Omar Narvaez - doesn't get the credit he deserves

I remember when I used to type "OAN" and I wasn't thinking of a batcrap sign of unbelievable media illiteracy in the world's richest nation. I was thinking of this fantastic fighter. And I realised this today, as a result of connecting those two dots, and I really missed the times when it'd be just me and a few other posters following IB's RBR of him completely outmaneuvering and out-hustling and slicking some "big" guy/guy who looked big next to OAN and being a shining star of his own backyard and wondering if he'll ever get a good fight that makes him an American commodity. Then wondering if he has the time to do that after Donaire or if anyone will give him another opportunity to. Damn.

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I liked Narvaez but this is exactly what he was, though I give John more credit for fighting in a traditional class and actually beating a legend. Narvaez spent most of his career in a poor class, defending a poor title, largely against poor opposition. You could probably count the number of top-10 guys he beat on one hand. And when he was matched against elite level opposition, he proved no match. He fought to survive against Donaire and got blown out by Inoue. He had good skill and consistency, but in previous eras with less classes and titles he would have been a steady back-end contender.

 

All time great?

 

I wonder what OP thinks now.

 

Heading into their fight, the Argentine Kevin Spacey had made 11 title defenses and was 28-1-1 in world title fights. Inoue was just 7-0, but had already fought and beaten future unified champ Taguchi and destroyed the #1 ranked guy in Hernandez.

 

That was cap.

You don't see threads about him now, obviously, because he's been retired since before the pandemic. When he was active however, I brought his name up on here incessantly. Of course if you're searching his name Anglicized without diacritics none of my stuff will turn up, because I include them... as in my loving sendoff for him in 2019:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/omar-andrés-el-huracán-narváez-the-storm-at-last-subsides.641839/