I'm surprised these two never met two underrated Mexican Welterweight champions in the 70s who wins at their best ? For me Palomino wins I think he's one of the few fighters that has to chin to withstand Cuevas's power. And IMO Palomino wears him down and stops him late with his excellent stamina and granite chin.
Palomino had a durability of a tank and was a very well rounded puncher,I thought Pipino still had a chance to stop Palomino early,but mostly I think Carlos via UD or later stoppage.
I think Palomino'c chin gets him through the early danger rounds (particularly the second) and he grinds out a 15-round decision. A peak Cuevas could do the full 15.
Cuevas is one of my favourite punchers but he never faced any bangers during his peak. Struggled with Shields who was a rugged but feather fisted boxer. Palomina is not a big puncher but he´s a solid boxer, excellent body puncher (remember Stracey in agony from those body shots) and terrific chin. This fight would be similar to Palominos 1st with Muniz and Britains courageous Dave "Boy" Green. Carlos cameback from losing the early rounds to wear down his opponents for a late round finish. Palomino KO 13 Cuevas.
A big missed opportunity fight that should have happened in the 70s. Cuevas was definitely the better power puncher with dangerous left hook but was too crude. Whereas Palomino had a better chin, stamina, and more technically sound. Palomino’s toughness and better boxing skills is enough to help him win. Although Cuevas has beaten plenty of fighters with superior boxing skills I think Palomino was durable enough to handle his power. I think Palomino slows down Cuevas with his body attack and stops him late in a very exciting back and forth fight.
Hard call for me, Pipino at his best was a wrecking machine but I completely understand the consensus for Palomino. If Cuevas was the betting underdog I'd take on Pipino , but not for a big amount.
Everyone knows this should've happened and been a WW unifier, like Zarate-Zamora should've been a BW unifier. In both cases, the guy named Carlos was superior. Palomino was smarter, had the better chin (never stopped, dropped twice, once when bowled over the the opening round of Muniz), and after he'd lost his hunger and was planning to retired before turning 30 when peak Duran barely decked him in a Valdes-Monzon gloves barely touching the canvas situation. He got up in Muniz I to deck Armando twice in round 15 for the stoppage. Also knocked out Jose Palacios in 13 rounds. This things can never be done again. Although Cuevas was known for his stamina, his late round power wasn't quite proved to the extent Palomino's was. Carlos won via UD over the Championship Distance twice (something else which can never be done again), was never stopped (even at age 48) and went 4 (4) - 0 during his crazy 1997 comeback until forcing Wilfredo Rivera to go ten rounds with him in order to finally retire him. We've seen Palomino one punch Boy Green from the unbeaten ranks, wreck Stracey with his body shots, and he was a skilled enough boxer that nobody was able to decision him convincingly until peak Duran. And would the counterpunching Benitez have dethroned him at the Olympic or even on neutral turf with aggressor Carlos utilizing his body punching? Nobody ever conclusively beat Palomino except peak Duran and peak Rivera (the latter when Carlo's was on the brink of qualifying for AARP, and not at a heavier weight either). Cuevas had only one notable decision, the close one over Randy Shields, although his trilogy of stoppages over Espada were incredible. (Their middle bout was especially a spectacular war which actually saw Angel drive him across the ring and pound Pipino against the ropes in a devastating battle of attrition.) In a war between extremely durable guys who can also punch and have stamina, it comes down to who's more durable and has more skill. Carlos was an amateur champion for the US Army who defeated eventual Olympic southpaw Gold Medalist Sugar Ray Seales for the 1972 AAU LWW Championship. (Seales was the only American Gold Medalist in boxing at Munich.) Palomino was an amateur champion at a later age than Cuevas was dethroned by Hearns at. Skill, maturity and experience tells.
Pipino did surprise Espada by doing some boxing in rematches (unloading some hard jabs), and with southpaw Billy Backus, he merely wore wore his left glove to keep that more vaunted hand warm while winging massive right leads from the opening bell, fracturing the former undisputed WW Champion's left orbital socket and ending his career after three minutes. Like many huge sluggers, he was also a very smart fighter, a definitive leverage puncher, if sometimes prone to roundhouses. Backus showed he could be as dangerous with his right as Shavers was with his hook. Against Hearns though, Tommy used rubber soled shoes, while Pipino used his typical and comfortably well worn leather soled footwear, preventing Cuevas from getting any traction. Hearns admitted after his career that he couldn't assess Jose's power because Cuevas never hit him to the head or body. Later, Pipino did nail Duran to the body, Roberto winced and shoved him away.
