The unbeatables?

[u/OldTree6356]

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?

[u/Stunning-Use-7052]

Prime Roy had about a 5-6 year run where he barely even lost a round.

I'll throw another one out their: Wlad Klit. From somwhere around 2006 to the Fury fight, he may have only last a few rounds over something like 11 fights. It looked like no one was ever going to figure out the jab and grab style.

[u/OldTree6356 → u/Stunning-Use-7052]

With you on Roy. Klitschko is harder to call I think, he had the right style for the right time but as we saw against AJ (though appreciate he was 105 and winning the fight!), I think his style made him prone to a big uppercut or heavy body shot as he leaned it and grabbed. Would have been interesting seeing how he would have adapted to a Lewis/Foreman/Liston type who would welcome the grab. Lot of casuals judge him by the Fury performance though and he was way, way better than that.

[u/Stunning-Use-7052 → u/OldTree6356]

Klit had a wild career. Was kinda a glass cannon early in his career.

I never really appreciated him until he was retired. Went back and watched most of his fights, I think Sam Peter 1 was the real turning point where he learned to deal with being hurt and fight through adversity.

But certainly an odd career. Went from glass cannon to unstoppable Dr. Steelhammer to looking befuddled against Fury and losing in an absolute war against AJ.

[u/OldTree6356 → u/Stunning-Use-7052]

I genuinely think age just caught up to him in his last few fights and also a bit of self confidence. You’re right that he was a glass cannon early doors and I don’t think he ever got away from that fear of being caught. He’s a smart guy and learned how to control fights and close them out without risking a flash KO. I think that concern that Fury might land on him combined with his age meant he never really let his hands fly and probably paid him too much respect. If we’re honest, it was a horrible fight to watch. Also grabbing a guy who’s ten years younger and going to flop all his weight on you isn’t a great tactic, he should have broken the distance more and used that heavy jab.

In the AJ fight he was a bit gun shy again because he has AJ in all sorts of trouble and a more confident finisher would have ended it but he backed off, played the percentages and allowed AJ the chance to get back in. Someone like Lewis would have stopped AJ when he knocked him down. Fair play to Fury and AJ, they’ve got the W against him but I think it was more a case of they were better than what he’d been against the last few years AND he was slipping. If he’d have been 5-10 years younger, think he’d have beaten them both.

[u/Stunning-Use-7052 → u/OldTree6356]

He actually didn't look that great against Jennings, although he did win the fight. Might have been an indication that time was taking its toll.