Bring 1 boxer back

Morning all,

Which one boxer would you bring back now from history? It might be someone you feel to be the best boxer ever and you want the chance to see them. It may be someone that's not that level but you had a soft spot for. It might be someone that struggled in their era but now would have a field day in a soft division. It may be someone that you didn't like and you could now throw them into a strong division to get whooped a fair bit. Your call.

I'm going for Greb. Only read about him so would be good to see how great a fighter the man was in the flesh.

Cheers

I would like to bring back eubank senior for a fight in the trenches with froch. Failing that it would be good to measure the current crop of british heavyweights (specifically fury) against big frank bruno.

Primo Carnera, A lot of rumours etc about a lot of his fights being fixed so how well would he do now in a poor division?

Burley fairly inevitably, would be nice to see him finally win the world title his talent deserved. Would also be a fair measuring stick to see how good the likes of Golovkin, Manny and Floyd actually were.

Greb is a good call Spencer, not sure some of his tactics would see him last more than three rounds in the modern game though!

Hard to pick just one.

Seeing that the middleweight division is devoid of talent, I'd choose either Monzon or Hagler, so GGG had the opportunity to test himself against a great, and we got the chance to rate him properly based on how he performed.

I'd bring back Robinson to end Mayweather and dispel his outlandish claim of the TBE.

Lewis for Wlad, Bugner for Fury, Holyfield for Haye. RJJ for Ward. Calzaghe for Froch.

I'd probably bring back all the popular picks for top 10 p4p ever (aside from Ali) just to find out how good they'd are and how poor (or not) this era really is.

...and anyone who is rated highly despite there being no footage of them atually fighting.

Tough not to get greedy isn't it..

But I think I'll bring Muhammad Ali back because Boxing desperately needs a figure head and a and he's the Man

The fights aren't there for Ali to make a difference I don't think Truss.

Greb or Burley, be good to actually see them fight especially the latter who coyld knock a few guys down a peg or two.

Young Mike Tyson

Say what you want about him but he was exciting as hell and WAS the baddest man on the planet. Loved watching him fight.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:The fights aren't there for Ali to make a difference I don't think Truss.

Greb or Burley, be good to actually see them fight especially the latter who coyld knock a few guys down a peg or two.

I hear you but a huge figure in the blue riband division division would re-energise the sport....Bring it's profile back where it should be.

Salvador Sanchez for me, feel he never quite gets the recognition he deserves based on his early exit from this world.

Would also love to see SRR up against the welters of the world today.

Greb/Moore @ 168-175 would be pretty epic too against the likes of Froch, Kessler and co. Not so much against Ward as he would find ways of making FMJ v Baldomir look like a FOTY candidate such is his way of fighting.

I'd like to bring back a prime Duran just to mix him in with Mayweather and Manny.  

My money would be on Duran against both (not at the same time) but I know some would pick Mayweather to be too slick and too clever, forcing him into "no mas" land.  An on form Duran would get to Mayweather a lot and wouldn't be deterred I think.  I know people point to lesser fighters that gave Duran issues by boxing him, Dejesus for one, but when Duran entered the ring with complete focus, bad intentions, and serious intent he seemed to get his opponent where he wanted them and landed the shots he wanted to.

I think Manny would be a great fight, fire vs fire.  I think he would give Duran plenty to think about but ultimately Manny would be broken down later in the fight and I'd be shocked if it went 12.

If we did bring Duran back I wonder If he'd ever lose a fight ...

He didn't last time..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:If we did bring Duran back I wonder If he'd ever lose a fight ...

He didn't last time..

That's just a winners mentality TRUSS. No point in kissing someone's arse when they've just handed you yours.

I think Duran is a great.....In my 10-15 of alltime mate.....

But I always find it amusing that he only lost the second Leonard fight because he'd been out partying....When he only won the first by one point when leonard fought completely the wrong fight !!

Think he'd clean up 135/140 but lose to Manny and Floyd at 147..

Duran would have been my choice too but as he's been taken I'll go for Hearns. Love to see him against Manny and Floyd then see him take apart Cotto and Alvarez. Maybe even GGG.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I think Duran is a great.....In my 10-15 of alltime mate.....

But I always find it amusing that he only lost the second Leonard fight because he'd been out partying....When he only won the first by one point when leonard fought completely the wrong fight !!

Think he'd clean up 135/140 but lose to Manny and Floyd at 147..

Think he beats Manny but losses close decison to Floyd.

Wonder If GGG could roll him like a drunk, or is it only Hearns that can

Should have added GGG at 154 if he can really make it.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I think Duran is a great.....In my 10-15 of alltime mate.....

