Haven’t seen any threads on Harding, he came around in a great era which was unlucky for him, he beat Tarver, was beating him in the rematch before getting stopped, gave Jones some issues and dropped Chad Dawson when he was past his best, I feel he’s one of the least talked about guys on here. May make a few threads on him soon. Who wins this matchup?
I disagree, I think he came around in 1 of the weakest LHW eras in recent memory & this enabled him to distinguish himself far more than he otherwise would've in a stronger era. IMO, he was a decent-looking boxer/technician w/ a bit of pop on his punchers, but like a lot of LHW contenders of his era, he didn't do any 1 thing spectacularly. Ironically, he was having 1 of his best career performances in the Tarver rematch until he pushed too hard to get a KO & walked into a big 1 himself. In a stronger era like the 70s, I think he'd struggle just to be a fringe contender. I question if or how much he was better than some1 like Vonzell Johnson, nvm Marvin. vs. Pops, I think Marvin's intense, swarming attack & firepower increasingly break through Harding's guard & eventually bring about a stoppage W.
I’ll take the lone Harding pick. The guy was really good for a short period. I don’t think Harding’s biceps would pop like in the Jones fight or that he’d get caught like in the second Tarver fight.
I think Harding's a bit more technically sound than Vonzell, if not quite as athletic. Probably would favor Eric in that matchup based on superior technique and the fact that Vonzell probably doesn't have the pop to keep him at bay. Harding at his best is probably good enough beat the second tier of the 70's Golden Age, but I wouldn't favor him against any of the titleholders. With that in mind, I think Marvin Johnson probably has enough firepower to make certain Eric keeps his hands at home and probably secures a wide decision or late stoppage.
