Who won, Whitaker or De La Hoya?

Oscar was at the very heart of his prime. His best weight head to head would've likely been 140 as a matter of fact. This was certainly him at his best, as he hadn't started to show stamina problems yet.

 

Really? Even when the "defender" throws more, lands more, and lands at a higher percentage, while dictating the pace of the bout, and dropping the "offender"? Makes sense.

 

Funny you mention the word dumbass with a post like that!

I also had it 113-113.




WTF, 19 posts and nobody has typed the word "robbery" yet?

 

Prime or peak has less to do with age than it does other qualities, such as simply the time a fighter goes into his own mentally, physically, emotionally, etc. It is a different time for every fighter/ Guys like Tyson and Benitez peaked very early. Oscar had everything at its best against Whitaker, aside from possibly experience, but he made for it with his better stamina.

 

DLH, in a close decision

 

I agree that his prime weight would have been 140 IMO but he never fought there long enough. Different fighters and styles have different primes IMO pressure fighters have a earlier prime age than I would say a defensive-counter puncher.

 

I think he was at his best against Mosley (fight I) and Vargas (Maybe even in the Tito fight). He fought great in these fights. I remember thinking it was too early for Oscar to step up to Whitaker. IMO he was past his best weight before fighting Whitaker but he was a more complete fighter a few years after the Whitaker fight.

 

And Benitez?

 

I think it was in the years you mentioned that he showed more of a tendancy to fade down the stretch.

 

You always have exceptions to the rules but generally these things hold true. A pressure fighter will have generally a shorter prime because of the abuse they take. Someone like Juan Diaz for example is already prime and was so about 2 years ago but I expect him to be done by the age of 28 or so.

 

I think it had more to do with who he was fighting. Think about it, Mosley fought amazing in that fight and Oscar ran against Tito but he looked great prior to that melt down. Against Vargas he looked great and that was his greatest win. I think he improved his hand speed as he got older and he didn't rely as much on his huge left hand. He was simply too big for some of the fighters he fought before Whitaker and several of them were past their primes. His wins over Chavez and Camacho did not impress me much.

 

IMO some people never reach their primes. I think Vargas and Tyson both were robbed of their primes.

 

I had Pea winning this fight by a few points. Oscars late round flurries did not fool me one bit.

 

And what of his fight with Quartey, which most(myself included) believe him to have lost, a fight where he showed low workrate, and yet still managed to fade down the stretch?

 

His so called fade down the stretch won him the fight as he knocked Quartey down again and almost finished him in rnd 12. I remember Oscar bragging about championship rdns after that fight but that didn't last long as he ran in those rnds against Tito. Quartey was winning the fight prior to that last stretch. Ike lost because Oscar fought well near the end of the fight.