But I always find it amusing that he only lost the second Leonard fight because he'd been out partying....When he only won the first by one point when leonard fought completely the wrong fight !!

Think he'd clean up 135/140 but lose to Manny and Floyd at 147..

As my favourite boxer I am also a realist and think head to head SRL pips him. On the other hand, I think the first fight was a truer reflection of a typical head to head between the two than the second encounter was. Although I agree that Leonard didn't fight his fight in Montreal I am a firm believer that the Duran in the second fight wasn't the same beast as in the first. We will never know what would happen if Leonard had fought his fight in the first but for me Duran wouldn't have been disgraced. Personally I see a fully fit and fully motivated Duran having some success no matter what fight Leonard employs, it's just it may not be enough to take the verdict the majority of the time. No shame in that as Leonard was as gifted as they come.

I see the Montreal fight as a real turning point in the mentality of Duran. Despite some successes later in his career and some good wins, what made Duran so special earlier on was his mental strength and defiance. No Mas was more than a moment in a fight for Duran, it was a visible marker in his career that showed when a degree of mental complacency kicked in, a complacency he never really shook off.

Can't say fairer than that.....

Do think Leonard doesn't get enough credit for Duran 2 and Hagler though.....

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Can't say fairer than that.....

Do think Leonard doesn't get enough credit for Duran 2 and Hagler though.....

I agree. I find myself playing down his win over Duran which is unfair as he couldn't have done any more. Forcing your opponent to quite should be admired, instead we tend to look the fighter that quits and say "their heart wasn't in it", taking something away from the victor. Unlike many, I forgive Duran for that. I think it's one of the many aspects of his volatile mind that made him what he was. Sometime you have to accept the rough with the smooth, that was the rough.

sugar ray

DDGO2 wrote:sugar ray

Which one? Can we be greedy and have both

Can't believe you even need to ask, Adam. Sugar Ray Seales of course.

Duran, largely for the broad range of divisions he could compete in same for Henry Armstrong.

Some great talent and a mix of styles at Super-Bantam and Feather right now, what with guys like Rigondeaux, Walters and Lomachenko all operating there. Wouldn't mind dragging Jofre in to this era to see how he'd deal with the pure boxing of Rigondeaux and Lomachenko and the sheer size and raw power of Walters. Mind you, Walters would almost certainly have been a Super-Feather at least in Jofre's day - might just be too big. But interesting to ponder nevertheless.

Nobody wanting Audley back then?

spencerclarke wrote:Nobody wanting Audley back then?

*Tumbleweeds and the sound of crickets*.......

On a serious note though I would love to see jake lamotta in with ggg.

spencerclarke wrote:Nobody wanting Audley back then?

He never went away, he's just temporarily out of drawing boards.

What about Rocky Marciano? Just imagine him ripping through the heavyweight division.

Even though he'd be smaller than his opponents, his indomitable will, power of punch and durability would be enough to keep him at the top.

He was invincible back in the fifties, and he be invincible today.

Always love this question. So many, for so many reasons.

SRL and SRR to put Mayweather in his not TBE place

Young Tyson, Ali to make HW boxing exciting

Valero, just to see

Calzaghe and prime RJJ for Ward

Hagler for GGG

Naz for Naz

Eubank Snr. for Froch is a great shout.

Not one shout for Gatti?

Put him in with Rios, Provodnikov, Maidana, Khan, Alvarado, Matthysse and Karass and watch FOTY after FOTY contender.

Back in 1919, Jack Dempsey beat Jess Willard in 3 rounds.  Willard was statistically very similar to Wladimir Klitschko in both height and reach, so my shout would be Dempsey.  Born in 1895, Dempsey still grew to an impressive 6' 1" tall, so it's conceivable that today he would be comparable in height - if not taller - than Wlad.

I'd like to see how Jack Johnson coped with the modern heavies.His style was similar to an early Ali from the film clips I've seen.

MediaCat wrote:Back in 1919, Jack Dempsey beat Jess Willard in 3 rounds.  Willard was statistically very similar to Wladimir Klitschko in both height and reach, so my shout would be Dempsey.  Born in 1895, Dempsey still grew to an impressive 6' 1" tall, so it's conceivable that today he would be comparable in height - if not taller - than Wlad.  

Read somewhere that the average male is about 4 inches taller than his equivalent a century ago, on that basis there's a chance he'd be there or there abouts. The whole nutrition, training, technical advancement argument is always a tricky one when comparing generations. Its hard enough to equate without factoring in that at say 6'5, would dempsey have the mobility to fight the same way as he did at 6'1.

Still be an interesting match up though!