is Pernel Whitaker Overrated?

i'm confused, are you saying he's NOT a monster at welter? :huh

he's on the most talented 147 pounders ever and a h2h great at that weight

 

Says quite a lot for him that he is still indeed, a top five ATG welterweight.

 

He means in terms of his skill and ability at the weight.

 

i meant monster as in incredibly talented and very effective h2h. he would and should be favoured against most who fought at that weight. his size wasn't the issue, his skills were just amazing

 

bam! :deal same page

 

He completely cleaned out 147 too, and couldn't really be considered 'prime' for at least the last half of his reign. Still ruled it though, save for the Billy Backus road bump (immediately avenged).

 

Pernell would have clowned both those warriors, actually. So I'm not sure how that helps you argument.

 

Doesn't the "factor in the era they fought in" argument work both ways though? I.e. what's to say Napoles didn't beat guys who took fights on short notice who could have done better in different circumstances?

I'm willing to let old timers resumes speak for themselves, and tend to downgrade them somewhat for lack of dominance, but the weight of my rankings are still skewed heavily towards guys who compile great resumes.

Fact is though, Napoles' resume is not THAT significantly better than Pernell's. It's better sure, and at welterweight he beat the better guys than Whitaker's did, but to me, his wins don't offset his slip ups enough to rank him higher than Whitaker.

I can understand why someone would of course, using the argument you have provided, but to me, I wouldn't.

Whitaker should have fought Quartey, that's about the only fight you can criticise him for missing. Even that was being set up but he stumbled on Rivera in 96 and then had to clean up the mess. Again in 98 when they were set to fight, Whitaker tested positive for coke and went into rehab.

Both fails were cocaine related, which is not an excuse, but an explanation for why it didn't happen.

As far as Meldrick goes, there was no time where that fight was a realistic possibility.

By the time Whitaker moved up to 140, Meldrick was at 147 and post 1992 When Whitaker travelled up to 147, Meldrick had suffered consecutive losses to Norris and Espana and was a spent force. Only a Whitaker-ducking Chavez was lame enough to challenge that Meldrick again.

 

Put Floyd in with a prime Oscar or Felix now and he ain't winning anything.

 

Will be back to reply to other posts in this thread later, got some work to do :good