who was better. lets have some discussion. both blokes are high on most people's best from australia all time p4p lists

i tend to think kostya for his domination of a division and the manner in which he unified. having said that jeff's career was a bit before my time and im not as informed as i could be.


(for the sake of this thread lets have no 'kostya isnt australian' chat)

This is a difficult one for sure, both have solid arguments for and against. I'll try and simplify it but I think:

Heart: probably Jeff but close
Stamina: Jeff for sure, he never stopped throwing
Power: Kostya
Speed: pretty even
Timing: Kostya
Power: Kostya
Ring Intelligence: Kostya
Longevity: Tszyu
Quality of opposition: Jeff slightly

I think the fact that Jeff won titles at multiples weight classes also helps his cause, but the fact that he never unified a division also hurts him.

Rather than sit on a fence I'll come out and say Kostya but just barely, he ruled 140 for a long time.

But it's an excellent thread MG, props dude.

This is a difficult one for sure, both have solid arguments for and against. I'll try and simplify it but I think:

Heart: probably Jeff but close
Stamina: Jeff for sure, he never stopped throwing
Power: Kostya
Speed: pretty even
Timing: Kostya
Power: Kostya
Ring Intelligence: Kostya
Longevity: Tszyu
Quality of opposition: Jeff slightly

I think the fact that Jeff won titles at multiples weight classes also helps his cause, but the fact that he never unified a division also hurts him.

Rather than sit on a fence I'll come out and say Kostya but just barely, he ruled 140 for a long time.

But it's an excellent thread MG, props dude.

No way Kostya beat better fighters.

Kostya for sure. In almost every department.

It's obvious I'm a big Fenech fan, but I have no delusions about him being the best of all time or anything like that. When Fenech arrived on the scene there was a real lull in boxing in this country and I thought himself and Jeff Harding put boxing back on the map here. Besides the fact I loved to watch him because he didn't know how to take a backward step. Very determined fighter and as brave as they come. Due to fragile hands I don't think we ever saw the best of him.
However Kostya would have knocked Jeff into tomorrow if they stepped into the ring together. He's a champion inside and outside of the ring. I for one am glad I got to watch them both.

No way Kostya beat better fighters.

Definitely, I'd give it to Kostya.

No way Kostya beat better fighters.
just curious but who would you say were better on Kostya's resume than Nelson and Zarate (and please don't say Chavez, he should have been in a retirement home by the time Tszyu fought him)?

kostya fought alot of good guys.. a whole host of former world title holders.. alot of them though were on the slide..

there's a really good story on kostya on the main page.. read it fools.

and also fenech cut a shitload of weight to get down to bantam and feather etc...he fought smaller guys his whole career, kostya is a real fighter

Kostya stepped it up and went to the USA and fought the best in his division, It always seemed funny to me how Jeff won 3 world titles with out leaving Australia.

Kostya was a fantastic fighter in his prime and wasn't undisputed Welterweight Champion of the world for nothing. I'd have to pick Fenech to simply outhustle Tszyu and stop him in round 10. Fenech would have done the same to Tszyu as what Ricky Hatton did to him in 2005.

Tszyu is a very experienced fighter having a distinguished amateur career before turning pro. Jeff Fenech won his first World Title in just his sixth pro bout which is phenomenal considering he was a scallywag in his youth and was on the road to nowhere. The way Jeff Fenech captured the Australian public's imagination with his feats in Boxing is unrivaled. No disrepect to other Aussie World Champs such as Harding, Rose, Famechon, Ellis and Michael and Carruthers.

Jeff Fenech fought better quality opponents such as: Shingaki; Villasana; Farrell; Coffee; Zaragoza; McCrory, Mad Dog Miller; Payakaroon; Zarate; Calleja; Nelson; Georgie Navaro. That's a helluva resume to have. Kostya's stance is also very vertical and he doesn't move his head much which would suit Fenech who'll be throwing punches flat out.