TEN FIGHTS FROM THE 1990s I WISH HAD HAPPENED
Posted: 22 Nov 2008, 15:29
10. Frank Bruno v. Gary Mason
Bruno was an underrated puncher but the criticism on his chin was warranted. Mason was an unknown quantity in the US but a solid fighter nonetheless. At 35-0 with 32 knockouts he had punching power, although not as great as his record indicated. Still, his chin was rock solid (took all Lennox Lewis could dish out before losing on a swollen eye).
My pick: in an upset, Mason takes a beating early but in classic Frank Bruno fashion Bruno fades badly after six and is dropped for the count in the eights from a visibly tired Mason. Mason didn’t have the best tank of gas, but it was still better than Bruno’s.
9. Michael Moorer v. Prince Charles Williams
Moorer never quite shook the “stigma” of being the best light heavyweight prospect even after winning the WBO title. The title was enough to keep him out of the world ranks while not quite giving him the legitimacy of being a world champion (back then the WBO was still a step behind the WBC, WBA, and IBF). Williams was the most exciting champion in a solid era for light heavyweights, so this one would have been a war.
My Pick: Moorer was dominant at 175, but untested. Williams would have floored Moorer after getting shellacked early by the southpaw, but the power of Moorer would carry him to a late round stoppage in the best light heavyweight fight of the decade.
8. Herbie Hide v. Henry Akinwande
Hide was brash, cocky, and fast. Although he had knockouts in all of his fights, he was not really a puncher per say but rather a surgeon in the ring with very good power. However, he had as fragile a chin as any fighter in the division and zero recuperative skills. IF you hurt him, you almost certainly would beat him. Akinwande was underrated due to his tendency to turn every fight into a snoozer. But he had underrated power and a good jab and he always shined against shorter, smaller heavyweights.
My Pick: I think Hide was tailor made for Akinwande, but I think after losing the first he would rattle the taller mad badly in the second before getting clocked with outside shots in the third. Hide is stopped after getting felled three times in the third.
7. Chris Eubanks vs. James Toney
Talk about mirror images. Both are brash, cocky, and talented. Both are solid defensive fighters but both can punch when they need to, and both have the flaw of fighting down to their opponents’ level (Ray Close and Drake Thadzi). But they shine when pushed and they would almost certainly push each other.
My Pick: I am not a Brit, actually from Michigan. But I think Eubanks would edge Toney in a counterpunching clinic. Toney just tended to fade in the later rounds at 168 and 175, and he allowed himself to be outworked. Although Eubanks was not one to outwork a foe, he would be more active and I think he would get under Toney’s skin more than Toney would get under Eubanks’ skin. Split decision for Chris Eubanks in a fight that could go either way.
6. Roy Jones vs. Gerald McClellan
Had the referee ruled that Nigel Benn never made it back in the ring in time midway through the first round when the American knocked Benn out of the ring, McClellan would have been credited with a first round KO and might have positioned himself for a fight with the undefeated middleweight champion Roy Jones. People forget that Jones was a GREAT puncher at 160, stopping normally durable fighters like Thomas Tate and Glen Wolfe. At 168 he started to turn into the fighter we recognize later, the guy who was more interested in flash than setting down on his punches. I think McClellan would encourage Roy to fight defensively, and he would be too respectful (or scared) of McClellan’s power to showboat too much. But we know that Roy has a spotty chin, and McClellan was possibly the best puncher at 168…ever.
My Pick: Roy boxes effectively and intelligently, and like he did against Toney, puts on a boxing clinic. However, in round nine a hard and wild hook finds the mark and drops Jones, who gets up hurt. He runs for much of the next three rounds but still captures the decision. Insiders question his chin, but Roy does something he never was able to do without McClellan: turn into a legitimate boxer who finally matures into the enormous talent he has. McClellan goes on to knock out Michael Nunn in one to win a third title, before losing to Vasilli Jirov in a war for the cruiserweight title.
5. Felix Trinidad v. Terry Norris
This fight looked like it was a no brainer for years. Both were Don King fighters. Norris was established, Trinidad was coming up. But fate kept the fight from ever happening. But the closest in came to happening was when Trinidad defeated Luis Garcia in one round. Norris opts out of a fight with Simon Brown to fight the undefeated Puerto Rican.
My Pick: Norris was a great puncher, a great boxer, and a great fighter. Perhaps better than Trinidad in most areas. But in power it was even and Trinidad had an edge in chin and recovery skills. Norris drops Trinidad twice in the opening round (both seem more like flash knockdowns) but legitimately drops him in the second. However, Trinidad fights back and begins to reach Norris. By round six he appears in control. By round seven he drops Norris, who doesn’t come close to beating the count. Trinidad goes on to win the junior middleweight title while Norris moves up to middleweight to avenge a loss to Julian Jackson.
