From Past To The Present?

Question

If you could bring any fighter (in prime of course) from the past era of boxing to compete in his division(s) against fighters of today, who would you pick and why?

Answer 1

you know what woody great questions need great answers.

#1 I couldnt say sugar ray robinson because a lot has changed since then. I dont think sugar ray robinson would have been as good today as he was back then. people can say Im full of it but I have watched so many of his matches and I just couldnt see the superior skills defense that would have led him to the top today. the only credit I give him is his knock out power that could have dominated alot of the divisions today. My fighter would be someone I could diffently put my money on and that would be a prime Ali or a Prime tyson. easy money. A focused tyson could knock anybody out. A prime Ali could have siked then knocked anybody out.

Answer 2

how bout salvador sanchez vs floyd mayweather or paquiao at 130lb. im sure sanchez would still dominate at that weight. he fought at 124lb at age 23.

Answer 3

sugar ray robinson and julio ceasar chaves Sr

Answer 4

Id bring Tyson back.......I know everyone hates him but the sport was never bigger when he was the champ

Answer 5

larry holmes - growing up as a kid he was almost unstoppable

julio cesar chavez - this guy was a machine uncomparable

marvelous marvin hagler - my all time favorite middleweight i still thisnk he got robbed in that leonard decision

Answer 6

salvador sanchez

willie pep

benny leonard

roberto duran

eder jofre

khaosai galaxy

muhammad ali

bob foster

henry armstrong (who could probably win titles in 8 classes today!)

ray robinson

Answer 7

Man Woody!  Why don't you ask a hard question next time ha, ha!  No seriously this is an excellent question and no way can I just name one fighter so here goes:

Joe Louis.  Would love to see the destruction he would do to the heavyweights fighting today.  At 6'1 1/2" and about 205 lbs I do not believe the size difference would really matter.

Sugar Ray Robinson.  Doe anyone really believe that any of the present day fighters would beat the greatest pound for pound fighter in history?

Rocky Marciano.  Yeah Rocky was small (probably would have fought at 200 lbs today) but could really fight.  I say he would wipe out the current crop of heavyweights regardless.

Gene Tunney.  I believe this guy would have probably fought as a cruiserweight today and with his great boxing ability, probably would have been undefeated.

Willie Pep.  One of the slickest boxers in history and winner of 230 fights.  Would have loved to seen how he would have fared against Pac Man.

Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, and Thomas Hearns.  Man if these guys were fighting today, does anyone think that Mayweather or any of the other guys would have beat them?  Would have loved to seen them goes against some of the other fighters like Cotto as well.

Muhammad Ali.  Last but not least.  Ali would have brought charisma and fun back to the dull state of boxing and would have had a nickname for each of them too.  Could you imagine the whipping he would have put on them?

Answer 8

Great question Woody.  I will force myself to pick just one because that is what you asked.  However it's a difficult one.  Then again, picking all the super human champions from the past would be like having a chess game with multiple queens, no fun at all.

THe obvious thing to do would be to pick Sugar Ray Robinson.  However, I won't because it still doesn't give me my Robinson vs Leonard.  I could pick Muhammad Ali but where is his Super Opponent?  Tyson might clean up or run into a wall named Wladimir.  

That narrows it down to the welterweight division.  I would bring back Sugar Ray Leonard.  I toyed with Duran and Chavez, both excellent picks.  However, their best divisions  135-140,  are not as busy as the welterweight division.

Leonard would have his hands full in the division.  I really don't think Floyd Mayweather would be so marketable regardless to who he beats.  He would never have gotten the Oscar fight if Leonard were around.  Leonard would have been smart enough to fight Floyd early in his welter run.  Ray would KO him in 6.  

Leonard would then have Margarito, Cotto, and even the aging De La Hoya.  He would beat up on Cintron but wouldn't waste his time with Hatton, who would cry for a fight and be ignored.  He's too small"  Leonard would say.  (he once said that about Chavez).  

Leonard would also have a good run with the 154 division.   He and Mosley would be a classic but Leonard would build Shane up then make it a major event.....Then he would KO shane in 13.  

Trinidad is too robotic and past his prime.  Leonard eats him up in 6.  It would take him a little longer if Tito were prime.  TIto's cooler than an old Batman flick.  But styles make fights and Leonard's lateral movement would cause ALL KINDS of trouble for Tito.  Leonard by KO in 6

Given what's out there TODAY Leonard would be my choice.  Like I said,  I could have picked Chavez or Duran but their division bests aren't 147 and, today, that's where the action is.  

