Pipino Cuevas v Colin Jones April 1980

I think Cuevas would win. Jones's style would be tailor made and Pipino's chin had not been cracked by Hearns yet so I think he shakes off Jone's best shots to cut him up and win by late stoppage.

 

Highly doubt Cuevas would just shrug off Jones punches.The Welshman was a brutal puncher if he caught you flush.one of the harder pure punching Welterweights of the 70s-present day.

Other than Hearns(who it's hard to compare to Jones as he was obviously so much more talented overall) Cuevas never defended against anyone that hit remotely as hard.

For that reason alone it's an interesting fight, and i'm not sure Cuevas was really that suited to facing other big punchers.At least not in the sense of getting consistent wins anyway.Jones on the other hand is easier to outbox because of his slow methodical nature, but stand in front of him and winging hooks is dangerous.

That said, Jones would imo be a bit too green and add in his slow starting methodical nature and there is a good chance Cuevas could sweep him aside before things really get going.

But if Jones is still there after 2-4 rounds and in good enough shape to fight back, his better fundamentals, good tight guard heavy jab and shorter punches could start to make things really interesting.But i'd give him a better shot if it was the one from say the McCrory rematch.

imo this a great shootout where neither man is going to take each other's punches for too long.Cuevas slightly more often than not for me, but a fight where he'd be susceptible to the upset.

 

Anytime after August 2, 1980 I think Jones is in it with a shot. Prior to that date when the irresistible force destroyed the immovable object I think Cuevas destroys Jones within 5 rounds. Mind you, the stoppage could be on cuts, but Cuevas would indeed shrug off anything Jones throws at him and wouldn't have to look for Colin. I will say this, Pipino wasn't exactly Willie Pep on defense, so I do think it would be a great fight as long as it would last.

 

Jones started rather slowly, and in fact was decked by Milton McCrory in their bout....so I don't think that would portend that well for Jones...as Cuevas was a fast starter and hit so much harder than Jones. I'd pick Pipino to deck, hurt, and stop Jones sometime in the first 3 rounds.

 

Never thought of Jones as a murderous puncher. Good, perhaps, but nowhere near on the level of Cuevas.

Not sure Jones ever knocked out a world-class opponent (and, no, I don't think Kirkland Laing is world class). Went the full 24 rounds with Milton McCrory, who ended up being KOed a few times later in his career.

Pipino by KO in the middle rounds of a rough affair.

 

Yes he did I saw him ko Kirkland Laing twice , and many others he was a pure puncher.

 

Good appraisal!:good

 

Cuevas, besides being a much faster starter, was far more explosive than Jones, and did indeed hit harder. I doubt that being a slower starter and being more methodical would have helped Jones any. Cuevas was sooo dangerous right out of the gate, I think he would have done away with Jones before the Welshman's engine could get warm.

 

Cuevas was taken the distance too when he fought a rangey awkward cautious guy in Shields.In fact he looked worse and less of a puncher in that one than Jones did against McCrory.

Jones just didn't have the overall ability, reach or fluid enough delivery system to land much on McCrory due to Milt's range and movement.

But the few punches he did get through had McCrory running and looking scared as hell to engage by the 6th\7th round and clearly badly troubled him.He won the fights by staying well away after getting badly hurt.Milt was taken out by a rapid fast, precision shot by Curry, but when you compare how he could go to war and take loads of punishment without backing down against a hard hitting 154-160 fighter that could land often on him like McCallum, it puts the way he reacted to sporadic punches from Jones in a much more impressive context.

I think Cuevas would have similarly struggled with McCrory(as he did with shields) due to his own lack of efficient delivery system when the opponent was willing to move a lot and be safety first.he'd have more of a chance at an early blowout though.

This said, i can understand why people would find claims of Jones being a very hard puncher tougher to stomach as he had a short career, retired in his prime and fell short of being able to stop McCrory and Curry.He only really has a couple of stoppages against ok opposition like Laing and Palm.IF he had hung around and fought a few more guys like Honeyghan, Larocca, Blocker, Brown it would be a clearer story.

But it was the kind of knockouts he scored on his way up.Consistent, brutal Julian Jackson type stuff with both hands...the sort of brutal knockouts with seemingly incidental punches you just don't see unless a guy has real power.The failure to stop McCrory was more about lacking talent in other areas against a cautious opponent, unable to track him down(but clearly badly hurting him) they show his limitations while still reflecting well on him as a pure puncher imo. and Curry was just too good of course, coupled with an unfortunate cut.Though a methodical textbook pure puncher was probably never going to beat Donald anyway, it was the awkward guys that would trouble him.

I wouldn't have been surprised if Jones had been able to string a few title defences together if it had been an overconfident Espada(who picked Cuevas because he'd seen him get worked by Price) he had the chance to fight for a belt, and take on some static mid-ring fighters like the aforementioned Espada, Ranzany, Weston(who weren't much worse than McCrory or a Randy Shields if at all, but had much easier styles for a methodical or swarming puncher with average\limited skills ie Jones\Cuevas)...or old faded fighters like Grey, scrubs like Volbrecht and Backus.

Cuevas hardly fought a murderers row, just some good solid average hitting technical fighters(ranzany a solid puncher probably the hardest hitter he defended against) and NO big punchers whatsoever until Hearns.That's why i think fights with him against other big punchers nearer his talent level like Jones and Jose Luis Lopez would be quite fascinating contests.Though i favour him to beat those aforementioned solid technical types with more regularity than the more methodical powerpunchers.

maybe if they had been able to get titles and defend against a load of chumps like a Khaosai Galaxy(probably up to three quarters of his opposition weren't even any better than the fighters these guys did stop) did people would be able to stomach them being considered big punchers more.

 

I would say Cuevas was much more aggressive early than "explosive".He wasn't a fast fighter, just came forward at a good pace winging brutally heavy handed telegraphed clubbing hooks.

I definitely think he'd have a chance at an early KO, but as said earlier.If he hasn't got it and Jones proves to be tougher than some expect(and he was tough, early McCrory rematch knockdown aside, he shrugged off everything else and all of Curry's shots in those early rounds, who was hitting much more regularly and sneakily than Cuevas would)...he could be in for some serious trouble.That's when things could go badly wrong for him.

Jones had a good tight high guard and didn't get caught with many hooks to the head.It was more the quick punches down the middle that he was hittable with.Add that in with a heavy disruptive jab and shorter punches that could beat Pipino to the punch(i'd say they were about equal in handspeed, though Jones was much slower to put pressure on, which wouldn't be a factor in this fight) he'd have a good chance at a knockout himself if he hasn't been bludgeoned with body punches early.

 

Glad to see the legend that was Volbrecht being mentioned.

 

The WBA loved that guy. Even when way past it, he got a shot at the vacant title against Breland. Breland's management's soft matchmaking would catch up with him in his next fight where he was ko'd by Starling.

 

Cuevas would cold**** Jones in five rounds.Better class of fighter.