Conventional wisdom says athletes get better as time goes by. Hmmmmmm? Holmes vs. Wlad/Vitaly? Gregory vs. Pascal ? Hagler vs. Martinez? Leonard/Hearns vs. Manny? Pryor vs. Khan/Maidana/Bradley/Alexander? Arguello vs. Marquez? Sanchez/Pedroza vs. Lopez/Gamboa? How bout some others?
Holmes PTS Gregory knocks out Pascal with a pinpoint counter in the fifth round and changes his last name to Muhammad shortly afterwords Hagler diffuses Martinez in eight rounds Hearns KO's Manny early/middle, Leonard stops him late and snorts coke after the fight Pryor steamrolls through Khan/Maidana/Bradley/Alexander Arguello is essentially a super version of Marquez (especially if we're taking into account the 2010 version) he wins by TKO Sanchez KO's both of them, Pedroza might get DQ'ed for "beautiful elbows" but he should win against those guys
Old Ali vs. Old Holyfield Minter vs. Past-prime post-alcoholic Pavlik Benitez vs. Margarito Cuevas vs. Berto Hearns vs. Mayweather Shouldn't this be in the mythical matchups forum? :dunno:
Early 1980s was a very solid era generally in boxing. Athletes do develop, but some records made in 1980s still stand in sports. Another thing is that the general "truth" in boxing is that the era when most of boxing fans were in their own prime gets overrated. It has been the 70s, now the throne is slipping to the 80s That being said, heavyweight bout is 50:50, in all others the 80s guy is the clear favorite
How the hell is Arguello a super version of JMM? If anything, it's the other way around. Arguello was no better than JMM. And that's not slighting Arguello one bit.
Holmes beats the Klit sisters. And Holmes also knocks out that joke Haye. Eddie Mustafa would have clocked that bum Pascal Hagler breaks down Maravilla Hearns/Leonard are too big for Manny. Pryor wipes his ass with those 4 clowns. Thats the easiest of all these machups to call. Arguello-Marquez is the hardest to call, but I think the 135 Arguello had more left in the tank than the current Marquez, and his firepower would take a huge toll on JM. Gamboa & Lopez are too technically shitty to fuck with Sanchez & Pedroza Boxing is just different from other sports. The athletic talent you see in basketball, and football is different than what you see in this sport. Boxers today are more athletic than the guys of the 30's/40's..... but sure as hell not the 80's! Except for Floyd, and Manny, theres NO lighter weight fighter that even comes CLOSE to the physical talent of Leonard, Hearns, Pryor, Duran, Benitez, Donald Curry. And boxing is the only sport in which the actual skill level has DECLINED from years past. The 80's greats were far more technically sound than fighter's of today, and had comparable, if not better talent.
Holmes Ko's Wladimir and wins UD over Vitaly... Eddie Mustafa Ko's Pascal in 6 or 7 rounds... Hagler stops Martinez in 9 rounds.. Hearns and Leonard would KO Pacquiao....Hearns in 3 or less rounds...Leonard by Round 8... Pryor would KO all those guys... Arguello beat Marquez....but like someone said Marquez has the best shot from the fighters of today of pulling the upset... Sanchez Ko's Lopez and Gamboa...
The thing is, if you can jab and jab outright with Vitali, you can beat him. You might outblast and outlast Wlad, but you ain't outjabbing the guy. If Spinks could beat the fighter Holmes became, then the Klitschkos can beat the Holmes that existed in 1980. Vitali would do it. I'm sure of it. People have got to stop acting like ninnys- Cooney and the Klitschkos were tall and white. Similarities end there. Wlad's left hook is better than Cooneys, he certainly blasted out better heavyweights than the shot version of Norton that Cooney dealt with. Pryor would send to the Priory any of todays 140lbs, Tim Bradley might survive and die later on at home or in hospital but that is it. Khan would die on his way to the ring. I think Hearns would beat Manny Pac. No wait...I am sure of it.
The ironic thing about the responses we've seen is that the only 2010 fighter that anyone's picking to win is Wlad/Vitali - heavyweights. In the lower weight classes, none of the fighters match up to those in 1980 (at least not in anyone's opinion). And yet, it's the heavyweights of today, everyone says, that suck so bad. Nobody complains about the recent quality of fighters in the lower weight classes - not in general. Interesting.
Holmes vs Wlad/Vitali is a toss up Hearns was irrelevant in 1980, IMO, so it would be Leonard/Duran vs Manny/Floyd, which is also a toss up. Arguello vs Marquez, also a toss up Pryor easily Hagler should take it
If by today you mean the prime fighters of 2010 specifically, you may be correct. Going through a slump right now. But since the 80s you've had Hopkins, Mayweather, Jones, Toney, Pacquiao, these five alone are collectively better or at least even in terms of technical skill and physical talent than any five fighters from the 80s.
Watching Hagler in there in 1987 with a relatively inactive, half-eyed Ray Leonard suggests to me that the naturally bigger Maravilla can beat that version of Marvelous Marvin. I mean....how much better than Maravilla is Club Foot Antuofermo :laugh11:
