Is there a fighter you didn't like in the past that you like now in hindsight?

Charlie Zellenoff

 

I wasn't crazy about Lennox Lewis when he was active. I respected his talent but was not a big fan. It seemed like he was there to be knocked out but he was only stopped twice... he avenged both of his losses (LKOby2 McCall and LKOby5 Rahman), WTKO5 McCall and KO4 Rahman. His draw was questionable, D12 Holyfield, most felt he won that fight... in their rematch Lewis won a close decision, W12 Lewis (some felt it could have been a draw or even a win for Holyfield). His only other close fight was vs. Mercer, W10 Lewis... that fight could have been a draw and maybe even a win for Mercer but I would not call it a robbery.

He had his struggles with Bruno but stopped Bruno in the 7th round. It looked like Akinwande dropped him but Lewis was not hurt and AKinwande did not really want to fight that night (Lewis WDQ5) because all Akinwande wanted to do was hold. Briggs rocked him but got stopped in the 5th round. Holyfield rocked him a couple of times. V. Klitschko rocked him. For having such a bad chin the man was only down twice (both times resulted in a KO loss).

Lewis is an all-time great and at his best could potentially beat any HW ever.

 

Hagler for me. As a 17 year old at the time of the Minter fight & being bought up on British fighters like Conteh, Minter et al and remembering Minter since the '72 Olympics (including getting robbed against Kottysch in the semi-final), I hated Hagler at the time because he was "the enemy".

I went to the Hagler-Minter fight and although I wanted Minter to win, even then I admired Hagler's stone-cold professionalism in front of a massively hostile, largely xenophobic crowd. I came away that night absoloutely awe-struck by Hagler's, vicious, punch-perfect challenge.

My admiration grew throughout Hagler's reign, the ultimate hard-working, blue-collar fighter, a vicious, hungry, uncompromising fighter but also a tremendous boxer with no flash...honest, humble and dignified too. No slyness or cynicism about Marv.

I gradually came to regard Marvin as one of my very favourite fighters.

 

Michael Nunn and James Toney. I really couldn't stand either guy during their first runs as world champions. I started liking Toney when he was a CW... well, he was still an azshole but I respected him a lot (even though he was probably juicing). When Toney beat Nunn it didn't show how good Toney was in my opinion, it was more about how bad Nunn was. Nunn outboxed Toney for most of the fight but got stopped late. I started liking Nunn when he was at LHW, he should have fought Roy Jones Jr.... another guy I wasn't crazy about but realized how good he was. I was happy when Toney beat Nunn, I was happy when Jones beat Toney. I was happy when Montell Griffin was 3-0 vs. Toney and Jones... his rematch vs. Jones was embarrassing. I thought Toney lost to Johnson, McCallum, and Tiberi. His draw vs. S. Williams could have been a loss, his win over Sosa could have been a draw.

 

Yeah Khan. Good shout.

 

Khan may be a lot of things but I coward he ain't, he likes to fight the best I'll give him that.

 

I agree. I used to dislike Lewis`s fighting style but now I came to really respect his talent and he was truly a great fighter.

Julio Cesar Chavez was another that I always went against. Maybe because of his connection with King. He was a great pressure fighter who really cut of that ring. His chin his power his precision. There will never be another Chavez. He won about 30 title fights in a row.

 

Maybe.

 

Erik Morales. Was more of an MAB fan but Morales' style grew on me in hindsight and he was great in the first pac fight. Lewis also. Spinks was awesome good mention.

 

Holmes and Mayweather.

 

I didn't go to the Minter-Hagler fight, but everything else about your post applies to my thoughts on Hagler. Definitely my boxing idol growing up. Great, all round fighter.