Going against a taller opponent with a much longer reach can be a problem for most fighters unless they are like Tyson: excellent hand speed, powerful punching, and ability to slip punches. Very few fighters had all 3 of these. If the taller opponent has good speed and a strong punch, the shorter guy is in big trouble. Even a great like Pernell Whitaker had trouble with taller opponents when he moved up in weight. When he went against 5’11” Rivera, Pernell was only able to squeeze out a very close controversial decision. It’s a good thing that Rivera didn’t possess the hand speed and punching power of someone like Hearns. And of course we all know what happened to Duran...
