[dftaylor]

Ignore the best, most skilled technicians and the ATGs that we regularly wax lyrical over. What fighter, regardless of how their career peaks and troughs, do you love?

Even though his last few fights were a complete let-down, I still love watching Juan Diaz. He was good, but never great. A true over-achiever who made for fun, fast-paced fights.

 

[Noonaldinho]

I have a few Tyson, Benn, Oscar Dela Hoya , RJJ, Sugar Ray Leonard, Cotto

 

[JamieC]

Carl Froch/Paulie Malignaggi at the mo for me

 

[dftaylor]

The other one, which will be no shock to anyone who knows me, is Cotto. I fucking bleed for that man when he gets bashed up.

 

[JamieC]

The other one, which will be no shock to anyone who knows me, is Cotto. I fucking bleed for that man when he gets bashed up.

on a tangent silghtly which is the fight that made you fall in love with him (no ****)? for me with froch it was pascal

 

[Chatty]

Juan Manuel Lopez - the man just has great fights and in many respects its his flaws that make him great to watch. Not as good as many predicted and the rant after the Salido 2 match was a bit dickish but he comes to fight and i give him respect for that.

 

[dftaylor]

on a tangent silghtly which is the fight that made you fall in love with him (no ****)? for me with froch it was pascal

I'd watched most of his career but never took to him until he beat Mosley. It was the first time he showed his boxing skills to such an extent. There was no way he was putting Shane away, so to watch how he laid a beating on his for eight rounds just impressed the hell out of me.

And total ****! (well, if I had to go gay, I'd want it to be with Miguel)

 

[Shocked Quartz]

I reckon Cotto and Froch. Both have been in exciting fights and it has been fun to watch them develop from prospects. Started to have a bit more time for Sergio Martinez lately. If I had to pick one it would be Froch. In the future I think I'm getting on the Tyson Fury bandwagon. His trash talk is the best in the business and he's got enough vulnerability to make things exciting.

 

[Jay]

Pep - the natural ability to just be a defensive genius.
Calzaghe - something about him.. First fight I saw was against Ashira, and it was one of the first boxing fights I've ever seen, I was really impressed at how a guy could beat the other guy so easily with one hand. Then came the Jeff Lacy fight and I was sold.
Mayweather - Hated him in the lead up to DLH and Hatton, missed the Hatton fight cos my alarm didn't go off. Then watched the video, watched some other clips and I was getting more and more impressed. Then I saw what I considered to be the best Mayweather we've ever seen against JMM - his movement, timing etc. was just phenomenal. Currently my favourite fighter.
Bhop - Hated him until the Calzaghe fight where he did impress me. Bet money on him (on the basis I rated Calzaghe really high) against Pavlik, and he went on to do exactly like I knew he would and humiliated him. Gone back and looked at his career and become a huge fan ever since!

 

[Havik]

Just one fighter? Sergio Martinez. All round good guy who somehow boxed his way out of the slums of Buenos Aires by winning fights he wasn't supposed to. First time I saw him, he was getting robbed against Cintron in a fight Sergio really won three times (KO, DQ & UD) before getting a draw, so he had my sympathy from the start and it went from there. I find his fighting style aesthetically pleasing too.

 

[dftaylor]

Just one fighter? Sergio Martinez. All round good guy who somehow boxed his way out of the slums of Buenos Aires by winning fights he wasn't supposed to. First time I saw him, he was getting robbed against Cintron in a fight Sergio really won three times (KO, DQ & UD) before getting a draw, so he had my sympathy from the start and it went from there. I find his fighting style aesthetically pleasing too.

Can pick as many as you like.

 

[JamieC]

ye actually if i had a chance to add a third current boxer it would be maravilla, done things the hard way and done them in style, and a great guy outside the ring as well, i dnot understand how hes not more of a draw, he's the perfect champion from a fans and promoters point (good looking, knockout power, speed, exciting fights, undisputed champ, marquee division, beat big american names and model champ outside the ring) lack of english ability perhaps?

 

[Noonaldinho]

Barrera just for his kahuna's (no ****)

 

[JamieC]

I'd watched most of his career but never took to him until he beat Mosley. It was the first time he showed his boxing skills to such an extent. There was no way he was putting Shane away, so to watch how he laid a beating on his for eight rounds just impressed the hell out of me.

And total ****! (well, if I had to go gay, I'd want it to be with Miguel)

ye good shout on that fight, great thread idea btw, a real uplifting one haha :good

 

[Vano-irons]

No ****

 

[Vano-irons]

Cotto has that effect on a lot of people. I remember an interview with Steve Lillis who said he has spent a near fortune going to watch Cotto fight on numerous occasions

 

[dftaylor]

I've never been able to nail exactly why I like Cotto so much. Other fighters have exciting styles, but there's something in Cotto that I guess I relate to.

 

[Back to Bill]

Nigel Benn, there is no other fighter that comes close to having the same impact as he did.

 

[GazOC]

In my time watching boxing then Ray Leonard, he came along when I was 10, 11 and watching the big fights from Vegas really helped get me into the sport. Active at the moment probably Martinez although Santa Cruz is really growing on me.

 

[Back to Bill]

If I was to want to watch someone, (other than Benn) it would be Tommy Hearns or Tyson years ago.