I think he would have beaten guys like Camacho, Coggi, Garza, Pazienza, Haugen, etc.. Would those fights have ever come off? who knows? But he certainly had the talent and physical tools to handle that bunch.
He had to fight him. If he didn't the public would have said he was ducking him like they've been saying Floyd has ducked Manny. . It would have hurt his legacy. He would have continued defending the IBF title against the likes of Roger Mayweather, Rafael Pineda, maybe Pazienza or Haughen. He could have fought a faded Camacho. Losing a disputed, close fight to Chavez did more for his legacy than those fights, even if he won them, could have done.
Not much different. Slightly longer stay at the top, but still a shooting star rather than someone who spends a long time at the top level.
Maybe i'm wrong but it appeared to me that perhaps he was not training properly, He seemed to be becoming more muscular, leading to him often looping shots, at the expense of flexibility to compliament his natural speed, was he doing more weight training..? Maybe his camp thought added Muscle would turn him into a Puncher, ? No so i'm afraid.
He head no choice but to fight him, if he passed on the fight , he would have been called a coward, Chicken, etc, I mean really dude had no choice:smoke.. Even thou I was glad Taylor lost both fights to Chavez, I admire his Heart, guy did the best he could with what he had...
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think Taylor was a good boxer, but not a great one. He was rather hittable. Boxing is about hitting and NOT getting hit.