4. Ricardo Lopez v. Michael Carbajal
At the time we thought Carbajal was the best little man ever. Little did we know. Lopez would go on to win and win and win, but superstar status may have been achieved much sooner had he fought, and beat, Carbajal. Both were aggressive face first brawlers who walked through their opponents. But Lopez was more polished and hit harder.
My Pick: Carbajal had a great chin, but after Lopez busts open his eyes and nose the referee stops the war after nine rounds, Lopez leading on the score cards by a point, but slowly taking control of the fight.
3. Julian Jackson v. John Mugabi
Jackson was possibly the greatest puncher in boxing history next to George Foreman and Earnie Shavers. But Mugabi would certainly be on the top ten list. Both had the puncher’s curse. They had horrible chins and sub par speed. Neither was a defensive wizard either. But how ever long it last it would have been fun.
My Pick: Jackson inside of five, but both fighters down at least four times in the greatest middleweight fight…ever.
2. Larry Holmes v. George Foreman
Both fighters shocked the would when they became contenders in their 40s. And both couldn’t have been more different. Larry tried to engage in a George Foreman like personality change but it tended to fall flat. Foreman, however, always s avoided Holmes. Holmes was possibly the only fighter in the division who had a better jab than Foreman. And he had a pretty good chin as well.
My pick: Foreman loses a close decision, never able to land the jab with the same regularity he is use to. Holmes keeps his jab just active enough to outwork Foreman. My guess is Foreman knew something when he was avoiding Holmes.
1. Riddick Bowe v. Lennox Lewis
When Riddick Bowe wont he title and immediately engaged in a verbal war with Lewis, boxing fans began to chomp at the bits looking forward to the battle of undefeated boxers. But the fight never took place. Neither fighter could stay undefeated against opponents they were supposed to beat. But they legitimately hated each other and would have brought out the best in each other.
My pick: In the best heavyweight fight of the decade, Lewis comes off the canvas in round two to rattle Bowe in the third. He starts to take control of the fight from the outside but as he fades in round eight Bowe tears apart Lewis with hard work on the inside. Trailing on the scorecards Lewis headhunts over the last two rounds, before finding lightening in the bottle when he stops Bowe with a minute left in the last round.
Bruno was an underrated puncher but the criticism on his chin was warranted. Mason was an unknown quantity in the US but a solid fighter nonetheless. At 35-0 with 32 knockouts he had punching power, although not as great as his record indicated. Still, his chin was rock solid (took all Lennox Lewis could dish out before losing on a swollen eye).
My pick: in an upset, Mason takes a beating early but in classic Frank Bruno fashion Bruno fades badly after six and is dropped for the count in the eights from a visibly tired Mason. Mason didn’t have the best tank of gas, but it was still better than Bruno’s.
9. Michael Moorer v. Prince Charles Williams
Moorer never quite shook the “stigma” of being the best light heavyweight prospect even after winning the WBO title. The title was enough to keep him out of the world ranks while not quite giving him the legitimacy of being a world champion (back then the WBO was still a step behind the WBC, WBA, and IBF). Williams was the most exciting champion in a solid era for light heavyweights, so this one would have been a war.
My Pick: Moorer was dominant at 175, but untested. Williams would have floored Moorer after getting shellacked early by the southpaw, but the power of Moorer would carry him to a late round stoppage in the best light heavyweight fight of the decade.
8. Herbie Hide v. Henry Akinwande
Hide was brash, cocky, and fast. Although he had knockouts in all of his fights, he was not really a puncher per say but rather a surgeon in the ring with very good power. However, he had as fragile a chin as any fighter in the division and zero recuperative skills. IF you hurt him, you almost certainly would beat him. Akinwande was underrated due to his tendency to turn every fight into a snoozer. But he had underrated power and a good jab and he always shined against shorter, smaller heavyweights.
My Pick: I think Hide was tailor made for Akinwande, but I think after losing the first he would rattle the taller mad badly in the second before getting clocked with outside shots in the third. Hide is stopped after getting felled three times in the third.
7. Chris Eubanks vs. James Toney
Talk about mirror images. Both are brash, cocky, and talented. Both are solid defensive fighters but both can punch when they need to, and both have the flaw of fighting down to their opponents’ level (Ray Close and Drake Thadzi). But they shine when pushed and they would almost certainly push each other.
