Ruben Olivares vs Naseem Hamed - two explosive punchers... Who takes it?

Seriously?

 

Olivares. Hamed could punch like a donkey-kick and was great at catching opponents with unorthodox shots that were hard to anticipate, but little old Rockabye took souls.

 

Not entirely satisfied with your explanation here, Tin-Ribs. Olivares was a terrific Bantamweight, but he had been stopped multiple times at 126lbs. For all of Hamed's flaws, the guy could punch. Care to elaborate as to why the ever engaging Olivares doesn't find himself on the end of left hands?

 

Ruben would put him to sleep in 5.

 

Olivares by KO

 

If Hamed fought Oliveras with his hands in his pockets like he did against most of his other opponents he'd be waking up in the changerooms IMO.

 

Olivares would have won hands down

 

Seems I've misinterpreted the thread; I thought it was to do with who hit harder.

 

I personally feel Olivares was not at his best. If Hamed can come through some rocky moments and it's the 'best' Hamed that shows up (i.e at his most resilient and with top reflexes, well for him) I say he stops Olivares.

On a P4P punching sense I'd have Olivares in the top 10 and Hamed top 20.

 

There isn't a doubt in my mind that Olivares could turn up overweight, tired, drained, drunk, sore, overworked, underpaid, and still box the chops off someone with the ghastly fundamentals of Hamed.

 

...no

 

Olivares was certainly less impregnable at 126 than at 122 mainly due to the aforementioned reasons. But it's the highlighted part that nails it for me. Olivares was still an excellent all-round fighter who could fight off the back foot quite effectively, as demonstrated in the Arguello fight prior to the latter's power eventually coming through late on. It wouldn't be inaccurate IMO to say that Olivares generally struggled more against the strong stand-up types with good power and fundamentals who weren't afraid to push him back. Hamed had power in abundance and therefore the potential to catch Olivares at any point. But his lack of fundamental skill and limited ability to lead would hurt him here if Olivares fought with a degree of sense and didn't charge in. Hamed generally needed an opponent's aggression to feed off, so if Olivares was able to temper his own aggression and fall back onto the other tools in his arsenal, he'd win IMO.

Plus let's not forget that Olivares had the power to lay Hamed out just as easily to the contrary.

Still, Hamed could very well pull it out of the bag if Olivares was in prior pisshead mode.

 

Olivares was a fighting machine a stone-cold destroyer in the ring, the man had no emotion

Hamed was a flash IMO talent but fundamentally flawed, Olivares had weaknesses but he was very well rounded and loked to cover up his weaknesses. Hamed made no attempt to improve his weaknesses and equalised it with as big punch but Olivares could take Hameds punch and punch him back just as hard

Olivares KO 8

 

I have always hated Naseem Hamed, but he would have won as he pleased. A few rounds of fooling around - and then he would have knocked out flat Olivares.
Hamed was an Assh. - but he would have won. I could never stand the guy, but in this fight he would be great.

Woller