Vernon Forrest(prime) vs. Pernell Whitaker(147 state).

forrest!!to big his jab would be in whitakers face all night//but i guarantee most will choose whitaker just because he's already retired

 

forrest!!to big his jab would be in whitakers face all night//but i guarantee most will choose whitaker just because he's already retired

 

You picked Floyd in another thread to TKO Whitaker. Please tell me you were kidding :-(

 

Forrest is like 6 feet tall with a 73" reach whereas Whitaker is no taller than 5'6" with a 69" reach.

Given the height and reach advantage and the quality of Forrest's jab, I think a Forrest win by close UD is a possibility.

I wouldn't bet my shirt on this one though.

 

Forrest by a close one. Too big, too well-rounded.

 

Forrest's jab is longer, therefore, based on styles he would probably have an advantage from long range. I take into account the fact that Whitaker's jab had more variety to it - it came from different angles (more so than Forrest's) and he could use it going forwards and off the backfoot. But he'd have to close the distance in order to get the better of a jabbing battle, and with his ring generalship, savviness, and defense, I don't doubt that he could. However, the size differential is not to be overlooked. Whitaker was 5-6 and Forrest was 6-0. So in a technical boxing match with the jab being the main weapon for both, Forrest gets the nod in my opinion.

Whitaker's advantage would be on the inside where he could rough Forrest up and take rounds with his underrated body work. Forrest was strictly an outside boxer and Whitaker showed on several occasions that he was a phenominal inside fighter (Chavez, early going against Trinidad). He never had to get past a jab like Forrest's though in either of those fights.

 

........................

 

this is a joke right AMSTERDAM

 

I think Whitakers elusive head movement and defence would be too much for Forrest. He would make him miss and pay. Forrest I think would get outboxed, although it would be a reasonably close fight. The jab and reach of Forrest would severly limit the workrate of Pea. Pernell would be forced in someways to make it an ugly fight. To bait Forrest into throwing the right hand and then replying with combinations. Overall, i don't think Forrest possesed the offensive arsenal to really trouble Pea. I think Pea would bob and weave, and just wait for Forrest to make the mistakes or over commit to a punch. Then counter him and repeat. Pernell Whitaker UD 8-4. I actually think Mosley would give Pea more trouble, as he is more well rounded, has faster hands and an awesome body attack. He is harder to defend against because he changes pace, feints and throws from angles. Most importantly though against guys like Pea you MUST attack the body, which is something Mosley was good at. Its why Oscar had so much trouble. Too much head hunting.

 

I think Whitaker would do better than Mosley. Shane never had a great answer for top notch jabbers. Whitaker always made it difficult to establish a jab, plus he has more versatility than Shane and is better in close. Shane likes to fight from mid range, pawing with his jab and unleashing explosive combinations.

 

That's a fair assessment

To be honest, I see long range boxers with rangy jabs being more of a problem for a 147 pound version of Whitaker than mid range guys who lack an effective jab. It's possible that opponents with much longer jabs and extreme height advantages could actually outjab a more stationary Whitaker at this weight.

Whitaker would find Mosley an opponent in which he could fully establish his jab. Mosley wouldn't be getting the better of him in a tactical boxing match. The pressure Mosley would be forced to apply would be of lesser effectiveness because he lacks the authoratative jab to go along with it, loops most of his shots giving Whitaker the openings to counter with straighter shots, and also because of Whitaker's ability fighting off of the backfoot. You're absolutely right about the things that would keep this competitive. Mosley could take anything thrown at him, his physical strength would allow him to get the better of Whitaker at times, and he would be making a conscious effort to commit to the body.

I'd favor Whitaker in an 8-4 type decision over Mosley. You?

 

Shane always had trouble against the guys with good jabs, because he wasn't as sharp defensively as he is offensively. He simply didn't use enough head movement against Forrest, and just ate too many right hands. It why he struggled against every fighter who had nice reach and a great jab cross. Even against Cotto, he was wide open for the right hand far too often. Forrest would just freeze him up with jab and then smash the right hand in. Pea is a totally different fighter, who uses a tonne of head movement. I think Pernell was good enough to make his size work for him, even as a counter puncher. Bending at the waist, and making Forrest reach. Someone like Mayweather would have much more trouble with a prime Forrest, as his style of defence isn't really suited to beating a top guy with THAT sort of reach advantage.

 

:good

Who was it that said Forrest's jab and well-timed right hand wasn't the reason why he beat Mosley?

Anyways, Whitaker vs Cotto would have been a great matchup at 147 too.