Yea yea I know it's been done to death, but Dog Jones' sig whet my appetite a bit. How does this go down? Lets say its the Hamed of 1996, because the 2000 version was shite.
I'd also go with Pac, but I don't think it would be a cakewalk as he was more reckless at 126 and there's a chance Hamed gets through with some weird shot
Pac by 1 sided beatdown, come on Slicey. Hamed wasn't an elite fighter or even close, just an incredibly hyped, overprotected puncher that made his name with silly ring entraces and an absurd style. The first time he fought an elite fighter he looked like a fish out of water, and got dominated. He's basically the featherweight Tito, but worse, with a clown style.
^^^^^ If Tito was an overhyped fraud, he would not have beaten the likes of Vargas, Joppy, De La Hoya(Controverisal or not), nor would he had reigned as welterweight champion as long as he did. That aside, Pacman mops the floor with Hamed. Prince had no skills.
Hamed had about as many title wins at feather as Tito did at welter and against a broadly comparable standard of opposition. If Tito is so great, Hamed must've been better than a 'no skills' bum At his best (96-98) he was a good champ
Love this match-up. Pac wins, but Hames makes life well tough and lands some bombs of his own. Pac possibly tastes the canvas before storming back.
Mex, by the time he fought Barrera he was done. He was more interested in flying his barber over to brush his hair than training seriously. He was getting slapped around in sparring by Mexican dwarves.
Hamed was clearly shot when he fought Barrera, he'd lost all his speed. The Hamed of 2 years earlier would have destroyed Barrera, Morales, and Marquez all on the same night.
I like Pac big in this. Hamed had the one shot hammer but the pressure Pac puts on him, the flurry of punches turns Hamed into a bitch and not willing to mix it up. Hamed couldn't handle a guy throwing that many shots and pressuring him relentlessly. He'd have too much to think about. Plus, with as unorthodox as his shots were Pac would land first. Pac might get off balance and out of position but he throws shots straight down the middle...with as wide as Naz was...all things being equal Manny lands first and often.
Pacquiao would beat him up. Hamed would last the distance though and with his power would always be LIVE.
Musze's take would actually have been my first thought on this, however whilst a rise in competition played some part in it, there is an OBVIOUS decline in the Hamed who fought MAB compared to the one who fought Robinson. You only have to see how Naz was training for that fight (Little Prince Big Fight documentary) to know his heart wasn't in boxing anymore. If anyone had been shown that sparring footage prior to Hamed-Barrera no one would have put a fucking penny on Naz, believe me. I think Pac would win a clear decision, but with '96 Hamed I think there will be a scare or two and he may have to pick himself up off the deck at some point
I've always felt the sooner naz faced real comp the sooner his flaws were to be exposed. As said, the fact Manny punches are so straight and compact he would have landed first and inside anything Naz wished to throw. It's not unlike Holyfield vs Tyson. Tyson is clearly the bigger puncher but Evander throws straighter shots which means he'd always land first. naz's one punch power was incredible and did have speed but Manny operates on a different level of speed and power. I can't get over what Shane Mosley said after fighting Manny. He said Manny throws the hardest punches from six inches he's ever seen. Shane also said everything Manny throws is extremely straight. I just can't see Naz , barring landed one huge shot, knowing how to avoid the incoming. The way he leaned back with his hands down and chin hanging in the air...I cannot for the life of me see him getting out of the way of Manny's shots nor dealing with the constant pressure Manny applies. I think the difference in speed would be huge and in Manny's favor. naz was fast against guys who weren't particularly fast.
Hamed had a awkward style and he packed some serious power. It would have been interesting to see how Pac Man would have reacted to some of Hamed's Power Shots. Styles Make Fights and you just never know.
Hamed was tough. He may have been dropped a few times in his career but they always seemed to be FLASH KDs IMO. I've never seen him badly hurt. Pac would undoubtedly drop him at least twice...but I don't see him stopping him...although it is possible.
Naz got me into boxing proper. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for that cocky little dickhead.
Yup...he was fun. In his fights you were always at the edge of your seat because you knew that a KO could happen at any moment. I haven't seen power like that outside of Julian Jackson...literally ONE-PUNCH ko power.
I was usually rooting for him to lose though. I was especially happy when Barrera took him to school.
It would have been...MAB took a few solid shots and didn't go anywhere. I suspect Manny would have been able to handle the incoming at all. The question in my mind is, could Hamed have handled the incoming. I don't think so.
Hamed had hideous flaws that I think would make him fodder for an elite smart, disciplined boxer I can't see Hamed overcoming the icy skills and precision of Sanchez, I don't think he'd have ever beaten Barrera... I could see his speed troubling Arguello but I can't see him getting around Arguello's technical offensive perfection and punch placement... Pep would force him to do all of the leading and he'd have a long, frustrating night of missing He could definitely hurt Marquez or Pedroza, especially early, but I also like their intelligence and ability to stick to and execute a precise gameplan... I think both would survive and win I also can't see him dealing with Saddler who hit just as hard, was freakishly tall and far meaner and dirtier and as said here, I think Pac's quickness and that brutal left hand would really be too much Against everyone else, he's no worse than a live dog... the guy hit explosively hard, he was very fast and because he did everything wrong, it was difficult to anticipate the punches... Even guys like Morales, Saldivar, the elder Jofre, they might be favored, but they'd be vulnerable... Morales because of his tendency to fight dumb when he lost his cool, Saldivar because his style was predicated on coming right at you and Jofre because, while the skills were still sublime, the reactions weren't as cat quick (as Jose Legra illustrated at times during their bout) I disliked Hamed immensely and loved it when Barrera gave him a schooling, but he was a dangerous guy and I think he had a better chin than people realize... he had awful balance, which is why he was dropped so many times, but I can't recall ever seeing him truly, badly hurt
And Hamed never faced anyone with the near the handspeed, power, and ferocity of Manny. The featherweight Manny was alot less technical, and alot less "nice" (in the ring) than he is today. He was a killer.
