Matthew Saad Muhammad Vs.Yaqui Lopez II. What cant you say about this great bout?

What a great time it was to be a Boxing fan! I loved that fight. One of the best I've ever seen. Two warriors giving it thier all. That was when fighters weren't as afraid to face another equally skilled opponent and risk a loss. Where's my time machine?

 

They couldn't avoid each other without fighting other, equally dangerous opposition.

The depth at 175 in this period rivals any in any division in history (if you don't count the eight-division days, when by modern standards you would be lumping two divisions together to get that depth):

Matthew Saad Muhammad
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Marvin Johnson
Victor Galindez
James Scott

Up-and-comers Michael Spinks and Dwight Muhammad Qawi

On their way downers like John Conteh and Yaqui Lopez and Mike Rossman (more of a flash in the pan, but still a tough proposition)

Plus Jerry Martin, Eddie Davis, Johnny Davis, Carlos DeLeon -- who could be contenders in any era

 

It was one of the very best fights I have ever seen. I think the bout confirmed Saad's status as a borderline ATG champion. It also confirmed -- in my mind at least -- that Lopez could have been a world champ or divisional beltholder in almost any era in boxing (except for bad luck).