Yep. I liked Tito before I started hanging out on SecondsOut and then the after having to deal with the crazy Titoheads I was SO glad Hopkins kicked his ass and sent 95% of them into hiding. Then after the Wright fight folks started saying anyone with a modicum of boxing skills would beat him.
Agreed, there's really no question Oscar was better. Oscar is a borderline great IMO, even though he is generally disliked by proper boxing fans. He could fight, and did so across a big range of divisions. Tito is one of the most overrated fighters in boxing history. A plodding left hooker with cement laden feet, who is only dangerous if you stand in front of him. Rican David Tua is quite accurate. Just taller and a bit better.
Tito makes Provo look uglier than he is. And while I agree that he was overrated in his prime, I think Oscar was just as overrated and all his best wins were controversial. You could argue he beat Tito, but he couldn't do it convincingly enough the way Hopkins did whom left NO DOUBT in that fight. And I still think Tito would have beaten Oscar at 154 in a rematch, though it would have been competitive. As for Trinidad-Cotto, yeah I think Mex said that Cotto would beat him along with Sergio Martinez if I'm not mistaken but he probably thinks Cory Spinks would beat him as well so I don't know... Styleswise, Trinidad is a nightmare for Cotto. For my money, Tito mops up in today's 147, 154 and 160 era also. At 168, Ward destroys him.
Trinidad may have stopped Cherifi but his power just wasn't there. It wasn't. And I don't care what Steward says. He used to doctor gloves himself (McCrory anyone?).
Double is one of a kind........ I haven't watched that fight in over 10 years, but I remember Tito had Cherifi's body moving around every time he hit him, even if it wasn't flush. Then, as soon as he found his range, Cherifi was a goner. I have NO CLUE what Double is talking about sometimes.
Second KD of the fight, tito looked like he knocked Cherifi's head off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq6Esm_88D8
no, you can clearly see there is no power on those shots... he's just lightly flapping his arms and the gauze (which weighs 20 pounds) does the rest
I don't think Tito is in a league with the other 3 at all. I'd probably put Napoles ahead of him. There was some British welterweight in the 80s who pretty much Herol Graham'd Kirkland Laing, I remember reading about him way back in the day as one of the hardest punchers ever. Not sure if it was hype or what, maybe UK heads can speak more on that.. he certainly flattened Laing, though
Trinidad obviously loaded his gloves. Cherifi was a veritable DKP henchmen man by the time Tito faced him. But his power was gone and we all know it.
Indeed he did. Just ran into one too many of those short hooks Chico had been catching him with all night. That first fight finished Chico as a top fighter.
