Wilfredo Gomez vs Alexis Arguello @ Featherweight

[Counter-puncher]

Gomez would get smashed by Pedrosa as well

[elmersalsa]

Pedroza was KO'd three times, of the three the only one who punched in the same league as Gomez was Alfonso Zamora...if Oscar Arnal could KO Pedroza then I'm certain Gomez could as well! Gomez was more skilled and a much better boxer than Pedroza. Pedroza was rough and very good, but I don't see him standing up to Gomez. Though I would pick Lopez it would have to be by early knockout, within 3 to 5 rounds...if he was not able to take Gomez out by then I would pick Gomez to stop Lopez early. Lopez was one of the hardest hitting featherweights ever, but he did not have a great defense which would spell doom against an accurate, hard puncher like Gomez unless he stopped him early.

The great Eusebio Pedroza was a green fighter when he fought KO artist Alfonso Zamora.
The fight was at bantamweight. Once Pedroza jumped to featherweight, he was stronger physically and mentally.
Pedroza was a complete fighter. One of the very best I have ever seen.
The great Wilfredo Gomez at 126lbs did not showed any kind of punching power. His KOs, most of KOs were done by being much stronger than the opponent. He is not going to push Pedroza around. In fact, Gomez would be the one getting pushed to the ropes and received painfully body shots.

[barry]

--By that logic Lockridge, Laporte, McGuigan, etc would have KO'd Pedroza.--

How do you come by this from my statement? The only thing I said was that if Oscar Arnal could KO Pedroza then I'm pretty sure Gomez could as well...it's got nothing to do with Lockridge, LaPorte, or McGuigan!

Gomez still stops him, or wins a decision. Pedroza was a great fighter, very solid, but still a step below Gomez in nearly all aspects of boxing...Pedroza was a year older than Zamora and they both started boxing professionally right around the same time, so even though Pedroza had fewer fights than Zamora they were both green, so that is not really an advantage for Zamora, it was his vicious punching power which was the advantage. Look at the same fighters that Gomez and Pedroza fought...Royal Kobayashi, Gomez KO'd him in 3, whereas it took Pedroza 13. Gomez never fought Zamora, but he blast out Zamora's nemesis Carlos Zarate...Lockridge went 15 with both fghters as did Juan LaPorte. Gomez looked very normal against Sanchez, but then again so did most fighters who fought Sanchez. I've noticed that some people judge Gomez at 126 based pretty much on his loss to Sanchez. Pedroza was a very well-rounded fighter, it's just that Gomez was simply better in nearly every area...except height and Gomez may be slightly less durable than Pedroza, but then again a prime Gomez was very durable!

[Rover]

--By that logic Lockridge, Laporte, McGuigan, etc would have KO'd Pedroza.--

How do you come by this from my statement? The only thing I said was that if Oscar Arnal could KO Pedroza then I'm pretty sure Gomez could as well...it's got nothing to do with Lockridge, LaPorte, or McGuigan!

Gomez still stops him, or wins a decision. Pedroza was a great fighter, very solid, but still a step below Gomez in nearly all aspects of boxing...Pedroza was a year older than Zamora and they both started boxing professionally right around the same time, so even though Pedroza had fewer fights than Zamora they were both green, so that is not really an advantage for Zamora, it was his vicious punching power which was the advantage. Look at the same fighters that Gomez and Pedroza fought...Royal Kobayashi, Gomez KO'd him in 3, whereas it took Pedroza 13. Gomez never fought Zamora, but he blast out Zamora's nemesis Carlos Zarate...Lockridge went 15 with both fghters as did Juan LaPorte. Gomez looked very normal against Sanchez, but then again so did most fighters who fought Sanchez. I've noticed that some people judge Gomez at 126 based pretty much on his loss to Sanchez. Pedroza was a very well-rounded fighter, it's just that Gomez was simply better in nearly every area...except height and Gomez may be slightly less durable than Pedroza, but then again a prime Gomez was very durable!

