Jr Welterweights: Meldrick Taylor vs Oscar De La Hoya
Posted: 12 Nov 2008, 19:04
Who wins this match? I pick Meldrick Taylor by UD.
Hats off to you, Elmer, for a great match-up. Of course, we know you hate De La Hoya, so he was never in this match, in your mind.
A great match-up, it would be. We saw at 147lbs. De La Hoya troubled by Mosley's handspeed & combination assaults (though it was a single punch --- the lead right --- which was the most effective weapon), & there are some similarities between the 140lb. Taylor & 147lb. Mosley. Excellent handspeed, good rhythm & foot movement, precise punching & consistent combos.
Even so, De La Hoya had only good power at Welter when he fought Mosley. He was a great puncher at 140lbs, better with a single shot than Chavez, for one thing. Couldn't have been dissimilar, pound-for-pound, to someone like Joe Frazier (that is, not one-shot KO power, but every-shot-hurts power).
It's a great fight. On the one hand, De La Hoya's more versatile, better defensively, & more disciplined in the ring (always an under-appreciated advantage) but he never liked fast men, & few come faster than Taylor.
I've got a split decision going down, but in whose favour? I'm not sure I can decide...