Fighters you were critical of but changed your mind to their advantage.

maybe Amir Khan if he beats Kotelnick

Oscar De La Hoya maybe

 

I wasn't a fan of Hagler when he was fighting. I just like Leonard, Hearns, and Duran better. But years after the fact he's one of my favorite fighters to watch. I just thought he played the "came up hard, no respect" card too much. Great Fighter though.

 

your not that old

 

Bob Fitzsimmons
Benny Leonard
Jack Britton (Only because I've been a big Ted Kid Lewis fan)
Bernard Hopkins

I wasn't necessary critical of these guys because I didn't rate them it was mostly I didn't like them but my opinion has since changed.

 

hopkins is a good one aswell i dint like him but after teh Pavlik fight i realise his true genius

Fitzimmons is a great fighter

 

same for almost everyone

i do think he is extremly talented and is down to earth but he is a moaning and classles ****.

but he is one of my favourites

 

why the angry face

 

James Toney, I used to hate. I think its because as a kid I was brought up on a diet of Benn and Eubank. Also, me fatha was a Second to Nunn fan, so watching that fight with the awld fella soured my feelings for the fatty even further. On top of this he's an awful man. But ****! He's one hell of a fighter. Watched a couple of his tapes the other day, and I realise just how brilliant he was. Shame he couldn't stay at a proper weight.

I used to have a real downer on Larry Holmes (80s kid obsessed with Tyson and (again) a Dad with uber nostalgia for the 60s/70s HWs leaving Larry 'sandwiched' as an afterthought), but again, I realise what a Heavy he really was. And he does good drop kicks.

 

I was critical of Hopkins when i first saw him, but he was already past his best. When reviewing many of his previous fights i realised he was really something special.

It took me a while but i also eventually came to fully embrace both SRL and Larry Holmes. I always realised what great fighters they were (what plonker wouldn't) but in time came to appreciate them even more and elevate them to the pinnacle shelf.

Lennox Lewis was another, like with Hopkins i was substancially behind the march.

Roberto Duran too, i have never appreciated his abilities as much as since i spent some ample time here in the forum.

There are oodles i have come to appreciate more on smaller levels in here, Ike Williams, Burley, and about 10 000 others.