Whitaker's Reign

Can you really criticize their decision on it, though? Pernell was giving ATG performances against some pretty damn good opposition going back to the late 80s and was still saddled at #2 even as Chavez started to fade. Going into 1994, he was coming off wins against two guys basically and unanimously thought to be amongst the top five fighters in the game, one of them which had been compared directly to Sugar Ray Robinson and was looked at as Godzilla in boxing trunks. Comes back in April 1994 and basically dominates Cardona easily, landing over 500 punches in the bout and admittedly gets a little too cute at the end, but the point is pretty clear. When Jones beat Toney in November '94, the paint hadn't even dried on Whitaker's clinical beatdown of McGirt in the return match less than one month earlier. Could you criticize Whitaker getting KD here? Maybe, but he pretty much dominated the fight from the third round on against a pretty damn good opponent in a much anticipated rematch. Whitaker should get a lot of credit for going up to a fourth division and fighting their #1 Light Middle, the much bigger and established titlist in Vasquez in March of '95. It was also just barely around this time that people began to realize who Bernard Hopkins was or could become, because he wasnt considered a Top 5 MW when he faced Jones (maybe to the IBF). That's a win that is rated in hindsight. For the remainder of '95, are Paz and Thornton really exceptional enough to override a decision over Jacobs and KO6 of Rodriguez? I suppose it was during this stretch it really comes into play, but Whitaker never gave them a reason until he looked terrible against Rivera.

 

It's just as likely and arguable as anything else Whitaker was the best fighter from '89 through '95, full steam ahead. The fact that we're even debating a Welterweight Whitaker holding off a surging, peak Roy Jones is pretty ****in amazing in itself. Even Ray Robinson would've found it difficult.

 

Whitaker looked awful against Jacobs.That was when it was obvious he was starting to slide even to the kind of guys who thought an early 90s chavez was arguably the best fighter ever.

I think he was a legit number one throughout the 90s until about then though.

Chavez imo was not post Meldrick Taylor where he went on a comfort zone run of fighting really mediocre challengers and blown up past prime guys, yet rarely got an ounce of criticism for it.Sometimes it seems fighters build enough momentum where they get to a point where no one in the boxing media will say much bad about them, scared of even constructive criticism.Julio got there about 1991.

 

Here is a list of KO's/The Ring's annual poll from 1980 to 2006:

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90-96 that seems quite solid for top spot, except Chavez for 91 and 92.

 

That makes around 20 months of the debated 24 that 1994-1995 consist of. I'll take it.

 

Thanks, TB.

 

It's funny when you look at who McCallum was fighting and where he ended up placed in the early nineties and then Chavez sitting at the top after mighty victories over powerhouses like Duplessis, a washed up drug fiend Lonnie Smith, Hernandez, Jakubowski, ancient Terrence Ali, an over five years past best Camacho...even Greg Haugen had seen better days by far.

You would think to be considered the best fighter of the year regardless of weight class, you would have to actually fight some threatening fighters during that year.

 

You would think.. but it just wasn't so. I guess it's a case of Pea not being as appreciated as his is now. I suppose in a way it's better that way overall but still sucks at the time. To be considered the best p4p fighter for a sustained period of time and basically viewed as the second coming of SRR.. would be a remarkable feeling while you're basking in it. So pea, kinda missed out on that, but, he prob got something that lasted longer and was better for his legacy.... people actually reviewing the period and seeing Pea's body of work, and the lack of others, and pushing him up the ATG lists of most. I guess in the end that is better overall, but he did miss out on some limelight while he was fighting.

 

Well as you can see from what TB posted (thanks TB!) its not just hindsight that has Jones riding in on Pea in '94. They're closer than lovers in a hammock. And clearly Chavez had list it by the early 90's. Everything after Taylor was padding (except the Camacho fight which was personal). Whitaker unified in late '90. I'd have him the best from then until Jones-Toney. Just me though.

 

It's quite surprising that Chavez didn't try secure a fight with MCGirt in 92/3 with a belt in a 4th weight class on the line and chose instead to take on spent forces like Camacho and Haugen. Both those fights were pretty meaningless at the time compared to a fight with McGirt.

Even a Taylor rematch around 92 at welterweight would have been a better option.

 

I'd have Ricardo Lopez up until Grigorian began his Benny Leonard equalling reign.:yep

 

How do you think they'd explain their reasoning for giving Kalule the shaft on these early 1980s lists? If past achievements are taken into consideration, his KO of Joo is a victory that should've resonated well into the middle part of the decade. Hard to see that version having much difficulty with Robinson, Hearns, McCallum level fighters.

 

Grigorian lacks the footage Benny has to help stake the same claim.

 

Well, that's fine. It just needed to be one or the other. Just 1993 simply doesn't cut it.