It's your mortgage (or whatever) versus the top men time again

Prime for Prime?

 

Styles.

 

Interesting choice I thought a past prime Charles deserved the nod over him.

 

LHW- Foster ( not really )
MW- SRR
WW- Armstrong ( maybe )
LW- Leonard ( Poss )
FW- Sancez ( Saddler on a off night )
BW- Ortiz ( the night after Rueben partied )
FW- Wilde ( I will not be swayed )
I like to exude positive vibes.

 

Yeah idk if I’d pick anyone to beat him in there prime...but he beat him slightly off Prime when he wasn’t quite prime. May have been his style thag gave him trouble. Truth be told I never saw there fight will have to watch it

 

I like your list. I might substitute 1951 Ray Robinson for Greb. I'd put Michael Spinks or Mike Rossman for LHW. But that's it

 

Could I put Mike Rossman for light heavyweight?

 

I don't know how I forgot about RJJ, I was thinking Spinks for LHW and Ray Robinson for MW or maybe Hagler. But RJJ would be a great pick.

 

LHW- Spinks
MW: Jones Jr.
WW: Tommy Hearns
LW: Benny Leonard
FW: Alexis Arguello
BW: need to do more research
FW: Same, need to do more research

 

I think it’s a fair pick. Almost took Harold Johnson myself. I think Johnson was always good enough to take Charles quite close. Ezzard had close calls all through his career.

I think it’s reasonable out of a series of 3 fights Johnson was good enough to win one.

 

Maybe so, and I agree Johnson could pull a ten rounder in a series, but in a prime for prime one off? I can't see why you'd favour Johnson. His real life win over Charles was extremely close, and wouldn't have been a win had the 'slip' at the end been considered a KD. If he can barely get by a pretty steeply declined Charles, then why would he be favoured over the quicker, lighter, better conditioned verison? Plus, LHW Charles had more power, and would be able to land it easier.

Charles late TKO is the likely bet there IMO.

 

LHW: Ezzard Charles - John Henry Lewis.....durable, skilled, great left hand, quick.

MW: Carlos Monzon - Bernard Hopkins.....comfortably matches him in physicality and skill and is possibly even more adaptable.

WW: Sugar Ray Robinson - SRL.....logical choice even if he is the underdog. Brilliant all round game and a "winning" type of fighter even if it's not likely here. Climbed many mountains tho even if his career was stunted.

LW: Roberto Duran - Pernell Whitaker.....if anything is going to gain some traction against this beast i'll back it to be speed and slickness.

FW: Sandy Saddler - Henry Armstrong.....can Hank's murderous swarming and infighting skill negate Sandy's dimensions and power? Can he camp on his shoulder consistently enough?

BW: Ruben Olivares - Eder Jofre.....incredibly strong in just about every department. There is no stronger candidate.

 

I think Charles against Harold Johnson might always have been a technical chess match because of the way they both fought. Their fight was very Cat and mouse. A thinking fight. A prime Johnson was a very capable technician who could neutralise the prowess of even the best fighters. Not necessarily beat them, but good enough to Nick a decision.

I think there is evidence Charles could be taken close even during his exclusive lightheavyweight zenith.. which was a very short time If we are talking above 170 pounds and below 180 pounds because Charles only had something like 12 fights from 122 where he and his opponent were both within this bracket. For example, Jimmy Bivins was above the light heavyweight limit for all but one of their 5 fights.

After the war but before becoming champion the Fitzpatrick fight was controversial. One of the Archie Moore fights were controversial. One of the pre championship Maxim fights were controversial. The Ray fight was officially a loss. Ezzard fought that often. So It happens that an outstanding fighter can sometimes be spread too thin.

 

Thanks, I think the antidote to Sadler could possibly be a Roberto Duran type style and Fenech was that kind of fighter.

 

Of course, but I think that's solely the product of how busy his schedule was, and how good his opposition was.

BTW, the Moore rematch wasn't controversial. From what I've read, only people affiliated with Archie thought he won that.