Off 3 years, Up 2 weight classes, Over 1 dominant ATG

Vitali would beat Wlad now

 

His last fight before the layoff was Kevin Howard at 54 and he had already beaten Kalule there. So Leonard doesn't fit the premise.

And to answer, Floyd could've taken three years off at 130 and come back to beat Zoo if he's ATG

Marquez could've pulled it off against Pacquiao too.

 

Are you sure? It was attrition fighters that took his bombs and battered him back that troubled KT, not boxers.

Not saying Mayweather couldn't beat him, but after 3 years off, it is a huge ask against a guy who hit like Tszyu.

 

I've gone over this myself for quite some time and I've never come up with a good enough answer.

 

Does he get to pick his preferred number of rounds, ring size, glove size, have a judge with a brain fart scorecard and a referee who will warn him 30 times for holding without taking a point off?

 

:good

 

For me that was the best part of Duran 1. Padilla got so sick of warning Leonard for holding he just slapped, or pulled his gloves off Duran and let Roberto do his stuff, instead of calling break, which was what Leonard was hoping for with his incessant holding.

Needless to say Leonard complained bitterly about that and made sure Padilla didn't get the rematch.

 

Fenech takes three years off after beating Zarate, jumps up to super-feather and outhustles Azumah to win a hard-fought division.

Several flaws in the theory, most notably that he didn't (officially) beat Nelson when he did fight him first time round. How would Fenech cope with three years out of action at the peak of his powers?

On the other hand, many saw the first fight as a robbery, and the lay-off may have prolonged Fenech's short physical prime.


Does anyone fancy Sal Sanchez' chances of upsetting Arguello after a long lay-off in the early 80s? Interesting clash of styles, but not sure the timelines fit too well.

Does anyone class Norris as an ATG? It's plausible that Whitaker could have taken 3 years out and beaten him during one of his reigns at 154.

 

I don't think tszyu would ever beat Floyd

 

Yes, and the fight doesn't happen until the older, much more ringworn opponent is openly talking of retirement and coming off two consecutive brutal wars. Throw in Jo Jo Guerra, a few low blow bolo punches and you have Sugar Ray Leonard.

 

Thing is, if you stack the deck in the favour of one fighter and he wins (by a hotly disputed split decision, no less) it's hardly a victory for the ages, is it?