Jimmy Paul was one of the more underrated lightweight champs. Not great by any means, but very solid. Well schooled, and a big right hand. He beat the ever living shit outta the then undefeated Harry Arroyo to win the belt, then defended it a few times before getting outboxed by the also underrated Greg Haugen. Uncle Roger was more talented than Paul (faster hands, bigger power), but could be inconsistent. And of course, chinny. Who wins?
Though Talented, Jimmy Paul was the Type of Fighter that FOUND Ways to LOSE Bouts, @ the Highest Level...Snatched DEFEAT from the Jaws of Victory... For All Intents and Purposes, Harry Arroyo and "Rockin" Robin Blake were AS Good or BETTER than Greg Haugen, yet Paul Easily Beat Arroyo/Blake and LOST to Haugen...Go Figure....There was a Missing MENTAL Component to Jimmy Paul, that Prevented him from Achieving All he Could've... Dude Wiped his Ass w/Andy Ganigan, & that MEANT Something in the 80's, yet LOST to Haugen???... From REED's Recollection, Jimmy Paul was 1 of the ORIGINAL Kronk Guys to Burst On the Scene, Along w/Tommy Hearns, Hilmer Kenty and Milt McCrory...Dude was Never Hearns, but for a Time, he Seemed like 2nd Best Guy in Manny Steward's Stable, Clearly... Having Said All That, he'd FIND a Way to Lose to Roger Mayweather, who Despite his GIRLish Chin, Possessed an Ability to FORGET Losses, which Escaped Jimmy Paul....@ Some Point, Mayweather HURTS Paul, who then Goes Into an Immediate SHELL....Even if he was WINNING the Fight Prior to Being Hurt... Mayweather by Decision... REED:hammert:
I agree with the basis of the post. ONLY thing I disagree with it is the Haugen part. Haugen was a very underrated fighter. Only lost ONCE in his prime really (got robbed in the first Paz fight), and that legit loss was to arguably the best lightweight that ever lived. Haugen was a crafty guy. Looked like he was easy to hit, but he wasn't. And on top of that, had a solid chin. He took some really good shots from Paul in that fight. Shots that probably would have put Roger on his back. Still, your point about Paul lacking something mentally is valid. With his skill set, he should have beaten Haugen. Stylewise, I think Roger would have beaten Haugen. Roger was a lot quicker than Paul, and Haugen would have had more difficulty stepping in and out of Roger's range due to that handspeed. But in regards to THIS matchup, I can't help but think that Roger is beating Paul to the punch, then gets caught with one big right hand that he can't recover from.
