from each (classic) division, and then watch it from ringside, which 2 would you pick at each weight? Assume the fighters are both in their primes.
Fly: Benny Lynch v Midget Wolgast Couldn't be anything other than fascinating, Lynch's awkward punchers style against a pure riffer and defensive master like Wolgast. My guess would be that Wolgast stays just to sharp and nicks a close but clear decision. Bantam: George Dixon v Pete Herman Two great box-punchers with strictly their quality to separate them. Wouldn't hazard a guess here, although Dixon is clearly the greater of the two. Feather: Sandy Saddler v Henry Armstrong Hard to imagine a more total war being fought in any division ever. I favour Armstrong to keep working very late into the fight and grab a decision inspite of Saddler's shocking domination of the early part of the fight. Light: Jimmy Carroll versus Elbows McFadden Just two old time lightweights who fascinate me. McFadden was likely the better man, but anything could happen. Welter: Charley Burley versus Sugar Ray Robinson. If Robinson didn't settle the all time head to head debate when he twice out-pointed Kid G, maybe he could do it here against the other extraordinary fighter of his era. Middle: Stanley Ketchel versus Harry Greb Two genuine greats of whom we have very little footage. My guess is Greb survives a few bad scares to take the decision. LHW: Sam Langford versus Ezzard Charles. I guess this is the best pound for pound fight you can put together where both men are peak and at their peak weight. My guess is that Langford's body attack takes it's toll very late and Langford takes an desperately fought decision. HW: Peter Jackson versus Harry Wills A chance to see the two great denied black heavyweights settle up which one of them was the best. Nearly went for Jackson-Sullivan, but I'm more interested in Wills. Most of the fights i've picked, i've gone for guys who i'm interested in but of whom there is very little footage. No point in being ringside for a fighter you've seen a hundred times, was my thinking.
Flyweight: Wilde vs Labarba. The aggressive knockout artist against the iron-chinned technician, classic matchup. Bantamweight: Zarate vs Olivares. You could wager your house on this not lasting the distance. Featherweight: Pep vs Pac. Lightweight: Whitaker vs Duran. I'd enjoy watching Sweet Pea play matador to Duran's raging bull. Welterweight: Leonard vs Robinson. How sweet it would be to see the two Sugars mix it up. Middleweight: Greb vs Hagler. First, there's the excitement of finally seeing what Greb was actually like. Second, there's the unprecedented spectacle of someone actually taking the fight to Marvin and having the chin to withstand the inevitable retaliation of a furious and provoked Marvelous one. This could be like Hagler Hearns stretched out over an entire fight. Light Heavyweight: Tunney vs Jones. The master boxer and fight strategist versus the supremely gifted athlete. Heavyweight: Dempsey vs Wills - the fight that should have happened.
Bantam- Joltin Jeff Chandler vs Rueben Olivares....Chandler solidifies his place along with Panama Al Brown as the 2 best BW's ever!!!!! (It's a PHILLY thing) Feather- Vicente Saldivar vs Salvador Sanchez...Sal would be the clear favorite, but I have always thought Saldivar to be able to hold his own with him. SFW/JLW Azumah Nelson vs Brian Mitchell...I think Nelson wins this but wished we could have seen this between 86-90 LW- Ismael Laguna vs Roberto Duran....laguna springs the upset to shock the world JWW- Jack kid Berg vs Ricky Hatton WW- Kid Gavilan vs Jose Napoles...always thought this to be one of the toughest to pick hypotheticals. SWW/JMW- tito Trinidad vs Shane Mosley MW....Charley Burley vs SRR.... SMW- Chris Eubank vs RJJ....to show that RJJ is not simply the best!!! LHW- Tommy loughran vs Gene Tunney....reports on their draw are split. Loughran again shows PHILLY to be superior to the wasteland that is NY!!! Cruiser- Holyfield vs Haye HW Floyd Patterson vs Jersey Joe Walcott
Yeah, great blend of styles, and I favor Chandler slightly. I think Harada puts it to Pintor pretty good, but it's a sure action fight. Mancini-Ramos would have been sensational too. Tough to pick that one.
