#Middlebury #ASportingView #Boxing
By Mark Vasto
After Floyd Mayweather Jr. won his 50th fight, a few us at Sporting View headquarters wondered aloud, “Who from history could have beaten him?” Not Hearns, and not Hagler, we decided, but we all agreed that Sugar Ray Leonard would be up to the task. That begged the question, “What other ‘superfights’ were out there that we’d pay to see?” Here’s an abridged version of what we came up with:
Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs, 5-foot-10, 71-inch reach) versus Joe Frazier (32-4-1, 27 KOs, 5-foot-11, 73-inch reach)
We thought about bringing in Sonny Liston to fight Tyson, but decided that “Smokin'” Joe Frazier would provide better optics. Frazier would come in low, ducking and weaving, swinging his left hook with bad intentions, hoping to catch Tyson in the ear behind his famous Cus D’Amato-inspired “peek-a-boo” defense.
Unfortunately for Joe, it’s unlikely it would have worked. When Tyson was at his peak, he was even scarier than Foreman or Liston at their meanest. Tyson would walk Frazier down, Frazier would be swinging from his heels and Tyson would lower the boom by launching him off the floor with one of his trademark combinations that ended with an uppercut.
Result: Tyson by KO in the early rounds
Muhammad Ali (56-5, 37 KOs, 6-foot-3, 78-inch reach) versus Joe Louis (66-3, 52 KOs, 6-foot-2, 76-inch reach)
There are four zones in boxing your opponent. The first zone is when you’re body to body, maybe in the clinch, and you’re trading blows on the inside, usually uppercuts that sting but don’t have enough power behind them to knock you out. The second zone is when you’re a foot or two away from the other boxer and you’re really wheeling and dealing … hooks can land, combinations are king. The third zone is what is called “the pocket.” This is where the boxer has his reach calibrated to the opponent’s head. The fourth zone is from way outside, keeping your distance from your foe, a launching ground for the boxer to come in with overhead power punches.
Probably more than any heavyweight boxer in history, Joe Louis excelled in that second zone. His shots were deadly accurate and he would hit you with combinations that seemed otherworldly and with lots of power because he knew how to plant his feet.
But Louis would have a major problem against Ali. During an interview between the two, Ali made one thing clear: “You’re too slow, Joe.” And he was right. Against Louis, Ali would have danced out of any trouble spots, and would have dominated both the third and fourth zones. Their fight may have gone the distance, but there is little doubt that Ali’s speed would have neutralized Louis’ power (Ali had a great chin), and he would have been the busier puncher.
Result: Ali by unanimous decision
Any other matchups you’d like to see? Email asportingview@gmail.com
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in New Jersey.
(c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
