Would Tommy Loughran be the favorite against any of these men? Matthew Saad Muhammad Marvin Johnson James Scott John Conteh Victor Emilio Galindez Yaqui Lopez Eddie Gregory
Tommy decisions all of them. This is somebody with wins over three HW Champions, all of them HOFers. On the basis of styles, I think southpaw Marvin Johnson would be the most aggressively competitive, but his lack of stamina over the championship distance would cause him to fade late. I don't expect Saad Muhammad to be very competitive, based on Conteh I. Matt needed a trio of 14th round KDs to save his title, but a largely stationary John jabbed him silly for 13 rounds. Galindez is not beating him by countering off the ropes, nor is Eddie just by standing in mid ring and following him around. James Scott was too slow to be competitive, Conteh too stationary, and Yaqui, though a gallant warrior, only had a really significant win over a badly under-trained Rossman. Except for Eddie, the 1979 LHW crew could be exciting warriors, but Tommy didn't do wars. He also had the knack of jabbing as though he had a 95 inch reach. Max Baer literally had nightmares about it in bed the evening they squared off, told referee Dempsey about those dreams and his restless night over breakfast the following morning, then sought Loughran out to literally school him about it. School is what all of these LHWs would be facing with Tommy in the opposite corner.
I think Tommy would have beaten all of them...for the reasons per man that have already been given by Anubis, I only have to add that Galindez was past his peak, even after regaining the title from Mike Rossman...he had nothing left, as proven by his ko defeat to Marvin Johnson and losing a wide decision to Jesse Burnett, a man who he had handily defeated a few years earlier.
Tommy's unreal jab and ring intelligence would have carried him through against any of them.....especially Conteh and Saad. Eddie Mustafa was a year or so from his peak.
