We consistently harp on mythical matchups on this forum. Our biases bring out strong reactions when it comes to certain fighters and eras. How about we do this... NAME an old school fighter you think would be ducked in this era. Also, why not NAME modern fighters in vice versa? I'll start with Locche, Pep, and Benitez being ducked in this era. The Rigo treatment would persist imo Lennox Lewis is definitely my choice for the old school.
Charley Burley would still be ducked. I think both Kid Gavilan and Billy Graham would be ducked - Graham moreso. They were both iron chinned master boxers who could embarrass you. Gavilan was more exciting so would get his shots earlier imo. Luis Rodriguez is also likely to be routinely ducked. Awkward style with all the attributes and he could be a chore to watch.
Almost nobody would even dare enter the ring today against Fritzie Zivic. Most Boxers today are too used to being clean and pampered to fight someone as wild and dirty as him. Sam Langford would still be avoided too. Just imagine a 5'7 Light Heavyweight/Super Middle capable of knocking out Cruisers and Heavies, and then imagine what would happen if you make him cut even more weight due to today's weigh-ins and make him fight at 160 or possibly even 154, he would be avoided like the palgue. As for vice versa, I suspect the Heavyweights from around the 70's until today would be avoided in the early 20th century when the heavyweighs north of 220 lbs weren't that good, Lewis, Foreman and Tyson would be viewed as unbeatable demi gods in the jeffries and Johnson era.
The Welterweights today are overall pretty good. I think Felix Trinidad would be avoided. I could see Terance Crawford being the only one to accept the fight.
I think it goes without saying that Crawford's record is clearly the one which indicates he'd be taking on the top fighters of the past.
Mike McCallum, If you think he was avoided before he wouldn't be touched with a 10 foot poll now. Eduardo lausse, if your a promoter all you need is a passing glance to keep your fighter the f*CK away from him.
hey ETM , just curious how you come to this conclusion when the top 3 guys for 4 years never got in the ring with each other ( spence , crawford, and Thurman) ,,, maybe thats why your response is they are pretty good? seems to me that is unknown because lack of competition
I can't see most of the top lightweights signing on to fight lightweight Duran. Julian Jackson And Mike McCallum. A young George Foreman Ray Robinson at welter. Late 50s Liston Roy Jones at 168
Yeah, if Spence uses the “other side of the street” mess on Crawford, what’s he gonna do with Tito? Tito would be the biggest thing in the sport today though so maybe the money makes too much sense? He’d savagely ice Crawford.
I think loads of the Feared Fighter's would STILL Be avoided like the Plague - They PROVED Themselves in Better Era's among Legends & Greats. But here's the main thing - Damn Near ALL the Great MW's who's stature was either side of 5'9" tall, who fought other great fighters Fighters from MW - HW, Today would be either side of Welterweight, so it is pretty fair to conclude they would clean house and/or be Feared & Avoided Fighters. They ARE Already Proven and for All-Time, so it would be all the modern Jr Welters, Welters and Jnr Middles who would be in question IF facing them.
Pretty much anyone at any point in time who is an ATG gets ducked by someone. I believe a dark horse for being unimaginably ducked today would be Bob Foster. Today he could fit it at MW, easy done if we put him at SMW. He was 175lbs at his best. He would be dropping at the most 15lbs of water weight, hell he could just lose like 5lbs of regular weight and make it a VERY easy cut. I think he could take the cake for most ducked fighter of all time. He would legit nuke GGG, Canelo, Saunders, Plant ect, ect out of existence in under 4 rounds a piece.
Everybody ducks everyone today…that’s not even sarcasm sadly. Lewis would be ducked the most though as he probably was in the 90s. A guy like Terrell (or Baker) would be avoided for his boring style and the tough fight he would bring those kind of high risk low reward guys
I do agree, Ernie Terrell liked to clutch, grab and maul, he tired out his opponent by using his weight on them, they were exhausted trying to get loose.
