The Best Fighter that YOU'VE Ever Seen???...

I think Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns might disagree with you.

 

But did you ever SEE Robinson fight in his prime? Did you ever SEE him display the greatest blend of all the above categories of all time in the ring? the only video we have of SRR shows a past-his-best version (still amazing and great) and we are only left with imagination and a top notch resume that leads us to dream how good he was in his prime

 

besides jones jnr and tyson.. i'd also say zab was pretty impressive in his prime.

 

JCC was only mentioned a couple of times here.

He takes a lot of flack for his controversial draw against Whitaker and his losses to Randall, Tszyu, and DLH later in his career.

To me his unfairly criticized for what happened much later in his career, possible because he quit in the second Randall fight and got a gift and because he was the beneficiary of the gift draw against Whitaker. It seemed to turn a lot of fans against him.

People forgive Duran's "no mas" against Leonard, his loss to Hagler and his devastating loss to Hearns because they were against legends and at higher weights but no one solely focuses on Chavez at lightweight or junior lightweight. :dunno:

 

Chavez was never as good as Duran, mate and quitting against Leonard (while sucking) is forgotten in part because of what he went on to do AFTER that.

Chavez became a whiny cunt, post-Whitaker and even I hated him for it and I was a huge Chavez fan before that.

 

You just reinforced what I said about why so many people turned on him from that point on. That was his 88th pro fight and fourth weight class though.

Duran was DESTROYED by Thomas Hearns and beaten by Hagler but people forgive because of the opponents and the higher weights. Aside from his beating against Joppy a lot of his high profile fights way late in his career were against other old fucks who were as washed up as him.

Chavez was overmatched against the young DLH at 140 in '96 and the ONLY reason they had a rematch at 147 was Chavez needed the $6 million to pay his back taxes. No one gave him a chance in that one or against Tszyu.

My point is that aeveryone overlooks things that happened to Duran after a certain point but that seems to be the focus of Chavez's career. Everything that happened from his 88th fight and on.

 

Chavez was a crybaby and a sore loser. That point doesn't change. I don't neccessarily disagree with what you're saying...but in saying that, I say again; Duran was always better than Chavez. The best always get more breaks.

 

Jones in his prime is the best fighter I've ever seen.

 

This "best" also needs plenty of them

 

yeah. because Hall was such a formidable opponent. Wasn't it Hall that RJJ fought on a stage? That fight, that match-up, was a mockery of the sport. And for you to base your judgement on it? Questionable at best.

My answer is Duran in his prime. He would've destroyed a prime RJJ P4P.

 

Azumah Nelson

 

roy jones & larry holmes

 

What about Shaq and Barkley? I'll Holla 5000

 

There might be something to your second paragraph. Your first paragraph is pure rubbish, though.

 

Surprised you didnt answer Castillo & DLH.

 

Oh dammit...

Seriously, this is the type of question that gives me a headache. What I mean is, I KNOW what I have n mind when I see someone fight. If a guy can win, and do so in a manner that leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that they are the beston any given day in any circumstance, and I see that repeatedly from them, then I would call that guy the greatest I've seen.

Only 2 men reach that in my mind, and it pains me because I only LIKE one of them!


1 = my favorite fighter of all time, Pernell Whitaker. The man at times looked untouchable. I had heard so much about Willy Pep, but I don't have much footage of Pep. I have PLENTY of Sweet Pea. Ultimate defense, standing right in front of you. He actually has some one punch KOs at lower weights, and some guts-out performances at higher weights. Clowning, fooling, don't matter if he just grazes your chin 3 times per round (he was more active than that, just exaggerating to make the point) if YOU DON'T LAND A CLEAR PUNCH BACK :kick:Just mesmerizing IMHO.

2 = ...aw dammit, why do I have to say it? WHY????
:bangh: Alright, the other guy that I can't deny is RJJ. Ugh, I just vomited a little bit. It's simply the command he had of everything. If he didn't want to be hit, he wasn't getting hit. If he wanted to one-shot stun you, there's a decent chance it would happen (shit, he did it against Calzaghe when it's clear to everyone that's his only chance anymore...stun and hope his opponent respects him for the rest of the fight). If he wanted to rattle off 10 punches in a few seconds, well, I don't care WHAT the level of comp is, that makes you say "DAMN!" No, it's not fundamentals per se, but if you know how to use what you have, that's the most IMPORTANT fundamental, again IMHO.

