Meldrick Taylor and Frankie R vs. Tszyu at 140

I'd take the Taylor that beat McGirt and the Randall that beat Chavez to outclass Tszyu.

 

Meldrick Taylor W12 Kostya Tzyu
Frankie Randall TKO 8 Kostya Tzyu

And if Taylor fought Randall, I'd say Meldrick Taylor W12 Frankie Randall

 

Taylor is too hittable and doesn't hit hard enough to beat KT for mine. I'd take him to stop Randall too.

 

I honestly haven't seen enough of Randall to give an informed opinion.

Not sure how well Taylor matches up stylistically. Meldrick liked to trade more than he had to, and Kostya's timing and accuracy were kryptonite for speed-based fighters. I could see Meldrick outworking him to win on points, or Kostya stopping him. Toss-up for me.

 

Yeah, Mel's leaky defence and liking for a scrap could spell big trouble for him against an accurate power puncher with good timing like Kostya. That said, his speed, workrate and stamina could well also give Tszyu murder, who was hittable himself and with questionable top-end stamina in fast-paced fights. Tszyu wouldn't need as many blows as Chavez did to cut Taylor down, but I still think that the early 140 Chavez was a little bit better than Tszyu as an all round fighter. Like Rock says, Tszyu by stoppage or Taylor convincingly on points.

I think that a prime and fully focused Frankie is potentially a bad match up for Kostya though, stylewise. There isn't much in them in terms of quality and Tszyu was more accomplished, but I'd give the Randall that beat Chavez a very good chance of winning h2h. The type of fast, talented, well schooled and hard straight puncher that Tszyu could be vulnerable to imo. He wasn't consistent or dedicated though and might well be vulnerable to Tszyu's own power and accuracy. He took some time to reach his peak and fell off relatively quickly but for a short time he was a special fighter.

 

Im going to get some hate, but

Tszyu wasn't a top top level fighter , he got this myth when Zab got cocky but in reality he beat fighters either on the way down or had been beaten better before.

Randall's speed and jab just kills him and against a prime Meldrick well he would be miles ahead on points and JCC hits harder than Tszyu.

B + fighter who has been given a higher status because of some decent knockouts.

 

These guys both fought and beat better competition than Tzyu.

Tzyu is very hittable.

Taylor would use his superior hand speed to build up points, just as he did against a prime JC Chavez. This punishment would have a cumulative affect, moreso than it did on the almost inhumanly resilent Chavez. By the late rounds, Tzyu would slow down and Taylor would cruise to a wide UD.

Randall, like Roger Mayweather and Vince Phillips before him, would have little trouble landing the straight right.

This was Randall's best punch.

His hand speed, like Taylor, is greater than that of Kostya Tzyu.

Randall would also be able to hold his own on the inside, where the strong Tzyu often held an advantage.

By the middle rounds, the accumulation of right hands would begin to get to Tzyu and one would drop him probably around the eigth or ninth round. Randall would pounce and the ref would save a defenseless Tzyu from further abuse.

Tzyu is overrated.

 

You won't get any hate from me. Good post

 

Given their relative track records, and that Kostya has previously and often overcome the same advantages held by both Taylor and Randall, I say he beats both.

 

This is not even correct and I'm not talking about the misspelling.

And it also doesn't take into account how often both got beat.

 

Name a fighter that Kostya beat who was as good as or better AT THE TIME HE FOUGHT HIM than prime Taylor or Randall.

Chavez was a shell
Rueles was moving up and had been recently dethroned at 135 lbs.
Gonzales had recently drawn with a badly faded Chavez and wasn't close to his prime 135 form.
Sharmba Mitchell was fast but lacked durability.

Zab had great hand speed, but was very flawed and never reached the heights of prime Taylor.

The Vince Phillips that beat Tzyu was not as good as the Frankie Randall that beat Chavez.

 

The thing with Kostya is facing guys with tools. If they have tools, that extended left arm defense of his gets exploited. He just keeps that left arm at 3/4 extension and guys come right over the top of it.

But opponents need the tools to pull that kind of thing off. But it is a poor defense against the more elite fighters.

 

I'm not convinced at all. KT has ATG power and that's going to tell on a come forward lighter hitting guy like Taylor. Tzyu would be more than happy to trade blows as his would have far more effect.

Chavez was well on the decline by the time Randall got to him. Yes he fought great but his efforts are magnified by the Chavez he actually fought. Chavez was past his best vs Whitaker too. Randalls a fine fighter but i'll take KT's power and class.

 

That wasn't even the question. Fail.