Please people, Floyd may have problems, but fighting top notch comp is not one of them. He's fought Chico, Hernandez, Castillo twice. Corley. N'dou. He'll show his class if Gatti gets in the ring with him.
Oscar vs. Tito
I've watched that fight many times over and I'll tell you I scored it a draw. Oscar did land many more punches, but they were jabs. He did not land any power shots of meaning. He stopped boxing and just ran the last four (4) rounds of the fight. Tito did nothing but chase Oscar like a fool, he never used his head to trick Oscar into a fight. Oscar did not lose the fight, he lost because he never fought for the glory of the moment. This fight was hyped more than any fight in 20 years. The press, fans and experts were salivating and Oscar did not fight when the fight was in the championship rounds. Tito may not have looked pretty, but he did come to fight and the judges turned their noses away from the funk that Oscar was that night.
Tito
Tito has boxing skills. If you watch his early fights before and soon after he became a welter champ you would see Tito moving in and out, up and down constantly. He used his jab to come in and he went to the body every round. He became to dependent on his power and overconfident in his KO style winning. Against Mayorga he made a concerted effort to move from side to side. He used his jab consistanty to get in on Ricardo and showed his cat like reflexes are still there by getting under and away from punches. The only thing I wanted to see more of was the body work, hopefully his camp will see that to. The power will always be there. The resolve will always be there. If Tito uses his boxing skills to control the fight and works the body a little each round, he can't be beaten. At least not as he was against Hopkins. As far as Tito beating smaller, older guys, Joppy was in his prime and had never taken a beating. Reid did not win the first six rounds (what fight did you see?), yes he did make Tito miss, but Tito kept coming and Tito made him pay! He did not fall down and writhe in pain or moan like DLH did against BH. He always gives his all and is a great fighter. An all time great. All fighters have weakneses, but the great ones win anyway and that is what Tito has done. JUST WIN BABY!
Holyfield toughtest ever?
Of all the fighters I've had the pleasure to see in my life, I would put Real Deal at the top of my list of toughtest fighters. He has a heart that may be too big for even himself and remembering all the times he's showed his will, determination and courage in the ring makes me feel good inside. Bowe, Qwai, Bowe, Tyson, Lewis I & II, Rahman, the list goes on. No boxer that I have seen hasw fought with the edge that Evander has, so yes he is the toughtest fighter in my book.
Hopkins gets respect...
I for one respect any man who steps in the ring and can become a true champion. Hopkins has done that. I do feel he is overated and has accomplished most of his record against weak competition and his greatest victories have come against smaller men. The only man he fought in his weight class that I considered a legitimate challenge at middleweight was Roy Jones and he lost that fight. Beating Tito and Oscar does not prove Hopkins is a great fighter, it proves he can beat smaller fighters. He never fought Toney, Jackson, Benn, or any other top notch middleweight in their prime, unless you consider Holmes, Allen top notch. Hopkins has been fortunate to have fought in the middleweight dulldrums for most of his career and has not fought a current middleweight great and won. So I can't put BHOP on that pedestal.