BoxRec

So I was rewatching a couple of Laporte fights last night; I don't suppose its particularly insightful to say he was a tad unfortunate to straddle two generations of outstanding featherweights/superfeathers, but its worth repeating all the same.

A quick reminder of his record and cruise through my fallible memory banks and two things stand out, its not just that he gave decent or very competitive outings to great fighters, its equally impressive that none of them even looked like stopping him by fair means at his peak (Pedrosas filthy uppercuts to the balls were probably the closest I saw him to being counted out at his peak)

Though his low workrate can be frustrating he always threw quality heavyhanded shots, not much of a jab but power in both hands and great counterpunching and a great counter right to the body, I like his style

Its a great roster:
Sanchez (fairly.competitive two counterpunchers in something of a chess match, laporte always looked like going the distance)
Pedrosa (close fight where laporte may have deserved a 10/8 round and the tide seemed to be turned by pedrosas filthy tactics)
Chavez another close one and laporte buzzed a peak Chavez up pretty much better than anyone I can recall, other than mayweathrr briefly)

Nelson pretty boring fight to be fair, again two quite patient fighters who made for a tactical encounter

Mcguigan gave him a bit of a going over but never looked like stopping him, also this was in laportes twilight days at 126 when he looked to be suffering at the weight and his never amazing workrate looked even worse

The gomez fight I haven't seen

All the above is fairly impressive especially the efforts against Chavez and pedrosa, but factor in then that he smashed rocky lockridge to bits, clearly beat a good fighter in Ruben Castillo, etc......oh and then went 10rds at 140 against a Tszuyu seemed to be stopping everyone at the time

Anyways it all got me thinking how well he'd hold up in the modern game as a 126 guy rehydrating to 140 or whatever

I mean can anyone not see him smashing Leo Santa Cruz's fucken head in with those heavy counters and LSC's risible defence? It would be mosley-margarito at 126lbs, IMO.

And if Frampton had problems with the counters of Gonzalez, laporte puts him in a world of pain.

So.anyway am I right, or am I flattering him just cos he went the distance with some serious A level talents?

I was a big LaPorte fan, although I only saw him against McGuigan and Lockridge. I was a kid in Belfast when LaPorte came over and he was the first guy I saw who could withstand Barry's onslaught and punch him back. He was also a cool dude, well-spoken, trendy etc.

He was always going to be a hard opponent because he could take a great shot and he could whack. But maybe he lacked the intensity to succeed at the top level - 'a laid-back counterpuncher' as one pundit once described him

Noxy wrote:
He was always going to be a hard opponent because he could take a great shot and he could whack. But maybe he lacked the intensity to succeed at the top level - 'a laid-back counterpuncher' as one pundit once described him

agree on all points, especially the bolded. there were certain fights where he seemed to be almost content to take the ATG the distance rather than pushing himself- and the ATG- to the brink, so to speak. and with his punch, and counterpunching skills, you didn't see too many guys, too often, who would really fly at Laporte aggressively, for fear of being countered hard. hence the slow pace in several of his fights, IMO.

The one guy that really dominated him was Wilfredo Gomez. Just smothered him with combinations. Most guys hit that many times by Gomez would succumb to the punishment, but not LaPorte.

Would win 5/6 World title's today very good fighter.

Seamus wrote:The one guy that really dominated him was Wilfredo Gomez. Just smothered him with combinations. Most guys hit that many times by Gomez would succumb to the punishment, but not LaPorte.

I watched an interview on Youtube whereby Laporte said he overtrained for this fight and had absolutely nothing in the tank on fight night. It was a terrible performance by Laporte. Even so, he hurt Gomez badly on several occasions. For an ATG Wilfredo Gomez had a substandard chin. He was hard to stop, however. I thought at the time Laporte would have been too strong for him.

Remarkably, Laporte shows no signs of being punchy. His speech is unaffected by the years of taking punishment. He had one of the all-time great chins and maybe that had something to do with it.

Since I made those comments I scored his fight with John John Molina, and that was probably the worst I ever seen him anywhere near his prime.

https://www.ringtv.com/490344-best-faced-juan-laporte/

Doesn't relate directly to the OP's question but pretty interesting nonetheless.

HyacinthusTurnipseed wrote:https://www.ringtv.com/490344-best-faced-juan-laporte/

Doesn't relate directly to the OP's question but pretty interesting nonetheless.

Thanks, I'll check that out later

HyacinthusTurnipseed wrote:https://www.ringtv.com/490344-best-faced-juan-laporte/

Doesn't relate directly to the OP's question but pretty interesting nonetheless.

Interesting read, thanks again

Seamus wrote:The one guy that really dominated him was Wilfredo Gomez. Just smothered him with combinations. Most guys hit that many times by Gomez would succumb to the punishment, but not LaPorte.

He took a beating in that one. Surprisingly, he didn't think much of Wilfredos power.

- Sweet frosting of revisionism you yummies got going.

I tend to think Juan modern counterpart, Rocky Juarez would muller him in the ring. More power and never knocked out. Most would give Rocky the HOF Barrera and John scalps even if the suits wouldn't.

I'm counting on you boys making it to 2035 to be moaning about how Rocky would own a dozen gazillion titles in that modern era.

Sumpin ta drink about after a choice wank over one of yer mams in OT...bottoms up!

Yeah, Rocky Juarez would have gone punch for punch with a peak Chavez, easily

Seamus wrote:The one guy that really dominated him was Wilfredo Gomez. Just smothered him with combinations. Most guys hit that many times by Gomez would succumb to the punishment, but not LaPorte.

Yeah remember Gomez using movement and arm punching combos to control that fight. No as good a fight as people probably expected it to be

BroughtonRulesRefuge wrote:- Sweet frosting of revisionism you yummies got going.

I tend to think Juan modern counterpart, Rocky Juarez would muller him in the ring. More power and never knocked out. Most would give Rocky the HOF Barrera and John scalps even if the suits wouldn't.

I'm counting on you boys making it to 2035 to be moaning about how Rocky would own a dozen gazillion titles in that modern era.

Sumpin ta drink about after a choice wank over one of yer mams in OT...bottoms up!

Don't see Chris John quite as a HOF bound fighter, myself

I felt MAB nicked it versus Juarez in a superb contest but obviously won the rematch easily.