Ray would beat them all

Answer 9

Salvador Sanchez. I would like to have been able to see him have a complete career. It would be great watching him knock the snot out of Morales, Barerra, Pac-man, etc. No doubt Mayweather would have ducked him too!

Answer 10

gerald g-man mccllelan...g-man is one of my personal fovorites of all time...g-man beat roy jones jr in the amatuers,and when they went pro roy jones avoided g-man because it was 2 risky jones...if i had the chance i would torture that corrupt from england and break nigel benns legs and back with a bat...nigel benn was down for more than 10 seconds in the first round and it shouldve been over,the fight continued and nigel was rabbit punching all night and the ref didnt do nothing about the dirty tactics and unfortunatly g-man ended up blind and 80% deaph...i wouldve loved 2 see a prime g-man vs a prime jones jr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRfR3iy20...

Answer 11

a better question could not be placed any better, my choice would be sugar ray robinson simply because the middleweight division along with the welterweight division are by far pound for pound the best divisions in boxing and also take under consideration that a good number of welterweight champions became world champions in upper weight classes. imagine emile griffith, jose napoles, wilfred benitez, ray leonard, roberto duran, pernell whitaker, oscar de la hoya, felix trinidad, ricardo mayorga, floyd mayweather, shane mosley, winky wright, ray robinson, d**k tiger, carlos monzon, rodrigo valdez, marvin hagler, bernard hopkins, and jermain taylor all fighting in 1 division 147-154-180 lbs. throw in miguel cotto, jose cuevas, thomas hearns, john mugabi, ike quartey, fernando vargas, maurice hope, and ayub kalule and what have you got ?

Answer 12

A prime Ali (1967) to restore some value to the heavyweight division.  

Ray Leonard/Hearns/Hagler - guaranteed to make great fights happen in the 147-160 range.

Answer 13

Ray Robinson, because he would dominate

Answer 14

Jeez good question, but for me i would bring back the Argentinian warrior Carlos Monzón ( OK i know the man was a bad egg ) but h**l he was one h**l of a boxer who fought 100 times winning 88 and only 3 loses - remarkable, and i would put him in the ring against Roy Jones Jr at his prime in the 90's.

Answer 15

Great Question, here are a few match's that I would have liked to see, but bro the possibilities are limitless:

Pernell Whitaker vs Floyd Mayweather at 135lbs.  Both were at their best at the lower weights, this one could go either way.

Julio Cesar Chavez vs Miguel Cotto, a body punchers super fight.

Sugar Ray Robinson vs Roy Jones Jr, enough said, you would have to slow the film down to watch the tape, these two would be moving faster than 16 frames per second.

Everett "Big Foot" Martin against every current heavyweight title holder of the past 4 or 5 years, just to show how low talent level has sank in today's heavyweight division, I think Martin would beat most and hold his own with the rest.  Martin would be a multiple title holder in today's heavyweight division.

The ultimate freak show, Primo Carnera vs Nikolia Valuev.

Thomas Hearns vs Kelly Pavlik, I don't think this one would go the distance, someone would definitely get KOed in this one, the question is Who?

Andrew Golata vs Harry Greb, just to see what would happen, these two would invent new ways to foul each other.

Manny Pacquiao vs Salvador Sanchez another great match up with two tough little guys.

Henry Cooper vs any current heavyweight title holder, Sir Henry would have been a multiply heavyweight title holder with today's level of heavyweight competition.

Meldrick Taylor vs Floyd Mayweather, speed vs speed.

Roberto Duran vs Miguel Cotto, vicious, hard fought, a in the trenches slug fest.

Jake Lamotta vs Antonio Margarito, both had chins like fire hydrants, the ultimate tough man contest.

Mike Tyson vs Sam Peters, tough call but I wonder what would have happened if Sam landed first?

Answer 16

Good Question....I would pick Bob Fitzsimmons & Sam Langford because they both fought & beat opponents in many different weight classes + they both fought & beat larger & heavier opponents.

Answer 17

Rocky Marciano.  I've watched some of his old fights and he is just an entertaining fighter.  Knock out power in both hands and he just stands there and bangs.  I would love to see compete in the modern era.