Could Teofilo Stevenson or Felix Savon have immediately gotten GIGANTIC fights vs Ali/Holmes/Tyson?
Hmmmm
Could Teofilo Stevenson or Felix Savon have immediately gotten GIGANTIC fights vs Ali/Holmes/Tyson?
Hmmmm
Pete Rademacher? 1956 USA Gold medalist. On his debut fought Floyd Patterson for THE world championship (the days of ONE champion). Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon, offered absolute fortunes, tens of millions, to fight Ali and Tyson on debut. These guys were much more famous than Loma.
I don't think your view is old school, it represents the modern model created by multiple alphabets. Every org with their own ratings. There's no set method to getting a title shot, never has been. You don't get what you "deserve," you get what you negotiate. And fighters have a say in their matches, they're not forced into facing the hotdog seller or "world" champion.
If Loma represents "modern-day gratification," and what he's achieved isn't unique, we'll be seeing plenty of fighters emulating him - 14 championship level fights in a row. Fantastic.
Last edited by Fenster; 09-06-2019 at 10:02 AM.
3-Time SADDO PREDICTION COMP CHAMPION.
Officially the only saddo who has had a girlfriend
Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.
100% agree with me? Are you ill? If not, you're gonna be fuming when you find out your kids have hacked your account. ()
Last edited by Fenster; 09-06-2019 at 11:56 AM.
3-Time SADDO PREDICTION COMP CHAMPION.
@Master , Fenster's actually giddy you agree 100% with him. It's just a little awkward for him to admit it, since he's only used to people disagreeing with him. (That's what I'm here for).
In fact, Loma is one of those topics.
Not that it's really an arguable topic, since it really boils down to personal preference. Personally, I prefer the old style way of working your way up to a title shot. Not taxi cab drivers and Tijuana bartenders mind you. We're already had a redhead and a melon-head who've gone that route. No.... I mean a methodical route to a championship fight, with anywhere from 10-20 fights under your belt against constantly improving opposition.
It's arguable that Loma isn't the ONLY fighter in world boxing history with the initial talent to have merited a shot very close to the beginning of their pro boxing career. I refuse to adhere to the notion that Loma is several levels above any other fighter that ever lived. He's a special talent, to be sure. He also benefited from a long illustrious amateur career. How he got the title shot right out of the gate is beyond me. Promotion, string-pulling, bribes.... whatever. Most of us are not privy to the goings on behind the boxing scenes.
Still... there's something special about a prospect accumulating ever-increasing scalps on his resume until he finally gets his big shot.
Rademachercome on now that's a stretch. He had to scrap up financial backing from friends, grant rights to Cus and still ended up in the red in that one. The match was widely dismissed as the eventual mismatch it turned into.
True enough, Stevenson and Savon had offers from both Arum and King because well that's what promoters do but in all reality those propositions were dead on arrival. They had no want for it and both amatuer stars were in no position to negotiate anything professional in Castros Cuba unless turning back on Country, fame and family was an option. Also Arum from what I understand wanted a series of Stevenson exhibitions for a rapidly declining Ali ', 3 rounders. Stevenson wins all that money and he would have kept none of it directly. I remember some mumbles of Savon and Tyson in mid 90's with the future up in the air for Mike who was fresh out of the clink. Speaking for myself it was respectfully laughable with major players..actual professionals like Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis, Moorer etc there.
No I do think Loma is unique. In talent as well as ,again, early opportunities presented. It's not about the ranking bodies as the only rankings mentioned were The Ring. By my count Loma didn't start defeating those until going to second title run. This is all going backwards and Loma is where he is and as stated is special. But I simply do not believe amatuer stars, partial pro-amatuer phenoms, should bypass established professionals..be they fringe who get maybe 1 single shot in a career or be they legitimate long time contenders who have done the rounds and years and done the time for a major career defining opportunity. Sport is bigger than 20-40 'stars' greedy promoters trip over themselves fawning over.
Last edited by Spicoli; 09-07-2019 at 10:11 PM.
It's very simple why Loma got an alphabet shot in his second fight, there's nothing "shady," no conspiracy, it's how every single fight is made between fighters, promoters and governing body.
Promoters/managers canvass alphabet organisations on behalf of their fighters. The higher profile, the more the org is interested, as the dough they receive (sanction fees) is bigger and the publicity and promotion propels their business .
Loma asked his promoter, Bob, to get a title fight, the WBO and Nevada commission agreed he's safe and competent to challenge no.7 contender Ramirez, he accepted. Loma destroyed him, therefore proving to the WBO he was a worthy challenger for their champion. Salido accepted the challege. The Texas commission approved it. TV company bought it. Worldwide TV bought it. And everyone made a little coin.
If you don't accept that's the norm, feel free to explain how anyone "deserves" a shot at an alphabet?
Last edited by Fenster; 09-08-2019 at 01:23 PM.
3-Time SADDO PREDICTION COMP CHAMPION.
I can see both sides, but I lean more on the side of waiting for a title shot. The reason why is that there are many other fighters who have been fighting professionally for 5+ years and built their way up to it. It’s unfair to just skip them all.
Another thing is that once you become a star, you start to be able to call the shots. As a fighter, you should have to get through at least 10 guys in order to earn that right.
You can claim that Loma was on that level, but there will always be fringe contenders that give up and comers tough fights. For example, Salido was more known as a fringe contender but through a lot of grit, he won a belt. He could have easily remained a fringe contender. Imagine Loma still fought Salido but Salido didn’t have a belt. Now the story changes. It isn’t that he fought for a title on his second fight but came up short. The story now is that he stepped up a little too soon and needs a few more tune up fights before he fights for a title.
My point is that all fighters should go through a period where they have to fight contenders. I don’t think it’s fair that Loma got to skip all of those contenders that are fighting for their lives to get that shot at the title. There is no guarantee that he would have come out without a loss. Maybe he wouldn’t have, but we should have been able to see how it would have played out.
10 fights!!!!
Powerpuncher would you be happy to see Loma beat up 10 fighters in 10 months to satisfy your critera?
Loma does not have age on his side, just give him a shot which he rightfully earned.
Loma is not a spoilt child or diva. He even lost the close decision.
Do not let success go to your head and do not let failure get to your heart.
So if he fought Salido and lost and Salido wasn’t champion at the time, would that change your opinion? Should he have just leap frogged other people after his loss?
There are tons of people to fight that are good and that aren’t title holders. Again, there is a chance that he could have lost to a non title holder. Every fighter needs more than one fight to prove that they can beat multiple top contenders before they get a title shot.
10 or so. Whatever. He beats one contender and then we know he deserves to have a shot at the title? I mean 10 is just a number I threw out, but it has to be more than 1. It could have just been a perfect match up. Who knows? You need to prove that you can beat multiple top ten contenders before fighting for the belt
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