Can a fighter become a GREAT if he NEVER beats one prime HOF-class opponent?

Yes.

The obvious answer is that if you beat enough 'good' opponents, you show that you're 'great' yourself, just by being a class above them. I think you can probably become great by beating less than good opponents, by simply looking outstanding. I don't think Lopez beat many truly good opponents but experts will look at his style and think that he was a great fighter himself, just because of how impressive he was.

It always frustrates me when impressive wins are discarded because of the quality of opposition. If you look excellent, you should get praise. Im not saying wins like Calzaghe over Manfredo should go down with Frazier over Ali, but they do say something.

 

Yeah, RRJ beat a murderer's row at 175lbs. :yep Bryant Brannon was Qawi on speed.

 

Amen. Some of Marco Antonio Barrera's greatest showings were against B level opposition. I tend to think that is the case with most if not all of ATG's.

 

screw you! keep that **** on the jones vs qawi thread:rasta

 

He fought Brannon at 168.

 

My bad, Otis Grant was a bad man. Mustafa Muhammad 2.0. :good

 

Yes. If he beats multiple very good fighters in style.

 

Joe Walcott
Ezzard Charles
Archie Moore

Might be interesting to note that Moore had 70 some Ko's AFTER Marciano beat him.

 

Anyone can pick apart every boxers' resume and list reasons why they aren't as great as they are revered. Nowaday fighters that come to mind: the Klitschko's and Calderon are all three HOF'ers, however none of them have defeated an "ATG".

 

Generally no, but there are exception like Ricardo Lopez.

 

He clowned Clinton Woods like he was nothing. Beat Richard Hall, Eric Harding, Tarver, Virgil Hill, Montell Griffin, Mike McCallum and several other good fighters at 175. Murderer's row? Maybe not, but respectable and about the best available considering nobody from across the pond would come and get him.

Anyway, the point is that a fighter can be great without great competition, so that kind of makes your comment pointless to begin with. Why the hate?

 

And David Telesco would make Marvin Johnson cry for his mama :good

 

think of it like this: if a fighter needs to beat a great fighter in order to be a great fighter... Then how did the first great fighter ever become great?

 

If you say no, you reach a paradox. Because if you need to beat other HOF or ATG fighters to become great yourself, who's the first to become great? Who did Duran to become great? Leonard? Who did Leonard beat to become great? Benitez? Who did Benitez beat to become great? It keeps going back further and further. Eventually you reach a point where you find someone who didn't beat anyone, but got beat by someone who became great as a result. The answer should be, Yes, you can become great without beating any HOF or ATG fighter. You should have to meet every other credential at a very high rating, though.

 

He can become great, but without ATG/HOF opposition he will always struggle and most likely lose in debates VS other proven greats who have quality opposition.