Decade v Decade - Match 4 60s v 80s

Those are the picks I'll make. Not deciding on matchups I'm not comfortable with.

 

don't know about the lower ones

 

These are the picks that I'm cofident with

Ali
Moore
Hagler
Leonard
Sanchez

 

Heavyweight-----Ali over Holmes or Tyson

Lightheavyweight-----Spinks over Foster (Moore & Johnson past best by sixties)

Middleweights-----Hagler over Tiger

Welterweights-----Leonard over Griffith

Lightweight-----Ortiz over Chavez

Featherweight-----Sanchez over Saldivar

Bantamweight-----Jofre over Chandler

Flyweight-----Harada over Chitalda

 

heavy - Clay v Tyson

I think Ali can out-manuever Tyson and keep away from him and pop him with that jab and combinations and wheather what Tyson has to take a decision.

light heavy - Foster v M Spinks

I had to pick Foster as he is a H2H nightmare. I think Spinks ca actually KO Foster after a shaky start. Admittadly I aint too up on Foster though.

Middle - Dick Tiger v Hagler

Its going to be tough, but Hagler has that extra dimension. Tiger has it in the trenches but Hagler can box and counterpunch alot better and that wins it for him in a good fight to watch and fairly close.

Welter - Griffith v Leonard

This is a good one, I think Griffith has the edge in strength and can impose himself abit, but i like Leonards fast combinations to get the work done.

lightweight - Ortiz v Arguello

This would be a war. Ortiz is bigger and stronger and would have to use it IMO, his boxing and mobility does him well but I think Arguello could start to counter-punch him, and Ortiz then starts to put the pressure on and can eke out a decision.

featherweight - Saldivor v Sanchez

I like Sanchez's edge in mobility and better acuracy. Saldivar will have sucess with his patient stalking and body work but Sanchez should have that extra movement to create the angles and get hit less.

Bantamweight - Jofre v Chandler

I'll be honest I have never seen Chandler so cant say.

Fly weight - Harada v Chang

Harada's edge in strength hold him in good stead, I can see him backing up Chang and forcing the fight and taking the play away from Chang

 

Harada vs Chang should be the Flyweight matchup if we are just doing original eights.

Jofre at Bantam, but against god knows who for the eighties.Tough to single one out there.

 

heavy - Clay v Holmes / Tyson
light heavy - Moore/Johnson/Foster v M Spinks
Middle - Dick Tiger(or old Sugar Ray) v Hagler
welter - Griffith v Leonard
lightweight - Ortiz v Chavez/Arguello
featherweight - Saldivor v Sanchez
Bantamweight - Harada v Chandler
Fly weight - Kingpetch v Chitalda

I've got Clay/Ali over Tyson and probably over Holmes also.

Spinks

Hagler

Leonard

Ortiz

Sanchez

Harada

Chitalada

 

Some tough matchups:

Clay over Tyson and Holmes. Too fast on his feet for both.
Spinks over Foster. Close fight but Spinks at his best would get Foster.
Tiger over Hagler. I know. Hagler could outbox him but I don´t think he woudl box him. This would be a war. And nobody goes to war with Tiger and wins. Not even Hagler.
Leonard over Griffith. Close. Griffith at his best was very, very hard to beat and Leonard would not look good in winning.
Ortiz over Chavez. Ortiz would be able to hold his own in the trenches but would have the upper hands on the outside. Close fight.

I know Arguello, Sanchez, Jofre and Harada but not the others well enough to comment.

 

The Ali fights are interesting but I pick a peak Ali against Holmes and Tyson.

As for Spinks... well Moore was past it by the 60's so there's no way he can deal with this movement, speed, and elusiveness. The awkwardness of Spinks is tough to deal with so I think a boxer-puncher like Foster would have awful trouble dealing with Spinks. I think a technician like Harold Johnson would have the best chance. But he wasn't at his best by the 60's either. Someone like Foster has a chance with his punch, though. And Spinks doesn't have the best chin but the percentages aren't on his side.

 

Nice post. Tyson is certainly one of the best finishers of all time, it's the combination punching that makes for that. And yes, stylisticaly, Tyson should be able to counter an Ali shot and propel himself into a position of great leverage and land a devastating blow on Ali. My thinking is just that fights don't always play out as they look on paper, and Ali was the script ripper.

Your point is interesting though, if Tyson dropped Ali, he would try to finish him, and the world would stand still.