Peak Chavez vs Pipino Cuevas.

Chavez was so much more refined, but not a massive welter and would get hit here.

Cuevas was a wrecking ball. I say he clobbers JCC before he can be outpointed.

If Chavez doesn't get demolished he'd be too smart and varied for Cuevas. But I'm not banking on him going the whole fight without getting hit and it would t take much from Cuevas for him to realise it's a different ball game to even Rosario.

 

If I think about this fight in my mind I can see Cuevas knocking out Chavez in 3 rounds.

 

we dont know how good a welter chavez was

 

Chavez at 142was so-so against Whitaker in '93 Texas, but a prime 1989 version of Chavez at 140 facing 1978 Cuevas who would weigh 146 to 147 pounds would be a war once the heat picked-up...

I'm bold. If Chavez can keep outta harms way for the first 5 rds and get into a cycle, he could out-box Cuevas and land better combo's to the body and head... Cuevas had a wicked hook, but Chavez had a great chin prior to 1995...

MR.BILL

 

Chavez is so much smaller and weaker, but so much better.

I'd take a prime or close to it Chavez. I have to. The skill and class gap is too huge. The second he starts to slow, and lose a step, though, Cuevas would batter him.

Good big men beat good little men, it's true, but history has shown us great little men actually fare alright.

 

When the smaller man is THAT MUCH better than the guy he'll be fighting, and has the luxury of a cast iron jaw at his home weight, it'd be a good bet.

Odds of JCC being sparked in a one off is fairly low. Odds of him taking over if he can weather any early storm are fairly high. This is a perfect underdog to take.

 

Chavez would have to come straight forward.

Prime Cuevas TKO's Chavez in 10 brutal rds.

 

Tough to say, after all Cuevas is such a huge welter with huge punch, while Chavez is neither of those things. And even the best chin can be cracked.

On the other hand, Chavez at his best was very tough to hit as he came towards a fighter, could he dodge the big swings of Cuevas and work him over up close?

If it was a post-Hearns Cuevas I'd say sure, but there's an element of doubt with Cuevas at his best. Both of them at their best, I guess it comes down to whether Chavez makes it through an early storm intact as he starts slow. As long as he does, he has a very legit chance of cutting Cuevas down to size. If Cuevas can hurt Chavez significantly, then you have to figure that Pipino has the edge.

 

Cuevas needed a guy to stand still in front of him. Julio Ceaser Chavez could box some, way more than Cuevas. Cuevas was bigger, Chavez was best at under 140. Cuevas had big build up, but never even unified title, Palomino had other belt. Once Duran moved up and Hearns came along, they were gone as serious threats to titles. Since Duran was able to move up and beat Cuevas, but not from featherweight as Chavez would be doing.

 

An intriguing fight, it's hard to see CHavez being stopped, and hard to see Chavez standing in there with such a monstrous hitter too.

If i had to guess, I think Chavez can box intelligently, pick his spots and win this.

Cuevas will hit him hard, but if a shot Chavez can eat shot after shot from DLH and Tszyu and still not be rendered unconscious, I'd have to favour him to survive Cuevas' hits.

I'd also have to assume that there'd be no quit in a 93-ish Chavez.

 

Nice assessment.

 

Terrific fight.

I like that underrated handspeed of Pepino here. That lefthook of his sizzled the first few rounds and Chavez is there to be hit. Not so fast later on but that was a real nasty punch early. And nobody ever had to tell Cuevas to throw punches when he had a guy hurt in there.

I also think that punch busts up or swells Julio. And Julio is not the same offensive juggernaut when he's the guy busted up. The first 2 rounds would be a barnburner and I'd love to see how that plays out. With 2 mexican fighters of this caliber, they'd follow the fans decibel level and slug, after what a 20 second feeling out process? I think it's like Hearns--Hagler early. Edge of the seat stuff.

Cuevas would be winging away in there and the accuracy of Chavez is going to do well against the Cuevas defense. Can you imagine the clean counters Julio lands against this guy if that lefthook misses and catches air?

 

Chavez was known to possess an unusually thick cranium. This along with his ability and ring smarts and I think he would survive Pipino..and even go on to win a decision. A very close decision, but a win nonetheless.