Lopez wins this by KO in the later rounds, in the last third of the fight (I am assuming this bout is scheduled for 15?). Danny`s constant pressure and higher workrate would be the deciding factor here, as well as his superior punching power. MAB will most likely elect to box and counter his way to victory (anything else is suicide really), and while this strategy will work for him for any number of rounds, Danny`s constant pressure will start to wear & slow MAB down in the second half of the fight. Once this happens, it is only a matter of time until Danny`s atomic right cross will find its mark, and when it does it will be curtains for a tired Marco. If there is one thing that Marco doesn`t like it is to be crowded and forced to fight going backwards. When he chooses to fight that way he has success, but when he is forced to fight on the backfoot he is not so comfortable, especially if his opponent is a hard punching fighter with a very high workrate, which is what Danny was. Lopez is the taller fighter with the edge in the reach department, and he will make full use of those advantages. Danny had a very underrated and debilitating jab which he threw constantly, and he had an especially effective combination which consisted of throwing a jab followed by his right cross and then finished off with a powerful jab in which he shifted all his weight into for maximum effect. He caught a lot of his opponents off guard with that final left, and quite often once it landed and scrambled his opponents senses the end was not too far away. Marco will surely hurt Danny several times and box very well for several rounds, but Danny`s great conditioning along with his power will see him through to victory. Lopez KO13 Barrera
It would be good while it lasted. But Lopez would lose. Barrera too good. Much better boxing skills, faster , smarter --- just too much. Hats off to Little Red --- he had all the heart in the world.
I'll go with Barrera here, though I am a huge Lopez fan. If there's one thing that Barrera proved he could do in his trilogy against Morales, it was to take away his opponent's right hand. He was brilliant in avoiding it there. I think his inability to get away from the right against Junior Jones was borne first of inexperience and also complacency. He was unprepared for that kind of effort from a fighter he expected to steamroll, and paid the price. He would not be so complacent against a fighter with the likes of Lopez.
If it ever could happen, I do not see Marco ramming Lopez's head into the ring post in the last round though:good
I figured I would be in the minority by picking Lopez, but I still stand by my precidtion of Lopez by KO. Sure, Marco was the more skillful operator of the two, and would have made a ****** out of Danny for many rounds, but does anyone think he would have pulled it off for a full 15? I ain`t saying he couldn`t have, but Danny was such an overbearing attacker, always coming forward and always throwing leather... that I don`t see how Marco can keep his legs come the later rounds. By using so much movement to stay clear of Lopez, he will definately tire down the stretch and become more stationary. When this happens, I think it is only a matter of time until he gets nailed by Danny, and when he does I don`t see him taking it all too well. Marco did a lot of good things in the ring and beat some very good fighters in his time, but he still gets taken out by that monster right from Danny at some point. BOOM... try outboxing "Little Red" when your dead.
Naseem figured the same thing... Naseem hit harder than Lopez, but Little Red would have the advantage of having 15 rounds to try and get the job done; but nine out of ten times IMO Barrera gets the job done and the decision.
I agree with you that Naseem figured he would blow Marco away early on, but once he realized that wasn`t going to happen and as the rounds kept going by, he essentially gave up on himself. Danny on the other hand would have never given up, he would have kept pressing, and stalking, and throwing looking for the KO. He was leagues ahead of Naseem in terms of being mentally tough and having an indomitable will to win. And this is why I think Danny wins, because no matter how far behind he may fall, how many times he would taste the canvas, he could still pull the fight out of the bag with a single punch like he did on countless other occasions. And I disagree with you that Naseem was the harder hitter of the two, but that is splitting hairs really as both men could punch like a mule`s kick. But Danny`s punches were always straight down the middle, never wide and telegraphed like Naseem`s which allowed MAB to see them coming a mile away.
Plus Hamed was a lethargic counterpuncher, not a pressure fighter that made you fight 3 minutes of every round.
Love Lopez but he was a bit stilted and frankly slow. MAB had the angles and speed and a good chin to take this. He was more complete and adaptable, more arrows in his quiver.15 rounds would make for a classic tho.
If we're talking about tip-top Primetime Barrera, then I take Barrera, out boxing Lopez conservatively in the early going. Then around the 5th he starts raking Lopez with occasional power punches while investing downstairs. Then during the championship rounds he would be putting it to Lopez hard.