2 great champions from Cuba that possessed elite boxing skills, cute defense, and great offense where they threw punches in bunches. Who would you have favored between the two? Gavilan was the flashier and more aggressive fighter but could he have kept up with the fleet footwork and constant workrate of Rodriguez? This content is protected This content is protected
I always rated Gavilan as the better of the 2 (though as my avatar indicates, I may not be the most objective source for that opinion), but H2H is a tough call. I could see Luis staying in close & spoiling the Kid w/ his inside smothering & flurrying tactics. Luis was also a deceptively good body puncher.
Luis was an artist in the ring but Kid Gavilan when inspired was one of the most exciting fighters of all time and he would bring that brilliance and showmanship to this championship bout. Judges were sometimes swayed by Gavilan's flurries while Luis was more nuanced. I pick the Kid to win by a narrow 15-round decision.
Great point - Luis often didn't get enough credit from judges for his inside body work, which was a(t least one) factor in his losses to Griffith.
