Quartey's crotch is like a Bazooka.... what the **** am I saying..... Why did you Manilow this thread B.E.?
I think this is the first time you've ever engaged me in silly ****. I will never forget this. You and I are brothers, this day, Sweet. In all but blood. :deal
I only really recall Espana KO'ing a worn Meldrick Taylor. Remember he was an awkward guy, but didn't seem too special. Is he worth checking out?
Cotto would find himself out of his depth against the 90s crop of welters, and not just the guys most people now remember most.
Claws Espana was a dangerous fighter.imo he's probably the best of the 90s-00s Welter champions that aren't going to crop up in any 147 all-time great\borderline great type discussions...ie Mayorga, Spinks, Cotto, Margarito, Page, Forrest etc He was a skilled, heavy handed textbook boxer-puncher, albeit a bit mechanical and maybe not the best reflexively.Very rangey with loads of offensive talent and decent feet.Definitely one of the most educated combination punchers of the past couple welter decades. He wasn't young though by the time he won the title and had health issues going into the Quartey fight, which was just a supposed gimme fight against an unproven obscure commodity.I don't know how much to take of any illness claims, but he looked slower and less sharp against Ike; fading in the final third.It's possible he could have came back and offered an interesting challenge for some of the other top Welters, but if i remember rightly a detached retina forced him to retire. btw watch Quartey vs Espana and his other earlier title defences and then watch him against Oscar.The decline was significant and clear.I reckon the Ike that fought claws takes on Oscar, he gives him a bit of a beating.Mind you, maybe Oscar himself could have fought better and smarter...but Oscar rarely ever fought smart against the A level types in big fights.
Interesting, thanks for your take. As I said, I only remember the Taylor fight, where I thought he looked ponderous and average against a depressing looking Taylor. Still Taylor had speed even at that point, and maybe I was influenced by that. That being said, I'm always a little shocked at how dismissive people are of Cotto, who has beat some really good fighters. The guy is something like 20-2 in championship fights and a 3-division champ and he doesn't seem to get that kind of respect. Hatton is the other guy who people always seem super dismissive of, despite pretty impressive accomplishments. Neither are favorites of mine, but I think both deserve respect.
I think it was because plenty of boxing sources were trying to sell them for a while as really top fighters-potentially special\among the best brits ever etc instead of the honest workmanlike fighters and champions they were.same deal with Pavlik and Taylor. Not that overhyping new champios and prospects is anthing new, and of course both deserve respect.Cotto more than Hatton imo who progressively let himself down after the Tszyu fight imo.
What about Quartey's win over Jung-Oh Park? I think that is a very underrated win. On film Park looks very solid technically. He did nothing wrong in that fight. In the end he was just outgunned by Quartey. He even tried to take away Quartey's best weapon, his jab, by pressuring him to the ropes inside, and Quartey just threw short hooks and uppercuts, catching him with straight punches coming in. That had to be Quartey at his best.
Was this the fight where Quartey stopped the guy by virtually jabbing him to death? iv seen Ike do that! Jab a guy out
Quartey would dominate this fight and win a wide, convincing UD. Cotto would get bashed up, would not look good by the end.