One of the most talked about mythical matchups in welterweight history. Always a huge "what if?" Really a 50-50 imo.
Very possible. The other possibility being that Palomino gets hit too much, and Cuevas' power was otherworldly.
I think Cuevas is an underrated fighter. He's the kind of fighter that gets too easily dismissed because his obvious faults overshadow some of his strengths. In addition to (literally) bone-breaking power, he also had deceptive speed, good punch variety, a bit better technical skill than he gets credit for, and (prior to the Hearns fight) a stout chin. There's a reason he was such a dominant champ for so long against quite a few good contenders of his day. As strange an outcome as it may seem, I think Cuevas may be able to win this on points. I think his offensive firepower might overwhelm Palomino early and force him on the defensive. Palomino may rally late, but perhaps not enough to erase his early deficit.
I fully agree, and I've said similar in the past. Cuevas deserves more respect. Palomino deserves more respect too, which makes this such a good, close matchup. But yes, Cuevas had a pretty good edge in quickness over Palomino, which may play a factor.