My Pick: I am not a Brit, actually from Michigan. But I think Eubanks would edge Toney in a counterpunching clinic. Toney just tended to fade in the later rounds at 168 and 175, and he allowed himself to be outworked. Although Eubanks was not one to outwork a foe, he would be more active and I think he would get under Toney’s skin more than Toney would get under Eubanks’ skin. Split decision for Chris Eubanks in a fight that could go either way.
6. Roy Jones vs. Gerald McClellan
Had the referee ruled that Nigel Benn never made it back in the ring in time midway through the first round when the American knocked Benn out of the ring, McClellan would have been credited with a first round KO and might have positioned himself for a fight with the undefeated middleweight champion Roy Jones. People forget that Jones was a GREAT puncher at 160, stopping normally durable fighters like Thomas Tate and Glen Wolfe. At 168 he started to turn into the fighter we recognize later, the guy who was more interested in flash than setting down on his punches. I think McClellan would encourage Roy to fight defensively, and he would be too respectful (or scared) of McClellan’s power to showboat too much. But we know that Roy has a spotty chin, and McClellan was possibly the best puncher at 168…ever.
My Pick: Roy boxes effectively and intelligently, and like he did against Toney, puts on a boxing clinic. However, in round nine a hard and wild hook finds the mark and drops Jones, who gets up hurt. He runs for much of the next three rounds but still captures the decision. Insiders question his chin, but Roy does something he never was able to do without McClellan: turn into a legitimate boxer who finally matures into the enormous talent he has. McClellan goes on to knock out Michael Nunn in one to win a third title, before losing to Vasilli Jirov in a war for the cruiserweight title.
5. Felix Trinidad v. Terry Norris
This fight looked like it was a no brainer for years. Both were Don King fighters. Norris was established, Trinidad was coming up. But fate kept the fight from ever happening. But the closest in came to happening was when Trinidad defeated Luis Garcia in one round. Norris opts out of a fight with Simon Brown to fight the undefeated Puerto Rican.
My Pick: Norris was a great puncher, a great boxer, and a great fighter. Perhaps better than Trinidad in most areas. But in power it was even and Trinidad had an edge in chin and recovery skills. Norris drops Trinidad twice in the opening round (both seem more like flash knockdowns) but legitimately drops him in the second. However, Trinidad fights back and begins to reach Norris. By round six he appears in control. By round seven he drops Norris, who doesn’t come close to beating the count. Trinidad goes on to win the junior middleweight title while Norris moves up to middleweight to avenge a loss to Julian Jackson.
4. Ricardo Lopez v. Michael Carbajal
At the time we thought Carbajal was the best little man ever. Little did we know. Lopez would go on to win and win and win, but superstar status may have been achieved much sooner had he fought, and beat, Carbajal. Both were aggressive face first brawlers who walked through their opponents. But Lopez was more polished and hit harder.
My Pick: Carbajal had a great chin, but after Lopez busts open his eyes and nose the referee stops the war after nine rounds, Lopez leading on the score cards by a point, but slowly taking control of the fight.
3. Julian Jackson v. John Mugabi
Jackson was possibly the greatest puncher in boxing history next to George Foreman and Earnie Shavers. But Mugabi would certainly be on the top ten list. Both had the puncher’s curse. They had horrible chins and sub par speed. Neither was a defensive wizard either. But how ever long it last it would have been fun.
My Pick: Jackson inside of five, but both fighters down at least four times in the greatest middleweight fight…ever.
2. Larry Holmes v. George Foreman
Both fighters shocked the would when they became contenders in their 40s. And both couldn’t have been more different. Larry tried to engage in a George Foreman like personality change but it tended to fall flat. Foreman, however, always s avoided Holmes. Holmes was possibly the only fighter in the division who had a better jab than Foreman. And he had a pretty good chin as well.
My pick: Foreman loses a close decision, never able to land the jab with the same regularity he is use to. Holmes keeps his jab just active enough to outwork Foreman. My guess is Foreman knew something when he was avoiding Holmes.
1. Riddick Bowe v. Lennox Lewis
When Riddick Bowe wont he title and immediately engaged in a verbal war with Lewis, boxing fans began to chomp at the bits looking forward to the battle of undefeated boxers. But the fight never took place. Neither fighter could stay undefeated against opponents they were supposed to beat. But they legitimately hated each other and would have brought out the best in each other.
My pick: In the best heavyweight fight of the decade, Lewis comes off the canvas in round two to rattle Bowe in the third. He starts to take control of the fight from the outside but as he fades in round eight Bowe tears apart Lewis with hard work on the inside. Trailing on the scorecards Lewis headhunts over the last two rounds, before finding lightening in the bottle when he stops Bowe with a minute left in the last round.
