What Made Pipino Cuevas Such A Uniquely Dangerous Fighter?

At his finest he had both immense power and a superb chin. He also had a strong will to win. That's a pretty good set of credentials right there Russ.

 

Also cutting to the chase it was a pretty average era with Hearns, SRL, Duran and Benitez right around the corner.

 

He could also sustain his attack for as long as it took. No one should be able to throw the kind of bombs he threw at Shields for 15 full rounds but he did.

 

Shields was his best challenger btw...up to Hearns of course.

 

He over committed to his already lethal power because he figured he had his foes intimidated.

 

Great chin. Very surprising quickness. Odd angles of punching. ABSOLUTE killer instinct. Unbeatable power. Greatest Welterweight Championship reign ever. PIPINO

 

Cobra beat me to it. He really committed to his power and his hook. And he had unwavering belief in it. The God given talent he had in his power and that sort of mindset can take you really far.... (See: Deontay Wilder)

 

Some of his very early fights, when his record included four losses or so, are/were available on Youtube.
Would like to have seen the proposed SRL v Cuevas fight, (post-Harold Volbrecht defense 4/6/80), in June 1980, which SRL appeared ready to do the fight per SRL's own comments.

Never understood why Cuevas took the Hearns fight against the bigger Hearns, in Hearn's own backyard.
Defending against Hearns in Mexico City would have been a much better choice.

• Purported to only have had 19 amateur bouts.
• Lost his professional debut by a second-round knockout on November 14, 1971, six weeks before his 14th birthday.

 

Spot on .he had a similar mindset to wilder ! Everything thrown with bad intent he like wilder really wanted to hurt his opponent .That attitude makes a dangerous fighter.

 

Shields went the 15 rd. distance.
Not sure how you rate a 43 9 4 Angel Espada, who Cuevas fought 3 times for WBA title. (the WBC Champ was Palomino, Benetiz, or SRL)

 

Also took out Weston who gave Benitez and Hearns hell.
Crushed Clyde Gray who was a soild contender.

 

Unreal power and unrelenting aggression. That about sums it up. And as someone else mentioned, yes, he was quick handed as well.

Cuevas would be a threat to most welters in history.

 

The Ring Magazine summed Pipino Cuevas perfectly in retirement.
" Oh how he could hit "

 

Before too much is made of Pipino, remember that all that clever, smart, unassuming Randy Shields needed was a punch, and I believe that he would have dethroned Cuevas.