Hate to derail the always stimulating Floyd discussions, but was wondering what fighters you feel were/had ATG skills in the ring, but never received the appropriate recognition. Rigo is a current fighter who I feel fits this category, but I would like to focus on 4 from the past:
1. Ricardo Finito Lopez: In my opinion equal in skill to Floyd, Hop, Ward, Rigo...etc., and blessed with one punch power, solid balance and above average speed. His combinations and ring generalship are the epitome/definition of "textbook". Finito wasn't only skill though, as he had to dig deep and fight his heart out in both fights vs Rosendo Alvarez. Due to his small stature he never really captured the attention of casual fans, which is a shame because he was a fantastic fighter.
2. Marc Too Sharp Johnson: Great southpaw fighter who could punch HARD when he wanted/needed to. Sought many of the big fights of his time but suffered from two curses that prevented him from fighting the big names: he fought southpaw and was too good for the money he could bring in.
3. Tim "Cincinattii Kid" Austin: Great all around fighter that was made irrelevant due to being lost in Don Kings stable. Great skills, frightening power, and the toughness to fight through the pain of a broken jaw to get a win.
4. Freddie "Lil' Hagler" Norwood: Another greatly skilled fighter who suffered the southpaw and too dangerous curse. Chased Prince Naseem Hamed for years, but could never secure the big fight. Marvin Hagler is one of my favorite fighters ever, so Freddie had a lot to live up to with that nickname. Anyone who ever saw him fight in his prime knows that he is the one fighter who could've pulled that nickname off.
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