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Who was the best welterweight of the last twenty-five years? Below is my take on a mythical tournament between who I think were the eight best fighters at welterweight. The numbers in the brackets indicate the fighter’s record at welterweight from 1980. Note that it is the achievements at welterweight which I am looking at here, not at any other weights at which the fighters below may have fought.
Quarterfinals.
Oscar de la Hoya (10-2) versus Roberto Duran (3-1).
In the 1980’s, Roberto only had two fights of any importance at 147-pounds, but anyone who witnessed the first two fights of the Duran-Leonard trilogy, will never forget the “Brawl in Montreal” and the “no mas” fight. Two fights that showed everything that was good and bad about Duran. De La Hoya had most of his “super-fights” at the division, and in doing so suffered his first two defeats. He was maybe a little past his best, but came closer than anyone to beating Felix Trinidad at welterweight. The Duran that beat Leonard would be too intense for De La Hoya, he would not give him a moments rest, and if Duran was fast enough to catch Leonard, then landing punches on Oscar should be easy enough. De La Hoya always carried a will to win into every bout he had, which would mean, he would be competitive, but in the end, Duran takes the unanimous decision.
Thomas Hearns (8-1) versus Donald Curry (25-1).
This fight has devastation written all over it, as the two (Lone Star and Motor City) Cobras strike. Curry in his prime was an exceptional fighter, but he never met anyone at welterweight like Hearns. Hearns was both a better boxer and a more devastating puncher than Curry. And I think Tommy could catch Curry early. Hearns by a devastating straight right, in the second.
“Sugar” Ray Leonard (5-1) versus Pernell Whitaker (8-2-2).
Whitaker was not quite the fighter at welterweight that he was at lightweight, but that said, as a 147-pounder, he gave a then unbeaten De La Hoya fits, was robbed of being the first person to beat Julio Cesar Chavez in their 1993 “draw,” and he did manage to beat the excellent James “Buddy” McGirt, twice. Leonard was at the peak of his powers in the early eighties, he became the first man in eight years and nearly fifty fights to beat Duran, and unified the welterweight titles by winning an epic 1981 battle with the then unbeaten Hearns. Ray would have had far too much for the welterweight version of Whitaker. I am sure Whitaker would be competitive early, but by the middle rounds Leonard would have figured “Sweat Pea” out, then it would just have been a case of if Whitaker could make it to the final bell. I reckon he would. But he would have had to have got off the canvas a couple of times in the later rounds to accomplish the feat. Leonard by unanimous decision.
Felix Trinidad (35-0) versus Marlon Starling (40-5-1).
“The Magic Man” Marlon Starling was a very accomplished fighter, who only lost to the cream of the division, he exposed Mark Breland as a fraud and beat up Lloyd Honeyghan in a stellar career, but would not have been good enough to beat a fighter of Trinidad’s stature. Starling was cute and crafty, but Trinidad would have ruthlessly picked him apart, on the way to a tenth round TKO win.
Semi Finals.
“Sugar” Ray Leonard versus Thomas Hearns.
Of course, they met once before at the weight, while both in their prime, and the fight was in 1981, so there is no need to write a mythical fight. But just one thing; my tournament is over twelve-rounds, thus, Tommy gets the win!
Felix Trinidad versus Roberto Duran.
“Tito” never met a welterweight as intense as Duran, but then Duran never met such a fearsome puncher as Trinidad at 147-pounds. Trinidad was also a superb boxer, and yes, his chin was soft, but I think he would have handled everything the 147-pound Duran could throw at him, on the way to a unanimous decision over an increasingly frustrated and desperate “Hands of Stone.”
Final.
Felix Trinidad versus Thomas Hearns.
Now this fight would be fun! Tommy would capitalize on Trinidad’s slow start and would have the Puerto Rican down in both the first and second rounds. Tommy would be on his way to an easy victory over Trinidad, when a minute into the third, Trinidad fires a right hand of his own and “The Hitman” crumples to the canvas. Somehow, Hearns gets up, but Trinidad’s follow-up assault puts him clean though the ropes. Trinidad by KO in three.