Laporte, Lockridge and McGuigan were superior to Arnel. Lockridge and McGuigan actually (as did Laporte) showed they could knock out top guys at 126/130. If Arnel could stop Pedroza, so could they, right?
Gomez/Lockridge was an atrocious decision; Lockridge clearly won that fight.
Zamora was more experienced than Pedroza in that he'd fought top bantams (Hong as one example). This was his 24th pro fight; 16th for Pedroza.
Your argument (A beat B, C beat A, D beat C, so D beats B) is...kind of a stretch.
So what if Pedroza took longer to stop Kobayashi. Gomez fought Kobayashi in a different division. Arguello also took longer to stop Kobayashi than did Gomez. Pedroza was a slow starter who stopped one of his championship opponents in the first five rounds. He got into higher gear as the fight progressed and chopped down many opponents late. He never showed his 122 power at feather, a point which you do not dispute as far as I can tell.
And Laporte/Gomez was a 12 rounder. Also, Gomez was the shortest of Sanchez's title fights; every other championship opponent lasted longer with Sanchez.
I've heard it argued that Gomez took Sanchez lightly. Well, if he took the biggest fight of his life lightly, he'd take Pedroza lightly also.

[Counter-puncher]

Pedroza was a great fighter, very solid, but still a step below Gomez in nearly all aspects of boxing...

well, yes.

other than footwork, head movement and defence, counterpunching, bodypunching, outside fighting, inside fighting, chin and durability

[SamWise72]

I hadn't looked at LaPorte's record in some time. My god that bloke had some tough fights! Sanchez for a 15 round UD loss, Pedroza for a 15 round fairly close one, then a spell as champ, losing the title to Gomez, finding his way back and taking Chavez the distance for the super feather title too! And nobody ever stopped him, right through to the end. Talk about a career of facing the best!

[Counter-puncher]

I hadn't looked at LaPorte's record in some time. My god that bloke had some tough fights! Sanchez for a 15 round UD loss, Pedroza for a 15 round fairly close one, then a spell as champ, losing the title to Gomez, finding his way back and taking Chavez the distance for the super feather title too! And nobody ever stopped him, right through to the end. Talk about a career of facing the best!

[SamWise72]

Jeez, and I missed Azumah Nelson too, and Kostya Tszu (who must have been in nappies). How many fighters in the 80's met as many ATGs as LaPorte?

[Rover]

Pedroza was a great fighter, very solid, but still a step below Gomez in nearly all aspects of boxing...

well, yes.

other than footwork, head movement and defence, counterpunching, bodypunching, outside fighting, inside fighting, chin and durability

Well said.

[Rover]

I hadn't looked at LaPorte's record in some time. My god that bloke had some tough fights! Sanchez for a 15 round UD loss, Pedroza for a 15 round fairly close one, then a spell as champ, losing the title to Gomez, finding his way back and taking Chavez the distance for the super feather title too! And nobody ever stopped him, right through to the end. Talk about a career of facing the best!

Don't forget McGuigan, Murray (a top jr. welter at the time), Padilla, Ruben Castillo...and what a chin he had. I didn't list Azumah and Tszyu because I saw you'd added them in a subsequent post.

[elmersalsa]

--By that logic Lockridge, Laporte, McGuigan, etc would have KO'd Pedroza.--

How do you come by this from my statement? The only thing I said was that if Oscar Arnal could KO Pedroza then I'm pretty sure Gomez could as well...it's got nothing to do with Lockridge, LaPorte, or McGuigan!

Gomez still stops him, or wins a decision. Pedroza was a great fighter, very solid, but still a step below Gomez in nearly all aspects of boxing...Pedroza was a year older than Zamora and they both started boxing professionally right around the same time, so even though Pedroza had fewer fights than Zamora they were both green, so that is not really an advantage for Zamora, it was his vicious punching power which was the advantage. Look at the same fighters that Gomez and Pedroza fought...Royal Kobayashi, Gomez KO'd him in 3, whereas it took Pedroza 13. Gomez never fought Zamora, but he blast out Zamora's nemesis Carlos Zarate...Lockridge went 15 with both fghters as did Juan LaPorte. Gomez looked very normal against Sanchez, but then again so did most fighters who fought Sanchez. I've noticed that some people judge Gomez at 126 based pretty much on his loss to Sanchez. Pedroza was a very well-rounded fighter, it's just that Gomez was simply better in nearly every area...except height and Gomez may be slightly less durable than Pedroza, but then again a prime Gomez was very durable!

Say what? that Gomez was better than Pedroza in every area? Have you seen the great Eusebio Pedroza fight? Both were complete fighters, but Pedroza was more skilled and more complete. Gomez had only better heart and punch than Pedroza. Everything else, it was all Eusebio Pedroza!

