Israel vazquez

The sport is poorer for no longer having him.

He was maybe the easiest fighter to root for in the last twenty years.

Absolutely embodied what it's all about when you're talking about championship heart. (and **** the couple of trolls who criticize him for "quitting" when there was blood clogging up his nasal passages and inhibiting respiration).

 

Guys, sorry to get off topic, but do you all agree that people that don't watch the lower weight classes (for whatever reason) are ****ing idiots?

 

Yes. Then on the extreme end of the spectrum you get the knuckle-dragging dickheads who ONLY follow heavyweights. Without exception, 100% of those people have double digit IQs. 100%.

 

Both him and Rafa get raped by MAB and EM at any weight, no matter how you mix and match them.

Izzy was excellent and fun, but he's not on their level and even if you think he is, he's smaller.

 

yea, wtf is up with that?! hws are UNWATCHABLE.
how those foos can follow that div. is beyond me.

 

I don't even consider them (people like Loufatski, or most of those with heavyweights in their avatars) to be actual boxing fans.

 

The Gonzalez win was humongous as well, up there with both series. :good

 

I think the lower weight classes seem to not get media attention that the higher weight classes do. Over here in the UK they never get mentioned.

 

While I do think Morales and Barrera were just a higher class overall, it's a mistake IMO to assume that the peak mid-2000's versions of Rafa and Izzy would be completely out of their depth against the littlest/greenest versions of the two more famous Mexican legends to the point where they'd get blown out.

 

I don't know, man. On average anything you tune into on a Friday (ie on SKY FFN, ESPN FNF, Telefutura's Solo Boxeo, or TYC Sports' Box Campeones) is going to tend to feature sub-middleweights these days.

The HW division has fallen (rightfully) from the head of the pack and is no longer promoted as aggressively as it once was. I mean, Wladimir Klitschko had several consecutive title defenses that weren't carried by any American television outlet prior to Haye.

HW has a rich history, no doubt. That rich history pretty much skidded to a halt when Lennox retired. :yep (and I'm not even a Klitschko hater)

 

i could see what youre saying about it being special seeing two heavyweights going at it. the problem with that is, that they never do. these guys never engage or exchange. the fights are horrifyingly boring. traditionally hws were great to watch. but i havent seen a great hw battle since hloyfield-bowe. i would love to, but until that time, seeing massive punch output, speed, movement, counter punching, suspense and drama at the lighter divisions will do just fine.