It seems to me that Armstrong is terribly underrated on this board. Why??? Alot of historians rate Armstrong top three to five P4P all time. The record speaks for itself and Armstrong always fought his fight...Face it fighting an Armstrong would be very hard, rough, crowding pressure coming at you in waves for fifteen rounds. No one regardless of size, backed him up! arguably the most sucessful come forward fighter in history...Why doesn't this board think so? Armstrong/Basilio. 15 rounds. Does Basilio make Armstrong back up? Or does Armstrong get underneath him, and leveraging and uprooting him? Crowding even the larger, very strong Basilio. Armstrong had this down to a science... Do you give credit, where it is due? I do!
Sorry, but I have to go with the bigger, stronger man in Basilio. Just a bad matchup for the smaller fighter to be taking on inside.
He is my number 1 p4p alltime, I dont see how I can rate him any better No one will be able to repeat what he done... ever, so he may have that distinction forever in my book.
Definitly. Great fighter and he get´s horribly underrated h2h wise. Basilio was great and while he was bigger and stronger he also was cruder than Armstrong. Close fight but I think Armstrong prevails. In a three fight series Basilio would take one, it may even end 1-1-1.
Not sure, I mean size wise, Basilio is a major jump from lightweight to welterweight/middleweight. I think it would be a ugly fight while it last, and a great brawl. But I also think Basilio might just have the size here to win this one. Though a Armstrong win is not out of the cards.
I'd go with this. Basilio was quite a bit larger than Armstrong, as rugged as they come, and had fantastic stamina. Decent punch too. Armstrong would find life tough inside, although he at times would outwork Basilio and force him to back up on occasion. I can't see him doing it over the course of 15 rounds though, and I think Basilio's strength and ruggedness would offset Armstrong's legendary workrate and it would slowly take it's toll on Hammerin' Hank. Basilio by 9-6 over 15. If this fight's at middleweight, I think Basilio wins by a slightly larger margin.
I dont know here, Basilio was very sharp with his punches, much moreso than say a LaMotta. Couls Armstrong stick to him and ultimately outwork him? HJe'd have to be relentless as ever if he would. Basilio's combos and battering punches are spmething to be reckoned with imo, I'll pick Armstrong to have maybe a couple more rounds of success than would Carmen, what a fight, either man can take this.
Because his "P4P greatness" that you refer to was as a lightweight/jr. welterweight, not as a real welterweight. In fact, most of his welterweight defenses were against fellow blown up lightweights like himself. I'd have to side with the consenus on this. Just as Basilio lost to the bigger, stronger infighter Fullmer, so Armstrong would meet his match in the bigger, stronger infighter Basilio.
I think Basilio would take this too big and strong trying to out fight a bigger stronger guy is an up hill battle, the punches would start to take there toll on Armstrong before Carmen.
There is no doubt that Basilio is 'hell on wheels' as the saying goes (and one of my favorite fighters) Basilio was one bad welterweight who others have correctly stated gave Fullmer hell and I can't say with conviction that Armstrong would win...but could he win? Yes I believe he could... Why don't you use your own examples of how Basilio outfought and forced Fullmer to box during some of their fight (1st fight). Basilio did this by basically fighting strength against strength with the larger man. Basilio stood more upright than Armstrong did..Armstrong always fought aggressively... TRUE. But he came in LOW and stayed low. Then he got inside and stayed there, constantly punching and turning at a blistering pace. On the inside was Armstrong's sanctuary, chin tucked, holding and hitting, subtle use of shoulders,elbows, and head...He knew all the niceties in an up close fight. One of the toughest styles to fight is someone who plants their head on your chest and you can't get rid of them...it would be hell to deal with! I guess that I'm in the minority on this one...and that's fine. Both are great fighters. IMO Armstrong gives him all he can handle. Very possibly beating him.
