This year's inductees at Canastota have been announced - Azumah Nelson, Carlos Palomino, Dwight Muhammad Qawi and Daniel Zaragoza. Whaddaya think? Good picks?
I'd say Nelson and Qawi no doubt, but I have reservations about Palomino and Zaragoza. Palomino lost his two biggest tests (Benitez, Duran). Zaragoza was surely durable, but I didn't see an extraordinary talent. What would you consider to be his signature fight?
But, it's unfair of me to quibble. I extend congrats to all. Must be very gratifying to be honored this way.
New Hall of Famers - Nelson, Palomino, Qawi, Zaragoza
-
crooked nose
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 284
- Joined: 17 Oct 2003, 18:54
Nelson :no-brainer Obviously a great fighter
Zaragoza was a pretty tough dude and very persistant kind of a throwback to the old time fighters. Probably not the most natually talented guy Zaragoza he was very crafty and really knew how to fight ..He won his last of several alphabet championships when he was something like 37 years old ..Id say he gets in because of persistance and overall he beat a lot of good fighters although no really great ones...(except Carlos Zarate who was washed up) quality of opposition was pretty high ..
Qawi: I don't think he had much of an amatuer career to speak of so the fact that he was capable of beating up world ranked contenders after a dozen or so pro fights is pretty amazing (This was the late 70s Early 80s light heavyweights mind you) But he also had a fairly long career too
where he fought a lot of tough guys ..
Any 5'6 man (shorter than Daniel Zaragoza mind you) who can knock out Saad Muhammad twice and war 15 rounds with Evander Holyfield deserves to be iin the Hall..
Palomino probably shouldn't make it but he was still a real warrior his fights with Mando Muniz and Davey Boy Green were really something but they are not really hall of fame type wins..and unlike Zaragoza his career wasn't that long
Its just that he lost one sided decisions in the two biggest fights of his career (albeit to great fighters) I'm a big fan of Carlos but I dont think he did enough to get in..
So three out of four is pretty good
Zaragoza was a pretty tough dude and very persistant kind of a throwback to the old time fighters. Probably not the most natually talented guy Zaragoza he was very crafty and really knew how to fight ..He won his last of several alphabet championships when he was something like 37 years old ..Id say he gets in because of persistance and overall he beat a lot of good fighters although no really great ones...(except Carlos Zarate who was washed up) quality of opposition was pretty high ..
Qawi: I don't think he had much of an amatuer career to speak of so the fact that he was capable of beating up world ranked contenders after a dozen or so pro fights is pretty amazing (This was the late 70s Early 80s light heavyweights mind you) But he also had a fairly long career too
where he fought a lot of tough guys ..
Any 5'6 man (shorter than Daniel Zaragoza mind you) who can knock out Saad Muhammad twice and war 15 rounds with Evander Holyfield deserves to be iin the Hall..
Palomino probably shouldn't make it but he was still a real warrior his fights with Mando Muniz and Davey Boy Green were really something but they are not really hall of fame type wins..and unlike Zaragoza his career wasn't that long
Its just that he lost one sided decisions in the two biggest fights of his career (albeit to great fighters) I'm a big fan of Carlos but I dont think he did enough to get in..
So three out of four is pretty good
-
crooked nose
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 284
- Joined: 17 Oct 2003, 18:54
Nelson was an all-time great indeed. Every bit on the same level as an Arguello or a JC Chavez, and maybe just a notch below someone like Duran.
I'm surprised it took him so long to get in. Was he not eligable?
Qawi is a good induction too IMO... but I don't like the other two. But then, they're just two more of MANY questionable inductions the Hall has been making in the last few years.
I'm surprised it took him so long to get in. Was he not eligable?
Qawi is a good induction too IMO... but I don't like the other two. But then, they're just two more of MANY questionable inductions the Hall has been making in the last few years.
Azumah looked invincible in his prime.
I recently saw his first defense of the featherweight title against Juvenal Ordenes from Chile (many thanks to editor Enrique for supplying the tape, a fight where -incidentally- he does the live commentary)
Ordenes was nothing extraordinary himself, but he had built a decent streak of victories upon moving to Miami from Chile. He showed good footwork and kept himself busy during most of the fight, although not scoring much on Nelson, who was bobbing and weaving and mainly targeting the Chilean's body in the first 3 rounds.
With the crowd on his side, in the fourth, Ordenes decided to slug it out with Azumah. Big mistake. From then on, Nelson just picked him apart, decked him twice, sent his mouthpiece into orbit before the ref halted the slaughter in the 5th.
Eventhough he was the favorite, That first defense was suposed to be a tough match for Nelson, but it turned out to be a cakewalk.
I recently saw his first defense of the featherweight title against Juvenal Ordenes from Chile (many thanks to editor Enrique for supplying the tape, a fight where -incidentally- he does the live commentary)
Ordenes was nothing extraordinary himself, but he had built a decent streak of victories upon moving to Miami from Chile. He showed good footwork and kept himself busy during most of the fight, although not scoring much on Nelson, who was bobbing and weaving and mainly targeting the Chilean's body in the first 3 rounds.
With the crowd on his side, in the fourth, Ordenes decided to slug it out with Azumah. Big mistake. From then on, Nelson just picked him apart, decked him twice, sent his mouthpiece into orbit before the ref halted the slaughter in the 5th.
Eventhough he was the favorite, That first defense was suposed to be a tough match for Nelson, but it turned out to be a cakewalk.