John Conteh, an overrated or underrated champion?

He definitely had a very short prime but the man could box like a dream. Very fluid boxer in the traditional sense of movement and sticking the jab. He just looked good, his movements were very graceful to watch plus he was a pretty boy as evidence by his TV career afterwards. A real solid boxer who could give top champions fits at times, lacked fight changing power though, but was in great shape. I don't feel he is overrated. He fought in arguably the most competitive 175lbs of all time (Parlov, Saad, Qawi, Galindez, Ahumada, Marvin Johnson and Yaqui Lopez) and fought 2 of them. He had a ceiling though as Saad showed. I would confidently say, in his prime, he could step in the ring with any 175lber and give them problems - although winning might be a different issue.

 

I wouldn't think of him as overrated, I don't think. At least, I would think he is less likely to be thought about as the light-heavyweights champ than Victor Galindez was durung that era and I also think he'd have had a decent chance of beating Galindez if they had ever met.

He was such a nice boxer, a real stylish fighter. He lacked a bit of pop at the highest level and maybe admired his own work a little too much (at least in the fights I've seen him in) but he was a damn fine fighter and one of the best Britain produced during that time period.

 

Underrated if anything but also an underachiever.

 

Definitely a under achiever, sadly for his boxing Conteh was a media star, a advertisers dream celeb and led some what of a party style, early on his talent and natural athleticism over came the lifestyle issues, but father time and this lifestyle were cruel opponents who chipped away at him until it was negatively affecting his boxing.

Being in rehab within two years of retiring from boxing speaks volumes regarding the alcohol and to lesser extent the drug issue he had.

But as a teenager watching Contehs lifestyle in his heyday I thought he had it all, well all the pretty ladies anyway, and was i envious hell yeah.

 

I was just thinking that. Conteh was a mover but also was hard to hit clean. Plus his offense was 90% with the lefthand. I believe he had problems with the right hand throughout his career that's why he didn't throw it as much. Imagine fighting consistently at the top world level basically having only one hand and not enough power to really hurt them and still being very competitive. A talented fighter.

 

Over rated. I feel Saad,Johnson, Mustangs, Qwai,Spinks and Galindez all would have defeated him. However he could have beaten Virgil Hill who reigned a long time in a far weaker era.

 

Foster was waning in 1974. Conteh was on the rise and red hot. I wouldn't be surprised in Conteh outboxes him and wins a wide decision.

 

Definitely underrated. The issue you mentioned with his right hand stemmed from a non-title bout he had in the States against Willie 'The Bull' Taylor, in which he broke his right hand. He was out for an extended period (somewhere along the way I heard he re-broke it, but not sure) and then came back against Yaqui and it did appear he won the fight one-handed, like he was gun-shy after that in throwing a good right. But I just thought he was a phenomenal talent.

 

Whose rating him above those fighters, though? I don't think he's overrated at all.

 

I've got Conteh getting a Decision over Foster, in that time frame.

 

Exactly. No one saying he's an all time great, beating all the top players. But he was a fantastic fighter and on his best day 'hard to beat'.

 

He's rated about right, I think. He was competitive in the golden era for 175'ers, which alone says a lot.
He's one of my favourite fighters to watch. Great poise and as said, fluid and graceful, though not flashy.