Flyweight - Jung Koo Chang vs Benny Lynch Both guys complete dynamo's in the ring with very subtle skill. Lynch is obviously stronger and hits harder but Chang has a solid chin and IMO is slightly more fluid and a bit slicker on the inside and mid-range. Lynch's harder shots might be the difference but I do think Chang can put his shots together quicker than Lynch, without losing power. What a fun fight it would be though! Non stop action for the whole 15 rounds or perhaps less. Bantamweight - Alan Rudkin vs Albert Davila Two guy's I think very highly off and I am big fans of both. I think they are very, very hard to split with Davila being quicker and more mobile but Rudkin perhaps the harder hitter and better counter-puncher and perhaps slightly more adaptable. It is going to be a war in the end as both men fight back against each other, but they both are very good at maintaining their technique in the heat of battle so it would not get sloppy. Rudkin would produce some very hard stinging counter-punches to the body and Davila some shar combinations to the head. I think both men at times would take the role of aggressor as they think they have hurt the other man, only for him to come roaring back. I genuinely cannot split these guys, although gun to my head I would go for Davila as he would probably get off first and be slightly busier. Featherweight - Willie Pep vs Henry Armstrong Another match I just can not split. I go back and forth between each guy constantly! I think Pep has the tools to off set a lot of Armstrong's work with his superb movement and ability to get off first, but when a guy works as hard as Armstrong he is going to pin Pep down and that style of swarming does not really suit Pep, as Armstrong would be like thick mud when he gets on Pep and it would be very hard to escape him. Lightweight - Alexis Arguello vs Barney Ross I just thought of this now. My two favourite fighters! It is a tough one, obviously Arguello is the harder hitter and IMO the better counterpuncher but Ross is a superb mover and was busy but in a controlled way. I can see Ross moving well and letting go with quick two handed combo's before changing angle and spinning away from Arguello. As the bout wears on Arguello would start to time Ross and perhaps draw him into a war like Mclarnin did, by applying a little pressure. The body attack and hard punches by Arguello, but Ross was gritty as hell and owuld be firing back almost non-stop at times. I don't know whether to side with Ross's better workrate and movement or the harder shots by Arguello. Welterweight - Kid Gavilan vs Jose Napoles Another bout with two of my favourites. I imagine this would be fought in the ring centre similar to a Leonard vs Benitez type shoot out. Both men would be probing for openings and looking to fall in range with hard combinations to hurt the other guy, think some of the exchanges from Gavilan vs Turner. I think at times Napoles could be very technically sound and pick off the more furious Gavilan, but Gavilan is more creative and would start to create openings to get his combo's off first and win the exchanges. As even as it can be right down the stretch IMO. A DRAW PERHAPS! Middleweight - Carlos Monzon vs Luis Manuel Rodriguez An odd choice I know but I am fascinated by LMR at the minute. Monzon should be favoured but LMR has an outside chance IMO. His style of slipping inside the jab with his own and flurrying to the body at mid-range could be quite effective, he is strong and robust enough not to get too worn out by Monzon's strength on the inside and could take his shots. Also LMR's workrate and movement could really do him good things here as he out-manuevers and befuddles Monzon at times with a darting jab. My heart wants me to go LMR close upset decision, but my head is telling me LMR is probably ground down late by inside body attacks and stopped in the late rounds. Be interesting to hear others thoughts on this one. The higher weight classes dont really interest me that much, so I will stop there for tonight, I might return.
Flyweight: Jung-Koo Chang/Ricardo Lopez Bantamweight: Chucho Castillo/Orlando Canizales Featherweight: Eusebio Pedroza/Ernesto Marcel Lightweight: Battling Nelson/Kid Lavigne Welterweight: Jose Napoles/Charley Burley Middleweight: Ray Robinson/Freddie Steele Lt. Heavyweight: John Conteh/Eddie Gregory Heavyweight: Joe Frazier/Evander Holyfield
Flyweight: Jimmy Wilde vs Ricardo Lopez Bantamweight: Eder Jofre vs George Dixon Featherweight: Willie Pep vs Salvador Sanchez Lightweight: Pernell Whitaker vs Roberto Duran Welterweight: Thomas Hearns vs Floyd Mayweather Jr Middleweight: Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Robinson Heavyweight: Evander Holyfield vs 70s George Foreman
Featherweight: Azumah Nelson vs Erik Morales Lightweight: Tony Canzoneri vs Sugar Shane Mosley Welterweight: Ricardo Mayorga vs Antonio Margarito Middleweight: Nigel Benn vs Bennie Briscoe Lightheavyweight: Floyd Patterson vs Bob Foster Heavyweight: Joe Frazier vs Rocky Marciano this card would be emotional, we fans would fall in love with them all after these fights!
