Which of the following would beat Tubbs at his best?

Like what? Can you give me some specifics?

It's surreal that guys like you think Corbett was more advanced than Tubbs. Defies all logic and available evidence.

 

Tubbs ain't only touching that, he's patiently jabbing, 1-2'ing, and hooking it to death without breaking a sweat.

 

:rofl

Impossible to imagine any but the greatest of great champions competing with that.

 

First, let me note an important point lest we lose the forest for the trees. Offensively, Tubbs is light years beyond Corbett. Corbett's punching technique is downright primitive compared to that of Tubbs. Tubbs is so much more fluid and sharper. From his jab to his combination punching, there is simply no comparison. Tubbs is also much further developed defensively. Corbett for the most part, seems to defend himself by jumping & running out of fighting range or grabbing. Not bad against technically limited opponents but not very advanced either. By contrast, Tubbs subtly slips sharp punches with inches of movement in ways that leave him positioned and poised to counter effectively. Maybe guys like you see all these things and take them for granted; maybe you don't appreciate boxing technique enough to even take notice.

Second, let's keep in mind that physically and skill-wise, Page is a far more formidable opponent than Fitzsimmons so there really isn't any sense in comparing the ring generalship displayed by Tubbs and Corbett (ring generalship is not something you can evaluate in a vacuum). One is fighting an agile, athletic, skilled 6'2/240/80+reach opponent with an extensive, accomplished amateur pedigree. The other is fighting a sub-6', 71-inch reach super middleweight with primitive "plod, plan and pounce" technique. Tubbs could either beat Fitzsimmons like a heavybag or, if he chose, move around the ring and avoid him like Corbett did. OTOH, I don't see Corbett faring well against Greg Page at all. With all that in mind, how would we even compare their footwork? You don't think it's much easier to run away from and stifle the offense of someone like Fitzsimmons than Page?

 

This is surreal. Everyone here can see what's going on with you. You approach these guys like an uncritical college freshman in a "Classics of Art" course (or if you prefer, like a religious fanatic observing something that he is already deeply convinced is a divine act of God)--you begin with an nonrebuttable, unshakable presumption that you are witnessing great fighters and you then try to find details that you can offer as proof of their greatness. The problem is two-fold: (1) many of the details that you celebrate simply aren't that impressive; (2) you routinely overlook serious flaws and limitations that a more objective observer would spot a mile away (not only that, but you in some instances even specifically celebrate shoddy technique). You aren't looking at these clips "realistically;" you're looking at them romantically.

 

Not exactly. Ali often jabbed while he was on the move and he was usually just one step away from launching his offense at any moment, which he could do at the drop of a dime. Very different than how Corbett fought, as far as I can tell. A boxer is much, much safer with Corbett backing up from him than with Ali circling.