemant against pure boxers but i havent saw as much Curry as i would like so i might study some tapes and report back

 

A perfect left hook by Curry would be his best shot against Whitaker...otherwise he gets outpointed.

Napoles is just too good....fight would probably be like the Cokes fight...with Curry being TKO'ed late.

 

Cool mate. My tongue was firmly planted in my cheek when I said that.

Buchanan is the best British fighter in the last 50 years for me.

 

Possibly Benitez, though I think Don Curry could beat him too.

Kid Gavilan as well......but again I don't think he was feather fisted, fights were allowed to go on for longer back then, and I think he would earn a lot more stoppages in the last 20 years of boxing. He was a hurtful if not one-punch hitter.

 

really i felt Whittaker was more vunerable to a straight right than a left hook.

ok sorry thought you was being proper can never tell without hearing somebody.

 

Whitaker-Curry would be interesting, dont know who`d win tho.