Boxing's Most Underrated Fighters (Past and Present)

[surv2syn]

Donald Curry.

I know some people will say he was overrated. He was my favorite boxer growing up and piqued my interest in boxing and made me want to become a fighter. Technically he was

He could never get that fight with SRL which wouldve likely made him a star. After the Honeyghan fight, he lost a lot of focus..mainly because the management of his career outside of the ring was in shambles. At WW he was great and I remember having KO and Ring mags with him on the cover saying #1 P4P fighter in the world. He did have a flaw though....he was calculated and was a pure thinker in the ring. You could overwhelm him by not allowing him time to think like Honeyghan did or being unorthodox as McCallum was.

 

[surv2syn]

O'Neill Bell.

I used to think he was gonna lose every fight he fought but he always proved me wrong. He didnt look fluid or coordinated but he was strong and athletic. Mormeck was known to gas and Bell did him in. It pissed me off that Bell was put on the shelf after that fight. The CW division at different points had signs of heating up and just when it did, it was some B.S. Mormeck, Gomez, and Haye all jumped to HW. Bell became undisputed but never got the chance to capitalize on it.

 

[King P]

Wilfred Benitez owns this thread.

It sucks how in the 80's the Fantastic 4 was Leonard, Duran, Hearns, and Hagler. But Benitez was left out the loop. Even though he beat Duran, and give Leonard and Hearns the toughest fights of their career. Not to mention the fact that at 17, he's the youngest fighter to ever win a title. Yet he's never brought up.

Unfortunately he did that to himself due to all his partying, the drugs and alcohol caught up to him. Add to the fact that he didn't like to train and wasn't always focused.

But from a pure talent standpoint, he's one of the best to ever grace the ring. One of the greatest defense boxers ever. Top 3 at least. They didn't call him "El Radar" or "The Bible Of Boxing" for nothing.

There are very few fighters at 147 or 154 that I'd take over a prime Benitez.

 

[surv2syn]

Michael Nunn.

He is the only person I consistently hear people say that would beat prime RJJ. 6'2" Southpaw. I saw that KO of Kalumbay live. :nasty:

 

[surv2syn]

Wilfred Benitez owns this thread.

It sucks how in the 80's the Fantastic 4 was Leonard, Duran, Hearns, and Hagler. But Benitez was left out the loop. Even though he beat Duran, and give Leonard and Hearns the toughest fights of their career. Not to mention the fact that at 17, he's the youngest fighter to ever win a title. Yet he's never brought up.
Unfortunately he did that to himself due to all his partying, the drugs and alcohol caught up to him. Add to the fact that he didn't like to train and wasn't always focused.

But from a pure talent standpoint, he's one of the best to ever grace the ring. One of the greatest defense boxers ever. Top 3 at least. They didn't call him "El Radar" or "The Bible Of Boxing" for nothing.

There are very few fighters at 147 or 154 that I'd take over a prime Benitez.

When SRL beat Benitez, thats when people knew he was the real deal and his career skyrocketed.

 

[patscorpio]

Present - Carlos Molina..i know most ppl dont like seeing him fight but he is the number 2 at 154 behind floyd...a classic spoiler

 

[King P]

When SRL beat Benitez, thats when people knew he was the real deal and his career skyrocketed.

That was one of SRL's toughest fights too. Yea he won, but I don't think I've ever seen Ray miss so much in any fight.

And Benitez admitted he didn't even train for that fight. Imagine if he actually trained...

 

[King P]

Donald Curry.

I know some people will say he was overrated. He was my favorite boxer growing up and piqued my interest in boxing and made me want to become a fighter. Technically he was

He could never get that fight with SRL which wouldve likely made him a star. After the Honeyghan fight, he lost a lot of focus..mainly because the management of his career outside of the ring was in shambles. At WW he was great and I remember having KO and Ring mags with him on the cover saying #1 P4P fighter in the world. He did have a flaw though....he was calculated and was a pure thinker in the ring. You could overwhelm him by not allowing him time to think like Honeyghan did or being unorthodox as McCallum was.

His prime was short, but I'll be damned if it wasn't great

 

[Yuzo]

david reid

 

[surv2syn]

That was one of SRL's toughest fights too. Yea he won, but I don't think I've ever seen Ray miss so much in any fight.

And Benitez admitted he didn't even train for that fight. Imagine if he actually trained...

that stare down...

 

[Yuzo]

And Benitez admitted he didn't even train for that fight. Imagine if he actually trained...

still would have lost. srl should be mentioned because you could argue that he is the greatest fighter ever pound for pound yet he never really gets mentioned in that light though. him and ezzard charles. same thing. possibly the two greatest fighters ever. common answer you get is usually sugar ray robinson which at this point is just something youre supposd to say like hagler is the best middleweight ever

 

[AlbertPullhoez]

Donald Curry.

I know some people will say he was overrated. He was my favorite boxer growing up and piqued my interest in boxing and made me want to become a fighter. Technically he was

He could never get that fight with SRL which wouldve likely made him a star. After the Honeyghan fight, he lost a lot of focus..mainly because the management of his career outside of the ring was in shambles. At WW he was great and I remember having KO and Ring mags with him on the cover saying #1 P4P fighter in the world. He did have a flaw though....he was calculated and was a pure thinker in the ring. You could overwhelm him by not allowing him time to think like Honeyghan did or being unorthodox as McCallum was.

SRL a hoe for doing Donald Curry the way he did

 

[surv2syn]

SRL a hoe for doing Donald Curry the way he did

SRL was calling the fight....and remember his face when McCallum KOed Curry? priceless.

 

[AlbertPullhoez]

SRL was calling the fight....and remember his face when McCallum KOed Curry? priceless.

Dude looked like he hit the lotto. He knew he wasnt gonna have to worry about Curry from that point on

 

[surv2syn]

still would have lost. srl should be mentioned because you could argue that he is the greatest fighter ever pound for pound yet he never really gets mentioned in that light though. him and ezzard charles. same thing. possibly the two greatest fighters ever. common answer you get is usually sugar ray robinson which at this point is just something youre supposd to say like hagler is the best middleweight ever

just not sure how you could say that about SRL though. clearly not the fighter SRR was. didnt fight that many fights compared to a lot of other greats or his peers like Hearns, Duran, Hagler. struggled with boxers. admittedly lost to Hearns in the rematch. SRL just had a brilliantly marketed career. When other fighters from their era's talk about them you will see they say that SRL and his predecessor Ali were overrated fighters. It sounds blasphemous almost but that is the general opinion amongst their peers. Ray was great but he did struggle in his career and he didnt fight some of the top guys that he could have...like Pryor, Curry, etc. I know its business and that was his strategy....but P4P he doesnt stack up to me to a guy like Pernell Whitaker. clearly he gets most of his status for beating guys he was an underdog against like Hearns and Hagler. same as Ali did with Liston and Foreman.

I do however respect your stance on SRL and Charles.