The Resurrection!

Ok,

You can bring back one fighter and one fighter only from a bygone era. Who do you bring back and why?

I can't remember the last time I was really impressed by a young up and comer's defensive skills. Not sure what coaches are teaching in the gyms anymore but judging by these hands-down, wide open, spoil at every chance fighters we're seeing more and more of it ain't some classy, old school defensive methods!

With that in mind, I'd bring back a Pep, a Whitaker, a Benitez, someone like that. Or maybe even a peak version of that fat, gobby, bald, slurring, wrinkly-foreheaded former Middle, Super-Middle and Cruiser champion whose name temporarily eludes me!

I'll go with Whitaker. Just an absolute genius.

Ali. Isn't it obvious?

88Chris05 wrote:I can't remember the last time I was really impressed by a young up and comer's defensive skills. Not sure what coaches are teaching in the gyms anymore but judging by these hands-down, wide open, spoil at every chance fighters we're seeing more and more of it ain't some classy, old school defensive methods!

With that in mind, I'd bring back a Pep, a Whitaker, a Benitez, someone like that. Or maybe even a peak version of that fat, gobby, bald, slurring, wrinkly-foreheaded former Middle, Super-Middle and Cruiser champion whose name temporarily eludes me!

I'll go with Whitaker. Just an absolute genius.

Whitaker would literally bamboozle these young uns

Will come as a shock to absolutely nobody but would have to be Burley, like Chris said show these young whippersnappers what defensive work was all about and as I am a shameless old romantic would be nice to see the old boy finally win the world title he was denied in his day.

Seanusarrilius wrote:

88Chris05 wrote:I can't remember the last time I was really impressed by a young up and comer's defensive skills. Not sure what coaches are teaching in the gyms anymore but judging by these hands-down, wide open, spoil at every chance fighters we're seeing more and more of it ain't some classy, old school defensive methods!

With that in mind, I'd bring back a Pep, a Whitaker, a Benitez, someone like that. Or maybe even a peak version of that fat, gobby, bald, slurring, wrinkly-foreheaded former Middle, Super-Middle and Cruiser champion whose name temporarily eludes me!

I'll go with Whitaker. Just an absolute genius.

Whitaker would literally bamboozle these young uns

And put most fans to sleep.

Ray Robinson.......................Bring him back to the 80's...............

Leonard, Duran, Hearns, Hagler.........all wait.....

Haha, Truss. You can't have em all.

I would like Duran at LW. That would shut Broner up.

Joe Louis and end the debate once and for all whether or not he's massively over-rated.

I think I would probably resurrect someone like Greb because it would be so interesting to see how he fares against modern competition and it would provide a massive indication on whether there has been real advancement in boxing or not. Grebs era is extremely difficult to get a handle on with different rules, No Decision contests and lack of footage. We only really have his record which indicates he beat virtually every highly regarded fighter from 160-180lbs in his own era. If he were to be resurrected and manage to defeat comfortably the top MWs and SMWs now we would have such a better means to evaluate and compare eras. If, (as Azania believes!) he was to get well beaten by Ward, Martinez, Froch and co then it would raise serious question marks whether the oldies were really all that good. Basically a science experiment more than anything else but I think it would fascinating to see the results and it would allow a much greater grasp on the evolution of boxing.

Also have to go for the WW version of SRR. Him v Mayweather and SRL are nailed on classics and undoubted MEGAFIGHTS

manos de piedra wrote:I think I would probably resurrect someone like Greb because it would be so interesting to see how he fares against modern competition and it would provide a massive indication on whether there has been real advancement in boxing or not. Grebs era is extremely difficult to get a handle on with different rules, No Decision contests and lack of footage. We only really have his record which indicates he beat virtually every highly regarded fighter from 160-180lbs in his own era. If he were to be resurrected and manage to defeat comfortably the top MWs and SMWs now we would have such a better means to evaluate and compare eras. If, (as Azania believes!) he was to get well beaten by Ward, Martinez, Froch and co then it would raise serious question marks whether the oldies were really all that good. Basically a science experiment more than anything else but I think it would fascinating to see the results and it would allow a much greater grasp on the evolution of boxing.

And Tony Sibson.

Broner would cream Duran..........

Steady on, Truss - anybody would think you were trying to get a bite!

Duran or JCC sr - Very strong LWW division, just be the icing on the cake.

If Benitez could beat Duran...........Then the much bigger Broner...who hits harder and is just as skilled...........

Would be a hard fight for Duran right???

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:If Benitez could beat Duran...........Then the much bigger Broner...who hits harder and is just as skilled...........

Would be a hard fight for Duran right???

Well Benitez did a brilliant job on Duran but that was at Light-Middle, whereas it'd be much fairer to look at Duran against Broner as a Lightweight fight. Not denying that Broner could give Duran a good argument but it's a bit too early to start suggesting that he beats him, and certainly too early to suggest that he 'creams' him!

