"The Formidables": Who were the greatest fighting machines in history?

Ali of the Cleveland Williams fight is a good pick. It all just seemed to come together that night.

Frazier on the night of the FOTC.

Bernard Hopkin's of the Glen Johnson fight, maybe.

 

Julio Cesar Chavez, the night he fought Edwin Rosario

Joe Louis, for Schmeling II

Pernell Whitaker against Azumah Nelson

Holyfield at cruiser; take your pick.....Parkey, Qawi II, any of the title defenses.

Kind of a weird choice, but Lionel Rose against Harada. He was nothing short of brilliant against a truly great fighter.

 

I disagree.

I've always felt that Schmeling was beaten before he stepped into the ring that night.

He had the entire United States and then some against him, the unwilling aryan superman of the Nazi party.

And for some insane reason his managers and handlers let the fight take place in hostile territory.

 

...........I dunno meng. I give the guy a bit moe credit for having a stout mental state about him. He'd had to deal with that nazi crap for a while before this fight, and he was also armed with the knowledge that he'd beaten Louis once already. How devoid of confidence could he have been?

 

I guess I just want to give Schmeling the benefit of the doubt, getting blown out like that.

How many times did he have to deal with the Nazi situation when the entire world was listening in, in maybe the biggest match since Jeffries/Johnson, with Schmeling playing the unwilling part of Johnson in a situation every bit as inhospitable?

 

............Fair points.

 

Hearns at 154 during the Duran fight.

 

Amazing performance by Hearns, but I attribute it more to Duran being lazy like he often was in the 80's.

 

I'll throw in Gomez of the Zarate fight.

 

...........I must admit having seen only this one, but have Olivares-Rose on the way (though not his best moment of course). If you look at his resume, it's really pretty good. A smoother, more intrinsic boxer I've rarely seen.