BoxRec

Who would you pick? I think this would have been a great match-up at featherweight, can't see it going the distance though. I think that Lopez would probably have had too much for McGuigan and could have stopped him in the later rounds possibly on cuts. But if McGuigan could have gone to work on the body he might have been able to ware Lopez down.

Very interesting match-up. I'm surprised I never thought about that one before. Maybe because they were both favorites of mine. Would McGuigan be too busy for Lopez? Would Lopez be too durable and hard-hitting for Barry? I think the Irishman could move and score well enough over 15 to outpoint Little Red. Those big right hands would be few and far between. Boxing skill threw off Lopez (Sanchez, Chacon) and McGuigan could really take a shot. But Lopez always had that puncher's chance.

I think this one could have got really interesting in the later rounds, as you say McGuigan's pressure style might have put him ahead on points and Lopez did sometimes have to get off the floor to win and so it's possible McGuigan could have dropped him, either way he would have had to throw caution to the wind and go for the KO. However as you say Lopez always had a puncher's chance, and the way McGuigan used to cut it's possible that he himself may have had to go for the KO if it looked like getting stopped because of a bad cut caused by Lopez's big right hands.

Good match up! I think Barrys best chance would be to outbox Lopez... part of Mcguigans problem later in his career is that he tended to slug it out too much and ignore his great jab... he had really long arms and had much better boxing skills than many remember. If he boxed Lopez I can see Mcguigan winning a narrow points decision after a hetic fight... but it'd be a tough job.... overall I lean towards a Lopez win by late rounds stoppage... I think he'd be too strong and too much of a war horse for Mcguigan... though Barry would have a chance if he used his boxing skills... 8)

Interesting matchup