Virtuoso performances against great fighters - but strangely forgotten?

First topic message reminder :

Afternoon lads,

On Trussman's 'Best fighters 1982-2012' thread I mentioned that, while a great fighter, Mike McCallum was made to look like a journeyman by the relatively forgotten man of that great late eighties / early nineties generation of Middleweights, Sumbu Kalambay, when they first met.

Kalambay, I think, is generally a little underrated in any case, but this performance in particular should really get more plaudits and recognition than it does, considering that McCallum is often talked of as one of the greats of his time and one of the most underrated fighters of the lot, at least up until recent years when more people have become aware of the achievements and class of the 'Bodysnatcher.'

Forget what the cards, which were way too kind to McCallum, say - Kalambay handed McCallum a comprehensive defeat, the very first of Mike's career. You could argue that McCallum was new to the waters of 160 lb, I guess, and he was at his very best at Light-Middleweight in all probability, but he was still good enough to subsequently win the WBA Middleweight belt against Graham and defend against Collins, do what neither Chris Eubank nor Nigel Benn could manage by systematically breaking down Michael Watson, give a young James Toney two close fights and also avenge this defeat to Kalambay, albeit contentiously, in his new weight class.

McCallum was no elite-level Middleweight, but he was still a high-class one all the same.

And yet, Kalambay took on a near-enough peak McCallum and stood him on his head, to the point where you could perhaps even argue that he handled McCallum more impressively than a peak Roy Jones Jr did against a 40-year-old, podgy McCallum all the way up at Light-Heavyweight.

It was a gorgeous display of footwork, slick jabbing and defense (and he even traded a little with McCallum in the championship rounds for good measure!) against a genuinely outstanding, undefeated fighter, and yet it hardly ever gets a mention!

So are there any other similar cases which spring to mind for you fellas, where one fighter put on a masterpiece of a performance against a top class opponent, but which has also not been seen or acknowledged by anywhere near enough people?

Over to you. Cheers.

Dokes was the worst milkster.........Actually snorted before the fight against Coetzee and was high..

The fact he was ahead when stopped kind of tells you all you need to know about the useless S.African....

Not exactly a forgotten one, but I think Liston's two first round demolitions of Patterson are perhaps the most devastating statements of heavyweight superiority ever at the top level.

Good shout liston vs Patterson, usually used as a stick to beat Patterson with rather than given liston any credit.

Jermain Taylor's back to back wins against Hoppo I think deserve a mention also Sturm should have got the decision against De La Hoya as Milky said but then the big money fight agaist Hopkins wouldn't have happened.

hazharrison wrote:Zahir Raheem vs Erik Morales
Frankie Randall vs Julio Cesar Chavez

Zahir raheem was lined up as a tune up fight for morales before his first fight with manny. And he gets owned. properly owned. Morales goes on to complete his famous Manny win. Great example haz.

Was it not after the first manny fight and before the second? Always think if it as the fight that marked the end of morales' prime. Whichever a good example.

milkyboy wrote:Was it not after the first manny fight and before the second? Always think if it as the fight that marked the end of morales' prime. Whichever a good example.

Stand corrected, had remembered the timing of that fight differently. I've just got owned.

McDermott v Fury I

See your thinking, SoF, but have a hard time awarding Fury the epithet "great". Perhaps could be characterised as a "virtuoso performance against a large, uncouth, relatively unskilled fighter" instead!

Seeing the name John McDermott associated with the word "virtuoso" is funnier that it should be.

 Well if Fury beats Haye.......

superflyweight wrote:Seeing the name John McDermott associated with the word "virtuoso" is funnier that it should be.

McDermott thinks it's a kind of italian ice cream

jimdig wrote:

milkyboy wrote:Was it not after the first manny fight and before the second? Always think if it as the fight that marked the end of morales' prime. Whichever a good example.

Stand corrected, had remembered the timing of that fight differently. I've just got owned.

Owned is something people do to truss... You were just pedanted, Jim.

captain carrantuohil wrote:See your thinking, SoF, but have a hard time awarding Fury the epithet "great". Perhaps could be characterised as a "virtuoso performance against a large, uncouth, relatively unskilled fighter" instead!

I thought you were pushing the boundaries with laporte captain! We could call fury a grate fighter... a more fitting adjective perhaps.