Any credit, or was Zarate just a corpse at this point? Zarate was 66-2 at the time coming off a 12 fight winning streak after retiring due to the controversial Pintor loss. Zarate was in his mid 30's. Fenech was a 17 fight novice tearing through divisions. Not a fight you hear discussed very often around here, bit of a mixing of different generations really.
It was a bad night for Fenech. As I recall, Zarate cut him badly with a punch but Fenech espaced with an injury win or a no contest. Apart from that, Fenech had an awesome career up to the Azumah Nelson rematch. Fenech-Zarate was a bad night, a controversy, a blip in a great careeer.
He wasn't a corpse. But at the lighter weights, fighters have a much shorter prime. (And Zarate always looked older than his listed age.) Fenech was an aggressive fighter and had the early rounds in the bank before the unfortunate end.
Well, did it seem that Zarate would have had any chance if the fight had gone on? Would a win have been possible, or somewhat realistic?
As much credit as Marciano did for disposing of Joe Louis. A match Prime for prime would have been something!
Russ, To this day I'm not sure WTF happened in that fight.. I have a Spanish version of the TV fight..... Fenech was younger and getting the better of Zarate, but Zarate was hanging in there.... Then, suddenly, the fight was stopped.... Did Zarate injury his arm or shoulder?? Who knows??? The stoppage looked bogus.... MR.BILL:fire
IMO it was a case of an 'approaching-peak' Fenech versus a 'well-past-use-by-date' Zarate. The 7 year tempory retirement didn't improve Zarate, and the 12 fights he won prior to Fenech (in his second career) weren't notables. An 'at-peak' Fenech vs 'at-peak' Zarate fight would have been a blinder! For mine Zarate would have won it (and I'm an Aussie).
Fenech was beating the **** out of Zarate through 4 rounds, and then suffered a cut. Someone (either the doctor or the ref) chose to stop it on Fenech's cut. Zarate then celebrated thinking that he would be given a TKO victory, but the fight went to the scorecards instead, and Fenech being clearly ahead won a technical decision. What made the stoppage "bogus" looking is that the cut didn't look all that serious. Fenech himself was ready and willing to fight on, and even protested the stoppage (even though knowing full well that he was safely ahead on points). Frankly, I don't understand why they would look to stop the fight down there in Fenech's backyard on a simple cut like that.
Didn't seem like that. It actually looked like Fenech was on his way to a KO win (I can't remember for sure, but I think he'd already had Zarate down).
YEAH! The stoppage on that cut was bogus..... I agree Fenech was ahead, but Zarate was still hangin' in there........ The fight was going pretty good, until that sudden ending..... Peace..... MR.BILL
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if Fenech beat him even in his prime. I think Fenech is somewhat underrated at bantam because his fights weren't as high profile, but the guy was an absolute monster there (until the weight-making started to catch up with him just before he moved up). Strong as a bull, tough, relentless, and he could punch like a mutherf*cker with both hands.
Yes, Fenech at his shortish finest would cause havoc and beat plenty in matchs of ATG vs ATG. I could not agree more.
Successful....But successful against him (Zarate) that's the big question? Not looking to put Fenech down here. He was a great champ in multiple divisions. Just think Zarate, who ruled the bantam division by a long string of decisive KO victories, might have shaded Fenech. Much would have depended on how Fenech's often fragile hands stood up.