Pipino Cuevas vs. Vernon Forrest at WW

Vernon should be favored. He'd be the best rangy guy Cuevas fought other than that one guy who absolutely destroyed him.

 

Cuevas

 

Cuevas by KO or decsion.


Styles make fights and Cuevas has a difficult style for Forrest. Forrest did not do well with Mayorga twice. Cuevas was better than Mayorga.

 

Forrest had a difficult style for Cuevas too. He lost to Andy Price and badly to Hearns. They both had similarities to Forrest, who arguably beat Mayorga anyway.

 

This is how I see it as well. Not saying Forrest couldn't win a decision, but, I think he gets caught eventually. Vernon Forrest was no Tommy Hearns.

 

I did smile at the reference to Gray, myself.

The only rangy fighter that really gave Cuevas problems, that I can recall, was Hearns - but we know that not only was Hearns exceptionally lanky but he also knew how to use that physical advantage - controlling the distance with seeming ease. Couple this with the power and speed of Hearns and Cuevas was just mesmerized.

In my opinion, Shields was not a particular issue for Cuevas - just tougher than expected, perhaps.

I think Forrest is somewhere floating between Shields and Hearns, in terms of difficulty-level for Cuevas. Rangy but less busy across the distance. Fast starter but distinctly easier to catch up with in the second half. Not as accurate, in my opinion, as Hearns (and even Shields).

I'm just going on what I remember but Cuevas, for me, has the determination to get the job done. Therefore, I think Cuevas would get to Forrest, late on in the bout.

 

Pretty sure I disagree with your prediction but this is a very fair and solid breakdown. :thumbsup

 

Agreed Kevin. Seems like Forrest is being remembered for the only KO loss of his career, and Cuevas exclusively for his KO wins. Forrest 9 times out of 10 for me. Pretty comfortably.

 

Doesn't Andy Price count?

 

I haven't seen the bout and, in any event, Cuevas would have been a teenager at the time - it being so early on in a career, which began when he was a minor. So, I'm not sure it does count.

 

I think Forrest's jab is the key, as it was in the Mosley fights.

 

I'm not sure Forrest's resume is so deep that his single KO loss can avoid scrutiny.

I might be oversimplifying things here but other than Mosley, Mayorga and old Quartey (@154), I struggle to recall any big name competition.

IMO, Pipino Cuevas can be considered as good a welterweight, if not better than both Mosley and Mayorga.

 

At 5' 6.5" Gray is an inch and a half shorter than Cuevas.

 

Pepino won the title a month later.

 

That's right, by savage stoppage and Cuevas wouldn't win a bout by decision for three years, after that (against Shields). In essence, I'm saying Cuevas wasn't a seasoned campaigner at 18/19 years old. You might disagree.

Again, I haven't seen the fight so it's difficult to use that bout as a reasonable benchmark. Although, I'm not sure Price is really all that comparable to Forrest, anyway.