Greater/Better: Tszyu or Hamed

It actually shows in his post-Phillips career trajectory, as well.

It's easy to forget how quickly things happened for Tszyu in the first half of his career, i.e., having won a title (14-0), defended it several times and then dropped the ball, all in twenty outings.

After his first defeat, he looks better and goes even further in the second half of his career.

 

Absolutely. Some zero in on the loss via his extensive and successful amateur career and try to make it bigger than it is. Joe Louis was "prime" when he was flogged by Schmeling after he lacked professionalism in camp, he came back alright. Contrary to some opinions it doesn't define KT.

I'd have KT over Hamed in this one while acknowledging, which i have multiple times recently, that Hamed is underrated on the whole due to reasons outside the ring.

 

Overall, I'd have Hamed somewhere in the all-time featherweight top-30, (perhaps top-25). On balance of his achievements within a historically rich division, I would suggest this is a more than fair estimation.

Tszyu, is among the Top-10 Light Welterweights of all time and may even have a case for Top-5, in my opinion.

 

In 2001 Barrera was arguably, if not probably the most technically skilled fighter in the world, p4p. Dude had every trick in the book at that point in career. Could slip, duck, counter, lead, jab, go to the body, combination punch, etc. Hamed just got totally outclassed, but he was up against a buzzsaw that night.

 

Man Machine couldn't help me on this one. Whom did Kostya beat other than Zab Judah?

 

Evidently you.

 

So nobody wants to talk about it but calling Tsyzu green for the Phillips fight and Hamed prime for Barrera is evidently fair game.

Floyd had some of his lower and mid level wins against Tsyzu’s best opponents against whom Kostya went 2-1.