Gomez after the great Salvador Sanchez fight was not the same. He took a beating. And was almost over after the Lupe Pintor fight in '82. Put that same Gomez with Pedroza in '83 or any other year after the Pintor fight would be a Pedroza victory. Gomez had a better chance with Pedroza in the early 80s or late 70s, and still, I don't think he would beat Eusebio.

[Rover]

--By that logic Lockridge, Laporte, McGuigan, etc would have KO'd Pedroza.--

How do you come by this from my statement? The only thing I said was that if Oscar Arnal could KO Pedroza then I'm pretty sure Gomez could as well...it's got nothing to do with Lockridge, LaPorte, or McGuigan!

Gomez still stops him, or wins a decision. Pedroza was a great fighter, very solid, but still a step below Gomez in nearly all aspects of boxing...Pedroza was a year older than Zamora and they both started boxing professionally right around the same time, so even though Pedroza had fewer fights than Zamora they were both green, so that is not really an advantage for Zamora, it was his vicious punching power which was the advantage. Look at the same fighters that Gomez and Pedroza fought...Royal Kobayashi, Gomez KO'd him in 3, whereas it took Pedroza 13. Gomez never fought Zamora, but he blast out Zamora's nemesis Carlos Zarate...Lockridge went 15 with both fghters as did Juan LaPorte. Gomez looked very normal against Sanchez, but then again so did most fighters who fought Sanchez. I've noticed that some people judge Gomez at 126 based pretty much on his loss to Sanchez. Pedroza was a very well-rounded fighter, it's just that Gomez was simply better in nearly every area...except height and Gomez may be slightly less durable than Pedroza, but then again a prime Gomez was very durable!

Say what? that Gomez was better than Pedroza in every area? Have you seen the great Eusebio Pedroza fight? Both were complete fighters, but Pedroza was more skilled and more complete. Gomez had only better heart and punch than Pedroza. Everything else, it was all Eusebio Pedroza!

Gomez after the great Salvador Sanchez fight was not the same. He took a beating. And was almost over after the Lupe Pintor fight in '82. Put that same Gomez with Pedroza in '83 or any other year after the Pintor fight would be a Pedroza victory. Gomez had a better chance with Pedroza in the early 80s or late 70s, and still, I don't think he would beat Eusebio.

I agree with everything except the heart part; both showed heart. I never saw a lack of it from Pedroza.

[SamWise72]

I hadn't looked at LaPorte's record in some time. My god that bloke had some tough fights! Sanchez for a 15 round UD loss, Pedroza for a 15 round fairly close one, then a spell as champ, losing the title to Gomez, finding his way back and taking Chavez the distance for the super feather title too! And nobody ever stopped him, right through to the end. Talk about a career of facing the best!

Don't forget McGuigan, Murray (a top jr. welter at the time), Padilla, Ruben Castillo...and what a chin he had. I didn't list Azumah and Tszyu because I saw you'd added them in a subsequent post.

It's testament to his opposition that I left all those out because they diluted the point ;all the guys I mentioned dominated at least one, and often more divisions. And from reading, it seems like he was competitive in almost all;a significant number of people had him beating Chavez (I haven't seen it, yet)

[Rover]

I hadn't looked at LaPorte's record in some time. My god that bloke had some tough fights! Sanchez for a 15 round UD loss, Pedroza for a 15 round fairly close one, then a spell as champ, losing the title to Gomez, finding his way back and taking Chavez the distance for the super feather title too! And nobody ever stopped him, right through to the end. Talk about a career of facing the best!

Don't forget McGuigan, Murray (a top jr. welter at the time), Padilla, Ruben Castillo...and what a chin he had. I didn't list Azumah and Tszyu because I saw you'd added them in a subsequent post.

It's testament to his opposition that I left all those out because they diluted the point ;all the guys I mentioned dominated at least one, and often more divisions. And from reading, it seems like he was competitive in almost all;a significant number of people had him beating Chavez (I haven't seen it, yet)

I had Chavez by a point but it was quite competitive.

[elmersalsa]

Yeah, Chavez vs LaPorte was a great fight. Very competitive. I think the great Julio Cesar Chavez stole the last 3 rounds for the victory.

[SamWise72]

That's on my "to watch" list.