At the time in the late 90s/early 00s, Hamed was overrated. Now, I tend to think he gets largely underrated. People often talk about how he fought such limited opposition. No, he didn't beat any greats, but he beat a nice slew of title-holders and contenders at 126, including Tom Johnson who had made a dozen straight defenses and was considered the top guy at FW at the time.
Some other fighters who are underrated IMO: Young Corbett III Young Stribling Freddie Miller Pascual Perez Manuel Ortiz Peter Jackson Maxie Rosenbloom Some other fighters who are overrated IMO: Larry Holmes Stanley Ketchel Horacio Accavallo Terry Norris Roberto Duran (nothing against him, I have him in my Top- p4p- list, but he isn´t untouchable like many here perhaps thinks)
Someone already does on this thread. I believe Pryor had top 10 all-time ability, but can never be considered so great as he never got the big fights in the 1980s that would've proved it. History will underrate his ability because of this. If Pryor had jumped to welterweight and fought Hearns or Duran, I genuinely believe he could've done it. Or if Chavez had come along 5-10 years earlier, he could've had a superfight at 140 and won. IMO.
Underrated: Carlos Zarate, Riddick Bowe, Wilfred Benitez Overrated: Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Kelly Pavlik
All the great flyweights apart from Jimmy Wilde are cronicaly under rated. The non heavyweight black dynamite crew like Jeff Clark, Bobby Dobbs and Dave Holly are grosley under rated. The non heavyweight murder row crew such as Jack Chase and Eddie Booker are also grosley under rated. A few pound for pound greats have slipped through the net of history. Tommy Ryan basicaly did as much in his era as Sugar Ray Leonard did in his. I could go on.
Pryor's own personal demons played a bigger part in him not achieving what he could have more so than not getting the big fights against bigger guys (whom he probably would have lost to).
Overrated: Mike Tyson, Billy Conn, Jack Dempsey, Kostya Tszyu, Khosai Galaxy Underrated: Billy Soose, Tommy Burns, Saoul Mamby, Jiro Watanabe, Jimmy Bivens
Verry good pick. People think of Burns as one of the weaker lineal heavyweight champions and ignore his pound for pound credentials. Burs was scheduled to fight for the middleweight title at 160 lbs when he got the offer to fight Marvin Hart for the heavyweight title!!!!!!!!!!! While heavyweight champion he defeated the reigning light heavyweight champion while both fighters were under the light heavyweight limit. Burns basicaly let O'Brien keep the title. The only other fighters to establish lineage at heavy and light heavy are Bob Fitzsimmons and Michael Spinks.
Underrated Joe Frazier, Pernell Whitaker, Archie Moore, Jack Johnson Overrated Klitschko Bros, Oscar Delahoya, Prince Nassem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe
Hey - Shanes a good fighter!!! But on the other last time i looked you were saying similar. I'm sure of it. You just want to see me taken to town and back!!