Was Hearns v SRL the greatest possible fight that could've been made IRL?

[DeeMoney]

When taking to account the quality of fighter, and the relative points of their respective careers (ie prime) was Hearns v Leonard the greatest matchup that couldve been made (and luckily was) in real life?

I am not referring to the actual quality of the fight, though this one was very good, rather the quality of the fighters at the time the fight took place. Here you had two of arguably the top 5 welterweights ever going at it in their mid 20s. Though some might argue Hearns was a little green at the time I can't think of another situation where two fighters who were in the top five all time in an historic weight class were roughly in their prime at the same time.

Greb v Tunney is somewhat close, though the best version of Tunney was probably a bit too big for him. Their first fight also took place after Greb's eye injury, so I don't know if it would have been better a year earlier.

Still, could there actually have been a better fight made in real life?

[Willie Pep 229]

Top five ATGs only?

Top five ranking at the time, I can think of many.

Top five ATGs? --> Wow! No, I can't for right now.

Look to the 'color line' period, maybe.

[DeeMoney]

Top five ATGs only?

Top five ranking at the time, I can think of many.

Top five ATGs? --> Wow! No, I can't for right now.

Look to the 'color line' period, maybe.

It doesnt need to be top 5 atgs only, but in my view thats what Hearn SRL was (at least in regards to ww). And they were both close to their primes.

Could there ever have been a better possible matchup?

[4truth]

Delahoya / Trinidad 1999

[JAB5239]

It's up there, no doubt about that. Greb vs Walker, Canzoneri vs Ross and Ross vs McClarnin all have to be up there. Tough to pick one as the greatest ever.

[Willie Pep 229]

It's up there, no doubt about that. Greb vs Walker, Canzoneri vs Ross and Ross vs McClarnin all have to be up there. Tough to pick one as the greatest ever.

The Ross-McClarin trilogy was 45 rounds with two SD and one UD. A 2-1 split for Ross. That's a close rivalry.

One of the greaest match-ups ever.

But by the rules, "Top Five ATG," unfortunately McClarin doesn't usually appear on the Top Five WW ATG lists. Often even not in peoples' top ten; maybe he should.

Ross on the other hand often does.

Who are the top five ATG WW?

[DeeMoney]

I guess I dropped the ball on this one, but Charles v Moore immediately post WWII involved two of the greatest LHWs of all time in the same weight class at the same time. And with Moore's 'extended prime' I would say it can be viewed as two prime ATGs in their prime and in their prime weight classes, so to that extent it is on par with SRL v Hearns.

Which leads me to wonder, whats the best fight that never got made? All the others so far were actually made, save for those denied by the color line. Whats the best example of two great fighters, sharing a prime and a prime weight class, that didnt happen? Or at least didn't happen until it was too late (May Pac)

[JAB5239]

The Ross-McClarin trilogy was 45 rounds with two SD and one UD. A 2-1 split for Ross. That's a close rivalry.

One of the greaest match-ups ever.

But by the rules, "Top Five ATG," unfortunately McClarin doesn't usually appear on the Top Five WW ATG lists. Often even not in peoples' top ten; maybe he should.

Ross on the other hand often does.

Who are the top five ATG WW?

A fair point.

For me it goes Robinson. Leonard, Griffith, Ross and Hearns without looking.

Canzoneri-Ross has to be up there. Ross was #3 when he beat Canzoneri by SD, and they rematched the same year with a other SD win for Barney

[Slugfester]

I guess I dropped the ball on this one, but Charles v Moore immediately post WWII involved two of the greatest LHWs of all time in the same weight class at the same time. And with Moore's 'extended prime' I would say it can be viewed as two prime ATGs in their prime and in their prime weight classes, so to that extent it is on par with SRL v Hearns.

Which leads me to wonder, whats the best fight that never got made? All the others so far were actually made, save for those denied by the color line. Whats the best example of two great fighters, sharing a prime and a prime weight class, that didnt happen? Or at least didn't happen until it was too late (May Pac)

No need to apologize. You asked the right question. Forget the paper matchup. How was the fight itself? Leonard/Hearns was not only a good matchup on paper, it was a great fight anyway. Hoya and Trinidad was a great paper matchup, but a dud fight. Of course we would never know that unless the match was actually made. All such fights are very important to boxing, and very rare.

[Willie Pep 229]

It's up there, no doubt about that. Greb vs Walker, Canzoneri vs Ross and Ross vs McClarnin all have to be up there. Tough to pick one as the greatest ever.

It seems, as best one can tell from reading about it, Greb-Walker was a sensation at the time. Not for the fight itself but was a highly anticipated fight, that fans were excited was happening.

According to a biography of Arnold Rothstein, big money was being bet on the fight.

P.S. Also the legendary post fight bar brawl helped make it special.