Julio Cesar Chavez vs Pipino Cuevas.

I said this in a Chavez vs Margarito thread..Size is only one part of the picture.

Chavez does everything better than Cueves expect power and is physically smaller..but even then I dont think its such a huge gulf. As they were about the same height and Pipino was a same day weigh in welter. Chavez was close to unbeatable and possibly the greatest ever only one divison below. Of course a guy with his style and physical attributes isnt going to be able to weight jump like others but I didnt think he transformed so drastically putting on a few pounds over 140.

But my jaw wouldnt drop to the ground in shock if Pipino won it..He just had the power that could change a fight at any point, against just about any fighter.

 

Exactly the point. With his freakish power, Cuevas could hurt an opponent at any time. He had those Foreman-esque qualities. Chavez may be more skilled overall but he's still a small-boned fighter. Julio never tasted punches like the ones Pipino threw. I can't see Chavez being able to take too many of those and go the distance.

 

I understand the power Cuevas brought, he is truly one of the best punchers ever pfp. But im telling you that a prime Chavez had one of the greatest chins ever (even moving up) on top of being skillful enough to not let Cuevas tee off on him. Chavez had underrated defense, its not like Cuevas had Taylor like speed where he would be able to find Chavez with any regularity.

 

Agree with John Thomas' take.


A big thing that's overlooked is just how fast that hook of Cuevas was. That thing sizzled and he threw a ton of them. And he was a finisher.

I think those long arms and that out of the gate early aggression catches a 147 version of Chavez. I also think Chavez was a terrific "on top" style of fighter that looks terrific when everything goes their way. It's the problems that surface when things don't go their way. I think those problems surface here and he gets hit and badly hurt & this definately isn't a Roger Mayweather coming after him to close the show.

I also think the Chavez style of starting slowly and waiting until the fourth round or so to start walking down his opponent play into the Cuevas style. I see Chavez being way on the outside in that first round and not quickly closing the gap, but just slowly closing the gap. Big mistake. That puts him in that danger zone for the first 2 or 3 rounds and that nasty left hook and brutal left uppercut by Cuevas is going to land. And Cuevas knows how to follow up.

 

At welterweight Cuevas destroys Julio Cesar Chavez

 

You, mean like the punches Iran Barkley threw? Never say never...

 

:nut

Take a sniff at Chavez fight with Chapo Rosario......

......destroy, is what alot of people thought Rosario would do to Chavez when Chavez move up to lightweight.

Chavez infight defense made Rosario's brutal type offensive power null and void.......

.......and in Rosario, we're talking about a fighter who was exponentially much better skilled than a brute type like Cuevas.


I have'nt a single doubt on this matchup.....they could matchup at middleweight, the Chavez that fought Whitaker who was a bit past prime.
Chavez could weigh 143 lbs, and Pipino comes in at 160 lbs, Chavez' skill by far surpasses Pipino so much, it would'nt make a difference, Chavez would put a beatdown on Pipino.

 

The fly in the ointment regarding the Rosario match is that I never bought into the guy. And I sure did not like his elbows out style 1 iota against Chavez. The surprise to me was Rosario lasting as long as he did. I did not think it should've ever gone anywhere near that long and should've been over in 7 rounds or less. Chavez is way too much for that guy.

I think rosario fighting Cuevas with that elbow way out is disaster as well and it'd be the Hiranaka fight all over.

 

A poll would have been intresting as this seems somewhat close with Cuevas maybe getting a few more votes.