Its Mighty difficult to pick against a Azumah if he was a career featherweight!

Simple proposition here. Always felt that like some other greats Nelson's weight hopping actually diminished just how great he should be ranked.

However what if Nelson had been a career feather? I cannot see anybody who would have knocked him off his perch.

Nelson as a near novice in the big league pushed Sanchez all the way. Whilst i8 am not going to play the game of what if they fought 2 years later, all i would say is that the dismantling of Gomez on Gomez' home turf is just about as great and ballsy a performance as you can get in boxing, and the kind of tes boxers no longer subject themselves to!

Whilst Nelson could coast and do just enough in fights he wasn't really up for, he was a beast when enthused for a fight, and more importantly with a age he became a Hagler like all round and well rounded boxer, showing great proficiency in both attacking and defensive aspects of the game.

I dont think the accepted all time greats are untouchable, and my contention is that the mature Nelson who added so much savvy to his great athletic abilities would have been perhaps too much for any feather if he had stayed a career feather. Furthermore i find itdifficult to see such a Nelson losing to Pep, Saddler or Sanchez in a rubber. I am not saying they are easy fights.... far from it, but Nelson became awesome at different weights; he would have been better at feather!!!

I have Nelson as a borderline top ten Featherweight of all time as it is, and to me personally, his weight hopping doesn't detract from what a marvel he was at 126 lb. It's attractive to imagine what would have happened if he'd fought Sanchez again as the more rounded and mature fighter which he eventually became, but a little unfair, too; we know that Nelson improved massively after that 1982 bout, but Sanchez, at just twenty-three, may well have done the same. We'll never know with that one.

Against Pep? His style gives Will 'O the Wisp plenty to think about and it's a real pick 'em. A series certainly doesn't end in a landslide either way, but I think Pep might have edged a three fight one by a 2-1 scoreline. Forget Saddler, though. Or at least forget him in my opinion. All wrong for Nelson (he's all wrong for just about any Featherweight barring Eusebio Pedroza) and I don't see a way past him for Nelson.

I think Nelson could have dominated 126 lb in the eighties for longer and in greater depth had he wanted to, though. He'd have stopped McGuigan for my money.

Always thought Sanchez slightly underestimated Nelson and Sal was known to underperform when he didn't think he was in with someone who could threaten him. Once he realised he was in a fight he upped his game and was ultimately too good for Nelson. No doubt Nelson improved his all round game after that fight and became a more formiddable proposition, but I have my doubts that he would ever have been too much for Sanchez. Any subsequent fights would have been too close but I'd pick Sanchez to win a further three fight series.

azumah HOF wrote:Simple proposition here. Always felt that like some other greats Nelson's weight hopping actually diminished just how great he should be ranked.

However what if Nelson had been a career feather? I cannot see anybody who would have knocked him off his perch.

Nelson as a near novice in the big league pushed Sanchez all the way. Whilst i8 am not going to play the game of what if they fought 2 years later, all i would say is that the dismantling of Gomez on Gomez' home turf is just about as great and ballsy a performance as you can get in boxing, and the kind of tes boxers no longer subject themselves to!

Whilst Nelson could coast and do just enough in fights he wasn't really up for, he was a beast when enthused for a fight, and more importantly with a age he became a Hagler like all round and well rounded boxer, showing great proficiency in both attacking and defensive aspects of the game.

I dont think the accepted all time greats are untouchable, and my contention is that the mature Nelson who added so much savvy to his great athletic abilities would have been perhaps too much for any feather if he had stayed a career feather. Furthermore i find itdifficult to see such a Nelson losing to Pep, Saddler or Sanchez in a rubber. I am not saying they are easy fights.... far from it, but Nelson became awesome at different weights; he would have been better at feather!!!

~ Sir, is it possible to point me in the direction of a Nelson fight where he shows all around boxing skills and nuance?

A truly tough, game, powerful little man who was a force because of his strength, stamina, iron chin, and unyielding pressure, natural physical attributes, not skills. Sanchez was only put out because he truly wanted to keep the strong Perfessor outside much like Mr. Vitali was able to do to Mr. Arreola, but otherwise was in full control of the fight.

The first Fenech fight was one of the top 10 robberies of the 90s, and when the Perfessor was supposedly healthy in the rematch, it pretty much was playing out the same before he landed the dynamite on poor Mr. Fenech, so surely there are a few fights where his skillset is better displayed?

Aficionados of Mr. Toney always point to his exquisite skills, but can only come up with his knockout of a one eyed, bloated Mr. Barkley on his last legs, so I pray the good Perfessor has more going for him, yes?