They're 1 and 1A, So just to be a dick, I'm gonna say Sweet Pea, cuz Fuck RJJ :crying:

 

You forgot to mention the first Meldrick Taylor fight :nono: that was a 'prime Chavez-saved-by-the-ref' robbery. Neither he nor Richard Steele will get any love from boxing fans from the result of that bout.

 

RJJ and SRL

 

I'll disagree there.

Richard Steele asked him twice "Are you okay?" No answer. Then Steele says "You're not okay?" No answer? Then waved it off.

If he says "yes, I'm fine" in any of the three chances he had to, he wins the fight. Steele's job is not to watch the clock and gauge how much a fighter has left. Also, because of Ledderman's wide scorecard that night, Taylor's "dominance" in the fight is greatly exxagerated by fans. The real judges had it a much closer fight.

Again, though Duran's later career is all forgiven, NO ONE focuses on Chavez at lightweight and below.

 

Offensively-- Sugar Ray Robinson (I have seen every fight you CAN see of his, including some choice late 40s, early 50s vintage) --- I have never seen a more fully stocked offensive arsenal... his hands were like loaded machine guns, so fast, but with devastating knockout power... the rarest combination... jab, cross, left hook (IMO, the best and most versatile Left Hook in ring history) , uppercuts, brilliant body puncher... the best combinations I've seen, very inventive and smooth, seamless... and all of this in combination with great footwork and the intangibles of spirit that make great fighters... at his best, he really was the greatest p4p fighter there has ever been

Defensively-- Pernell Whitaker... inventive and unique, but knew all of the textbooks tricks of the trade... great hands for parrying, used his body exceptionally well, gave opponents impossible angles to strike at... could perform exceptional defensive feats against all imaginable types of offensive attack... wether at close quarters, at a distance, along the ropes (though few could ever even get him there) at ring center, he was sensational and his only really stining punch was his jab... the ability to produce offense from his amazing defense was also first-rate... also underrated toughness and determination, "Sweet Pea" was a real competitor

Both of these fellows demonstrated these skills against the best opposition there was to face them, and they were still able to produce outstanding moments after their primes were long gone

Roy Jones may have been the most physically talented fighter I have ever seen, but his level of opposition was nothing extraordinary and his amazingly swift decline raised questions about his chin and his lack of good technichal skills... in other words, when he could no longer rely on his speed (particulary his BODY SPEED, which I think is second-to-none all time, no one ever could move his whole body so swiftly) he became a sitting duck of sorts because he had no fundamentals to rely on, that has to count against him in my opinion, thought I still think he was pretty amazing in his prime

 

considering Jones went almost two decades without a loss I don't think you can really count his decline against him. He got old fast. His legs are gone, but I still think he was the best fighter I have ever seen and I don't think that SrR would have beaten him prime v prime.

 

I dig this topic, uppin

 

Still Leonard.

 

Duran gave the best Leonard a whuppin.

 

Still Duran..........

 

The "Best" Leonard is the 1 that KO'ed Tommy Hearns...U Know, the Guy that DESTROYED Duran???...



REED:dunno:

 

guys, my Duran love is....legendary.

Duran beat him well, in a competitive fight. Leonard beat him well, in a less competitive second fight. Leonard beats Duran 7 out of 10 times at 147.

 

Eh, I dont agree, but thats cool. That Leonard was losing that fight big.

And Hearns blasted Duran, no doubt about it. I don't see the relevance though.

 

I've watched a few documentaries, read about, and watched a few of SSR fights on tape. While I agree that he's the best p4p ever I don't know that I can truly say that I've "seen him" in the sense of first hand experience.

So in that sense I'd say the best I've ever "seen" (watched his career evolve from begining to end) is:

Sugar Ray Leonard.

 

:bears: