Your favourite Middleweight v Dick Tiger

Tiger loses a rough decision to a fundamental power puncher with a tight defence. Guess who.

 

Nope

Who do you think I mean?

 

Valdes?


My take: Tiger in 10th round stoppage of wild swinging puncher, after being shaken to his boots in rounds 2 and 5. Greater technique and chin outlasts the big hitter.



Mine's not Valdes by the way, although I do take Tiger to outpoint Rodrigo all the same.

 

Yep, Valdes it was, and I reckon yours is Benn.

 

:good

 

Agreed.

 

You'd take Walker to beat Tiger? That's the second time you've gone against your owwn theory on Tiger, unless you're implying that Walker would do something besides brawl, which I seriously doubt he could do effectively. He was no Griffith in regards to outboxing and versatility.

 

Monzon would win a lopsided decision, and would actually hurt Tiger with right hand counters, Rodrigo Valdez would beat him much like he was able to beat Briscoe, Hagler would have had his hands full but I believe he would edge him for a points win. Tiger would have ground into dust any guy who didn't have a reverse gear. Basilio he would have overpowered, a fight with LaMotta would have been a war, but Tiger would have outgutted him. In none of these fights, however, would Tiger ever hit the canvas. I think that at middleweight he had a cast iron chin, and even if Emile Griffith, who had Tiger's number, had fought Tiger a dozen more times, even he wouldn't have been able to accomplish that feat again.

 

I would pick Monzon over Tiger by decision as well. But it would be a fight where Monzon found himself in a fight with the strongest, most dynamic opponent he had ever encountered. Tiger proved his worth by becoming a two weight champion in an era where it was truly an accomplishment. In becoming a light heavyweight champion, Tiger proved he could adapt to fighting bigger and taller opponents. I still pick Monzon by decision, but lopsided??? I don't see that at all... (side note:Monzon would be very hard pressed to beat a light heavyweight like Jose Torres.) Valdez/Tiger would be a tremendous fight, but I like Tiger. His resume surpasses Valdez's accomplishments easily. Valdez has made his reputation by losing twice to Monzon, and beating Briscoe three times, and a very brief title reign against mostly undistinguished opponents...is there anything else that could compare to Tiger's career? Tiger fought the toughest opponents multiple times in a very difficult era...Giardello,Fullmer,Carter,Hank,Armstrong,Gonzales,Torres, Foster,Benvenuti, Griffith,Rouse, etc. It's true he lost some of those bouts...but it was a tough era. (No Hugo Corro's here) Tiger by clear UD...Stronger and more durable than Valdez, Tiger controls from the midway point to the finish.
Hagler has the versatility to outpoint Tiger.
I agree with the rest of your post re Basilo, LaMotta, etc.

 

I think Paul Pender might have decisioned Tiger had they met. Tiger had trouble with movement and speed and Paul had both.

 

Pender is a guy I forgot to mention. I think he had a real good chance to outpoint Tiger. A clever boxing writer during Tiger's time once said that "a good trobone player could beat Dick Tiger", which of course mean't that a guy with a good jab would be effective. The Tiger-Griffith fight in 1966 really got me fired up about boxing. I was intrigued by Griffith decking Tiger for the first time in Dick's career, and the strategy of boxing and moving that he used. I know this is not a Griffith thread, but darn it, Griffith was such a good fighter! I was always a fan of his, and the Tiger fight was his best, IMO.

 

Three cheers for Valdes!