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Who was the best featherweight of the last twenty-five years? Below is my take on a mythical tournament between who I think were the eight best fighters at featherweight. The numbers in the brackets indicate the fighter’s record at featherweight from 1980. Note that it is the achievements at featherweight, which I am looking at here, not at any other weights the fighters below may have fought at.
Quarterfinals.
Naseem Hamed (17-1) versus Marco Antonio Barrera (6-1).
Barrera beat Naseem, in his finest performance, but could he beat the 1996-1997 prime Naseem? Naseem had better reflexes in this period and generally better control of his performance. He showed in fights with Vazquez and Badillo that he could box in a disciplined style, when it suited him. But I just think that Barrera had Naseem’s number. The fight would have been closer, than their actual bout, but Barrera would still have won a comfortable twelve-round decision.
Azumah Nelson (26-1) Versus Jeff Fenech (6-0).
Again, two fighters who met (twice) before, but their match-ups were at 130-pounds, so to a degree, have less relevance. I believe both were better at featherweight, the difference is Fenech was better still at junior featherweight, while Nelson is a top-ten all-time featherweight. Nelson could be lazy, fighting to his opposition’s level, but that would not be a problem against the excellent Aussie. Nelson would try to control the fight on the back foot, Fenech would try to swarm and cramp the style of the Ghanaian, but in part due to chronic problems with his hands, Fenech would not hit hard enough to worry Nelson. Nelson would win a more competitive version of their second fight, by unanimous decision.
Eusebio Pedroza (14-1-2) Versus Antonio Esparagoza (30-2-4).
An ugly, ugly match-up between the two Latinos, both natural defensive fighters, neither would be able to get a significant advantage in this fight. But the difference would be that Pedroza knew how to win these types of fights, so I take Pedroza by split decision.
Salvador Sanchez (11-0) Versus Manny Pacquiao (2-0-1).
Sanchez was a superb fighting machine who had great potential and perhaps could have been an all-time great. Pacquiao has been a revelation in the division with two sensational fights with Barrera and Marquez, but at the moment, the evidence suggests that he has yet to prove whether he is quite good enough to defeat a Salvador Sanchez. Sanchez like Nelson could fight down to a fighter’s level, and this may make a Pacquiao fight intriguing for half a dozen rounds, but in the end, I think Sanchez would win a unanimous decision over twelve rounds.
Semi finals.
Eusebio Pedroza versus Marco Antonio Barrera.
Pedroza would really struggle against Barrera; Barrera is twice the fighter McGuigan was and Barrera would dominate this fight, pounding and out-boxing the cunning Panamanian round after round. It was not that Pedroza was not a superb fighter, he was, it is just that styles make fights, and Pedroza was made for Barrera to dominate, maybe Pedroza could have gone the distance, but I doubt it. Barrera by TKO in ten rounds.
Salvador Sanchez versus Azumah Nelson.
Of course, they met shortly before Sanchez’s death, but Nelson went into the fight as a thirteen-fight novice, and still gave Sanchez a huge headache. Nelson would not hit his pomp until 1984/85, by then he would have been too good for the Sanchez we saw in 1980 through to 1982. Nelson would get his revenge by a unanimous decision.
Final.
Azumah Nelson versus Marco Antonio Barrera.
To be honest, I figured the final would involve Sanchez and/or Pedroza, but there we go. Nelson at featherweight would have been just too good for Barrera, he was just that littlebit better a boxer, that tiny bit better puncher and just that smidgeon bit stronger than Barrera, and his boxing brain was just a little bit sharper. So I just do not see Barrera winning this, he would be competitive, but he would just not have enough savvy to beat the great African. Nelson by unanimous decision.
