Your Opinions on Oba Carr

Considering Run Time Thurman and Cherry Garcia aren't in the same universe as prime versions of Tito, Ike, and Oscar, I'd say Carr would fare a lot better in this era.

I'd definitely favor him over Garcia.

 

He matured into a pretty good fighter. I think he'd do well today, but wouldn't have been a threat to beat Floyd.

It was fun kind of watching him grow up on the USA Network, where he was pretty much a house fighter.

 

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After watching him numerous times on Tuesday Night Fights, I saw him live against Ike Quartey at MSG on the undercard of Roy Jones vs. Bryant Brannon. I expected Quartey to steamroll Carr. But, Carr boxed well, and Ike had all he could handle. One of the judges had it unfairly lopsided in Quartey's favor, and Ike won a MD. I think Carr had more than enough skill to beat most of the top welterweights today.

 

I began watching him in his prospect days when he was a young fighter coming out of the Kronk System. A few years ago a posted a thread or two on him here. Very good boxer who was fun to watch, but fell shy of elite by a step or two. I think he'd be a contender today or perhaps even a belt holder of some kind, but not one of the upper echelon.

 

Oba Carr would've been a welterweight champion in most eras. For example, this one. His era was just too loaded.

Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman wouldn't have even sniffed a belt if they had to beat Felix Trinidad or Oscar De La Hoya to get one. But Garcia and Thurman are both good fighters. They just aren't great. Same with Carr. He was a top pro. Just not great.

Nothing wrong with that. He had a very solid career. Everyone respects Carr as a fighter.

 

He was good but I think he's overrated in a sense that he enters "best contenders to never win a title discussions". I think he's fondly remembered largely due to the Tuesday Night Fights hype and losing in big fights. He didn't actually accomplish much in terms of notable wins. He won a questionable dec over Bramble, beat Coley and Thompson, and a shot Campas. I think that's pretty much it.

Regarding titles, there were opportunities to win them other than against first ballot HOF fighters. Eamonn Loughran held the WBO title. Jose Luis Lopez beat him to take it and likely would've beaten Carr too. He could've moved up to 154 and fought Campas, Boudouani, etc. He also had some second rate titlists like Greg Page and Six Heads Lewis emerge on the tail end of his prime.

Danny Garcia has accomplished way more than Carr already and Thurman's win over Porter is better than any win of Carr. I'm pretty sure Thurmann would beat him. I'm unsure of Garcia but he's above his best weightclass and hasn't looked very good in the last couple of years.

I'd say Carr was on a similar level to guys like Eric Harding, Piccirillo, Dzinzurik, and Aaron Davis. Their names don't come up nearly as much though.

 

Excellent post.

 

Had a cool name.

 

Good fighter but far from great, I think he'd more than hold his own with most WW's today.

 

Just a bit. Like Evander Holyfield and his dad, my man Ezzard Charles. Names so groovy, no nickname required. Did Oba even have a nickname? Was it like Michael 'Second to' Nunn? Oba 'Second hand' Carr?

 

"Motor City" Carr. He was pretty well known as that.

 

I thought Carr was a great boxer I loved watching him.

He would be world champ in this era no doubt very unlucky to be in a time where there were many gret fighters at his weight.

IMO best boxer never to win a world title

 

He was a good fighter. Carr gave a spirited battle to Tito, Oscar and Ike. I do remember his bout with Bramble. That was a memorable.