Not sure we can yet say that Broner is more skilled than Benitez, anyway. He's looked great (that close shave against De Leon aside) against some good fighters to be fair to the lad, but Benitez was clowning Cervantes at the age of seventeen and had soundly outscored Palomino by twenty-one. Broner's twenty-three and the best name on his record is De Marco, a good young fighter but not enough for me to start thinking he'd beat Roberto.

People have got to Broner's body - that's just about the last place you want to have Duran plugging away at!

Who did Duran ever beat in Broner's class????.We know several people in Broner's class he didn't though don't we..??

Apart from a brawling Leonard.

Well a brawling Ray Leonard is still a pretty fantastic fighter, Truss!

Easy to forget that Buchanan was being described by some scribes in America (where he was much more appreciated than he was in Britain, sad as that is) as the best fighter in the sport, pound for pound, by 1972. Buchanan wasn't your typical kind of British fighter at all and had some superb skills, and Duran still handled him convincingly enough when they fought, albeit the ending took the shine off his win slightly.

Gets a lot of credit for that win............"No mas" when Ray boxed him.......

But errr..........Laing, Dejesus, Benitez , Leonard...............tells us that a big hitting, smooth operator like Broner with a good chin could be a nightmare for Roberto........

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Gets a lot of credit for that win............"No mas" when Ray boxed him.......

But errr..........Laing, Dejesus, Benitez , Leonard...............tells us that a big hitting, smooth operator like Broner with a good chin could be a nightmare for Roberto........

Could be a nightmare for Duran, yes. But you don't think a 135 pound Duran is a nightmare for Broner?

I'd bring back either Frazier or Tyson, to see how a couple of the more recent small heavyweight greats deal with the land of the mechanical giants types we have today.

Duran feasted on a lot of pasties............He gets kudos for longevity where guys like Calzaghe get battered for it......Buchanan was a good win though..

Dejesus wasn't in Broner's league..

Can't think of anyone in Broner's league he beat!! (when they didn't brawl)

An awful lot of Duran's legacy is hooked up in Montreal.....

Well he deserves all the credit he gets for that win. He handed one of the greatest pound for pound fighters of all time his first defeat (and his only defeat in anything like his peak years) at Leonard's best weight in a classic, spellbinding fight.

He was also outclassed in the rematch, yes, but that doesn't change any of the above.

Again, Laing and Benitez weren't at Lightweight, which is where Broner would have to fight him hypothetically speaking and where Duran was perfectly suited. Duran was evidently a different animal at 135 then he was at 154. The idea that Duran couldn't handle (well, not 'handle', but look quite as good against) slicksters or great technicians does have grains of truth in it to some degree, but at the same time it gets seriously overblown by some of his bigger critics. Buchanan was a complete fighter, DeJesus was a good all-rounder too and Duran absolutely stood him on his head in their third fight.

I rate Broner highly and who knows, maybe in the coming years he'll force us all to reconsider, but right now it's a bit early to start proclaiming he could handle Duran.

Buchanan wasn't complete...........

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Buchanan wasn't complete...........

Couldn't take a punch to the 'nads? Aside from that he was an excellent allround boxer. Very quick in hand and foot, reasonable puncher, good on the inside, a really slippery defence etc. Could take a fair amount of leather, too. He wasn't voted the International Fighter of the Year for 1971 by your fellow Americans and headlining Madison Square Garden back when it really was still the Mecca of boxing for nothing!

Prime Duran @ 135 versus current Broner. It would be like a rabid dog going after a mouse in an enclosed space. Mouse would make him look foolish at times, but the dog would have his meal.

Who did Duran beat in Broner's league at 135??

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Who did Duran beat in Broner's league at 135??

Who has Broner beaten in anyones league at 135???

My point is Broner fits into to the Laing..Benitez ...Leonard... mould....

The mould Duran couldn't handle...............

Kind of predict Broner would be trouble for Duran...

Far too early to start putting Broner in the class of Buchanan or De Jesus let alone Leonard or Benitez not to mention those fights took place 2/3 divisions above lightweight, you seem to rate the 135lb version of Duran on what he did north of that weight. Broner hasn't faced anyone in the class of Marcel or Kobayashii yet and you're already saying he creams Duran, absolute madness.

Duran v Broner would be a massacre. Duran could pick what round he wanted to end it.

azania wrote:Duran v Broner would be a massacre. Duran could pick what round he wanted to end it.

Good man!

tyson to take on the klits !

Harry Greb so I can once and for all prove that he never existed.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:My point is Broner fits into to the Laing..Benitez ...Leonard... mould....

The mould Duran couldn't handle...............

Kind of predict Broner would be trouble for Duran...

I don't really feel Broner's style is reminiscent of any of those names. Could you explain to me what you think the key similarities are?

Jack Dempsey. How much fun would that be?