Carmen Basilio vs Jose Mantequilla Napoles, 147 lbs.

Man, tough call.
Napoles had it all except size. Basillio was just dirt tough and rugged. He had some overlooked, underappreciated skill himself.
It's a high contact, exciting fight. A war perhaps.
If there is a gun to my head. I'd take Napoles by TKO 14th.

 

I'm going for Napoles by close decision,but blood will be spilled here.

 

Spooky ! I posted this match up while you were in exile.

 

Love me some Napoles, but I think Basilio is a bad matchup for him. With that said, both men were bleeders, so I wouldn't get a front row seat.

 

Napoles defense and buttery smoothness wins the day

 

Oh, man, I would! But I could just hear the announcing team now. "Hey, Larry, check out the guy at ringside wearing the rain gear. Do you think he knows something?"

 

I had the pleasure recently of watching Basilio's nephew Billy Backus lift the crown from Naploes' head, and think that might be the blueprint. There's only so many parallels one can draw as Backus is a southpaw and there were cuts involved, but that fight was not one-way traffic at all. Backus had some success before the cut as well.

Basilio could crouch and attack and bob and weave and mix his attack between head and body well enough to really trouble Napoles.

Napoles may be the greater fighter, but he loses by decision here.

 

Two of my all-time faves. Basilio pushed Kid Gavilan all the way and is an underrated boxer in my view - he tends to get pegged as a slugger or brawler but the guy had good fundamentals.

Saying Napoles had good fundamentals is a bit like calling Tommy Hearns a solid puncher. I think Napoles takes a competitive decision here unless Basilio can cut him like his nephew did.

 

I feel like Napoles has the style to outbox him here, but Basilio is definitely a live dog.

Napoles kind of relied on being the ring general, setting the pace and sticking to his rhythm.

His whole strategy was predicated on his opponent knowing he was in against the bear fighter in the world.

Basilio wouldn't give him that respect and actually of anyone is going to upset a rhythm it's Basilio.

This is a great style clash and you can't write off Basilio and his ability to drag just about anyone into a war.

It's hard to call, but I am going to give the edge to Basilio since he has the best boxing nickname in history.

 

Napoles is just such a sound fighter that to beat him you'll have to do some things extraordinarily well,, I don't think Carmen could pull it off though it'd be a great scrap.

 

Fascinating match-up and a tough call.

I wouldn't usually be betting on the outcome of what I suspect would have been a very closely contested bout.

But... ...on a hunch, I'd say it's going the distance and wager on Napoles' 'cluster-punching' to outdo Basilio's slips and rolls, with Mantequilla taking a razor thin decision.

 

Great ****ing thread, Richard

 

Every single one of the posts on these boards is class. Cheers to all of you, Lads

 

I can't get over how sloppy Carmen looks in some video. I know he produced results and that he had tons of heart and stamina. Graham beat him like a drum. And lesser lights were able to get the decision.

Napoles by convincing decision.