Best Performance in a Decision Win Ever

I'd have to think about that one a bit. Certainly it's in the running as the best successful title defense ever. (Loi-Ortiz III and SRR-Gavilan II are among some others, but the winners in each case had taken the previous win in their series. Have to give honorable mention to Antuofermo-Hagler I, a successful defense for Vito.)

Walker was pre-peak, while Greb was past prime. Best for best, it seems clear that Harry was superior in 1919 to the highest level Mickey attained.

 

Langford-Gans is not too shabby either

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MI0oZXNZ7I[/ame]

 

Ricardo Lopez-Rosendo Alvarez II

 

I feel intimidated by flea's knowledge of the sub bantamweight divisions :-(

Is calderon really that bad?

 

Winky over Trinidad
B-Hop over Trinidad
B-Hop over Pavlik

 

Holmes over Shavers.

 

Did win 34 of 36 minutes contested in that one. Not the best ever, but because of Earnie's aggressiveness, nobody else ever dominated him on the scorecards like that without hitting the deck themselves. A lot of observers thought Shavers should have entered this one with the undisputed title in hand.

Cobb is another one. Watch him push the skilled Norton to a split decision, Dokes a majority decision, consider that Tex later made Buster Douglas settle for another majority decision, then think about the fact that Larry shut Randall out 150-135 in the Astrodome, a venue which should have favored Cobb. Nobody else in boxing at the time could have made Tex look that over matched, or did.

 

We shouldn't forget that Whitaker also had over 200 Amateur fights, which in some cases would have been more gruelling than the bums Nicolino was clowning in his professional career.

If we actually look at the quality guys each man fought, the number is pretty close.

I don't think beating a swathe of hacks in between would be much of a grind for him.

And whilst Whitaker used his athletcism more than Locche did, he was by no means soley reliant on it. I think he could also burrow down and plant his feet when he wanted to. A shot version showed us he could mix it with animals like Felix Trinidad. I'd like to see a 35 year old Locche do that!

 

Too often are amateur bouts dismissed when one talks about wear and tear.

A long amateur career does take its toll. Punches are still eaten. Noses are still broken. Injuries that never do heal right occur.

Whitaker had a shorter pro career, but he spent just as much time or more time in boxing. I don't think a guy with 300 amateur appearances could make it to 100 pro fights. Thats 30+ years in the ring, most likely, which is even more than Hopkins has logged now. Your knees from roadwork alone would be starting to wear out on you.

I think that the number of amateur fights needs to be atleast examined and acknowledged when talking about a guys longevity.

 

Agreed, but certainly stamina is extended considerably when competing ten, 12 or 15 rounds at a time, and training for those longer distances. Professional boxing is just that, a profession for these champions, involving a more substantial conditioning commitment.

Having said that, it's also very well established that I've speculated a later mature start can lead to greater longevity, and that kids shouldn't be getting punched in the head housing a still developing brain. The Quarry Boys, Benitez and Ali were entirely too young when they started, and paid for it later. A boxing based exercise regimen is wonderful physical training for a developing body, but I'd be reserved about letting a kid of mine absorb punches to the head until he'd reached the age of consent for himself. (And the Quarry brothers did say they were too young to validly consent to what their father was doing to them when he made them first take up boxing.)

Learning self defense during one's youth is one thing. Learning to accept punches to the head is something different.

 

Yes..from what I've read of it..Greb's victory over Walker was epic..it's a damned shame that it doesn't exist on film.