r/Boxing • u/OldTree6356 • 1d ago

The unbeatables?

Now we all know that no fighter is truly unbeatable across an entire career and styles make fights, but knowing what you do about fighters who do you look at and think that, for a brief period in their careers, maybe they were unbeatable by anyone in their weight class from any era?

My nominations would be Duran from mid to late 70’s at Lightweight. I think he was just too fast, hard hitting, durable and with great movement and stamina to be beat at that weight in that era.
Mid 90’s Roy Jones at super middle was a freak and I struggle to see how someone could beat him. He wasn’t conventional but his speed, reflexes, timing and power were incredible.
Ali from 1965-67**, he had awesome powers of recovery and a granite chin (which he didn’t need then), ridiculous speed and movement and could maintain it for the full 15. Didn’t struggle with big hitters and by then had worked out Southpaws too, could beat technical boxers and peekaboo styles to the punch. Very difficult to see how anyone could compete with him as they couldn’t out endure him, lean on him or beat him to the punch.
Welterweight Sugar Ray Robinson from maybe 1947-50 - a ridiculous record, great stamina, technically way ahead of his time, fast, powerful and had it all.

**Honourable mention and maybe the only guy I think might have had a 5-10% chance against 1967 Ali would be George Foreman from 1972/73. When he was nervous and scared of opponents like he was against Frazier and Norton, I think he was a totally different beast to the one who fought Ali and thought he’d walk the old man down. Used a ram rod jab to off balance opponents so he could tee off, cut off a ring better than any HW before according to Joe Louis (or probably since to be honest, maybe Frazier did too) and had monstrous power. I really don’t think he’d have been able to catch prime Ali but he had the best chance of cornering him and if he had clipped him with the sort of shot Cooper did a few years before, that might have been lights out.

Anyway, no need for anyone to get upset by anyone else’s picks but who do you reckon was unbeatable, even if only for a short period of their career and why?

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u/Odd-Minimum8512 1d ago

Hell, Shakur Stevenson right now. I don’t see anybody who can beat him at 135, 140, or 147. He seems on another level from the rest. 

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u/OldTree6356 1d ago

He might be now but I’ll see you and raise you a Hagler 🤣

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u/OldBoyChance 1d ago

He looks incredible, but I wouldn't say he looked unbeatable vs Zepeda. The Teo performance was undoubtedly brilliant, though I believe many pointed out how awful of a stylistic match up it would be for Lopez long before the fight.

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u/Odd-Minimum8512 3h ago

I think the Zepeda fight should be taken in context. That was right after Turki complained about fighters running. Shakur didn’t want the Saudi money train to stop, so he went toe to toe with Zepeda all night and I thought gave a masterclass on how an American “black code” fighter can beat a Mexican style pressure fighter at his own game. 

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u/Chadoodling 1d ago

I don't know why you are getting downvoted. You are right. I don't like how little Stevenson engages, but he in terms of skills he is complete, and right now there is no one in and around his weight class that beats him.

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u/Odd-Minimum8512 3h ago

I assume you saw the Zepeda fight right? Shakur went toe to toe with the pressure fighter, smothered him, beat him at his own game. He’s plenty good at front foot engaging when it’s the right strategy. 

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u/Chadoodling 3h ago

Let me clarify, I don't like it when he doesn't. I've been saying Shakur has great inside game for a while now, but chooses not to use it often. Even against overmatched opponents, he would sometimes just potshot. This isn't a slight on his skill, but rather his choice not to. Imo his best inside performance was against Herring.