Your Hottest Takes:

I like this idea. Personally I’d be happy with 10 rounds max. I always thought the whole “championship rounds” thing was the point where it became about fitness and conditioning as the fine skill had gone.
I’d rather seen the fights be about skills rather than who did more roadwork.

 

Nice opinion,but don't you think pacing yourself also takes some skills?

 

It does, but I don’t think it’d be significant with shorter fights. It’s not a deciding factor in amateur boxing for example, and I like that…I’d rather see quality boxing.

 

To bump this up as I like hearing hot takes.

 

Great thread adding some new ones fresh from the factory floor… Hearns is the least noted “weight bully” in the sport. I hear the term thrown at less “offensive” examples but he essentially did what Moorer did and killed his chin making weight where he didn’t belong in the same day era…he went all the way to 190lbs - Kronk fighters such as Gerald, Hearns and Moorer had “bizarre” chin issues didn’t they? all of them famously boiled themselves HARD to make weight. Hearns seemed like the “crash test dummy” for there system of weight cutting he was stripped down of fluids, fat and muscle it looked ghastly at the low weights this process coupled with the famous Kronk sparring wars in camp while you’re cutting this hard… is a recipe to destroy your chin IMO his success was very physical him essentially being a gaunt 175lber swatting 147lbers although he developed into a very good boxer as he matured.

 

Damn son.

 

Nice thread, George. I'll do some off the top of my head. I've been meaning to contribute in here since the thread came up.


One I've just come up with now, i think Archie Moore and Dwight Qawi would split a series. I think the skills on display in these fights would off the charts. Qawi is an absolute H2H beast.

Discounting Ali three or less fighters would have been capable of beating Rumble in the Jungle Foreman.

Sanchez vs the Fenech that beat Callejas is a pick'em affair with a lenient ref.

Henry Armstrong is as much in the mix as anyone, ever, per the greatest H2H featherweight question.

The greatest 175 H2H is either Spinks or Charles.

Mike McCallum and John Mugabi are a bit overrated. McCallum's own words have led many to thinking the big four were scared to fight him, while john gets immense mileage out of an admittedly very impressive challenge of a fast fading Hagler. I think the Hagler of Hearns or prior would beat him with far less trouble and drama. McCallum tho is a brilliant fighter, lets get that out there. Mike has plenty of good to very good exploits in his W column, Mugabi not so much.

Jones from a couple of years prior would have beaten Tarver every time out. He didn't suddenly "get found out" lol.

 

That Inoue would get decimated by Willie Pep's counterpunching (hot take by modern standards)

 

Did not see it yet, but that's impressive result on paper.
Still some way to go to match good ol' John's resume though ).

 

Clinching & excessive movement should be as illegal as low-blows, rabbit-punching, headbutting, elbows, and should be worthy of DQ.

 

Good hot take.

 

Mugabi was one of those 'prime for a night' fighters imo. Hagler quite literally beat it out of him.

Also agreed on the Qawi opinion.

 

Another of mine is that Duran (Montreal) beats (or has a very good shot against) Sugar Ray Robinson at Welter.

 

Hmmm,

Ike Williams, Benny Leonard and Sweet Pea could all reasonably beat the best LW version of Duran.

A prime Prince Naseem might starch your fave fighter at the weight in a one fight, not seen his tape type scenario.

 

Fair. There's a lot of fighters that have risen on one single night of their life, almost invariably in a title tilt. Many like Mugabi haven't been that great either side. Douglas, while being on a higher plane and for much longer either side, is a great example. Never before had we seen him show such determination and the willingness to gut it out from the mat. His mindset was everything. It led to both the fantastic shape he was in and the explosion of heart and positivity.