Where would a prime Vernon Forrest be in todays WW division?

[Mukuro]

Forrest had a really difficult style. He was a solid 6' at welter and used his height very well.

That being said, what are his accomplishments outside of handing it to prime Mosley? That is a great one, but I'm not sure it is enough to put him on an untouchable pedestal, especially given how he folded against Mayorga immediately following.

Floyd wouldn't fight him, we all know that. He would be top 10 at welter easy, but I'm not seeing him as a dominant force.

[Boxfan83]

Forrest had a really difficult style. He was a solid 6' at welter and used his height very well.

That being said, what are his accomplishments outside of handing it to prime Mosley? That is a great one, but I'm not sure it is enough to put him on an untouchable pedestal, especially given how he folded against Mayorga immediately following.

Floyd wouldn't fight him, we all know that. He would be top 10 at welter easy, but I'm not seeing him as a dominant force.

I can agree with you, his highlight was Shane Mosley but at the time that was HUGE. Im not saying Forrest is ATG status, just wondering how he would do now, I think a boxer like him would be a huge wrench thrown in the current WW's. You had to bring the fight to him & beat the crap out of him to beat him up, I dont see anyone at WW today doing that except maybe Maidana but even than its not like Forrest would just take Maidanas punches, you ever see the Mayorga vs Forrest fight? Mayorga was shook in his corner and won on straight balls. Forrest couldve been out boxed to but he covered the ring pretty well but he never fought someone with Floyds ring generalship...

[AddiX]

Forrest had a really difficult style. He was a solid 6' at welter and used his height very well.

That being said, what are his accomplishments outside of handing it to prime Mosley? That is a great one, but I'm not sure it is enough to put him on an untouchable pedestal, especially given how he folded against Mayorga immediately following.

Floyd wouldn't fight him, we all know that. He would be top 10 at welter easy, but I'm not seeing him as a dominant force.

In fairness were talking about him purely in his prime, not judging his entire career, which never got close to what we expected it to be.

[Boxfan83]

No doubt, but no one expected Forrest to beat Shane like that.

People thought Forrest was going to be all time great after what he did to Shane. In those days Shane was throwing combinations with speed and power we've never even seen before.

For Forrest so destroy him like that was huge at the time.

Its funny how Forrest went in to that fight with the **** it mentatlity and went balls out on Mosley and Mayorga went in with the same mindset against forrest. I guess thats why they say a hungry fighter is the most dangerous...

[Boxfan83]

In fairness were talking about him purely in his prime, not judging his entire career, which never got close to what we expected it to be.

Yup the fighter that beat Shane Mosley, not the Forrest that lost to Sergio Mora. Id say Mayorga but Forrest was still young after the Mayorga losses, he just had setbacks...

[AddiX]

Its funny how Forrest went in to that fight with the **** it mentatlity and went balls out on Mosley and Mayorga went in with the same mindset against forrest. I guess thats why they say a hungry fighter is the most dangerous...

I think the fame and $ got to forrests head real quick.

And you also have to remember, mayorga was a nobody, that was suppose to be a real easy fight for Forrest. Mayorga was like top 30 I believe. (yes Haymon put on these mismatch fights back than too.)

Forrest was an Olympian, just destroyed Shane #1 pfp fighter. He probably hasn't seen a fighter as reckless and wild as Mayorga in years.

IMO he just got kind of shocked by what was going on. Guys like Mayorga and Maidana, until they do, you don't expect them to succeed at the top level.

[Mukuro]

I can agree with you, his highlight was Shane Mosley but at the time that was HUGE. Im not saying Forrest is ATG status, just wondering how he would do now, I think a boxer like him would be a huge wrench thrown in the current WW's. You had to bring the fight to him & beat the crap out of him to beat him up, I dont see anyone at WW today doing that except maybe Maidana but even than its not like Forrest would just take Maidanas punches, you ever see the Mayorga vs Forrest fight? Mayorga was shook in his corner and won on straight balls. Forrest couldve been out boxed to but he covered the ring pretty well but he never fought someone with Floyds ring generalship...

I agree with how you break it down and this is an interesting topic. I think stylistically a prime Forrest is a difficult opponent for any fighter today. I think where I come down on this is that I am reluctant to accept him as a dominant fighter. I think we have a lot of good welters right now, but at the same time, a lot of them are small welterweights and none have established themselves as special yet. It is possible that Forrest in his prime could be the guy now, but who's to say the punchers don't get to him the way Mayorga did? Maybe guys like Thurman, Rios and Maidana would get to him. I do think that given his height, size and style, he may have been able to duplicate his success against Mosley against other top boxers today.

In fairness were talking about him purely in his prime, not judging his entire career, which never got close to what we expected it to be.

To that end, what is his prime? Only the Mosley fights? I think you could make the case that Mayorga ruined him a bit, but I have a hard time not seeing at least the first fight with Mayorga as being in his prime.

[AddiX]

I agree with how you break it down and this is an interesting topic. I think stylistically a prime Forrest is a difficult opponent for any fighter today. I think where I come down on this is that I am reluctant to accept him as a dominant fighter. I think we have a lot of good welters right now, but at the same time, a lot of them are small welterweights and none have established themselves as special yet. It is possible that Forrest in his prime could be the guy now, but who's to say the punchers don't get to him the way Mayorga did? Maybe guys like Thurman, Rios and Maidana would get to him. I do think that given his height, size and style, he may have been able to duplicate his success against Mosley against other top boxers today.



To that end, what is his prime? Only the Mosley fights? I think you could make the case that Mayorga ruined him a bit, but I have a hard time not seeing at least the first fight with Mayorga as being in his prime.

I mean he did beat Mayorga in the rematch clearly IMO, I have no clue how the judges saw it the other way.

I'm not gonna destroy any fighter over losing one fight. Like I said, At the level Forrest was at, a guy like Mayorga wasn't something he was use to.

Guys like Mayorga and Maidana aren't suppose to be at this level. So when they get there you think it's an easy fight, but despite being completely technically wrong, they know what there doing, and terrible technique, actually makes them tricky in a lot of ways.

Look at how many guys underestimated Maidana time and time again. Everyone who fought him thought he Would be easy.

That's why it's the "sweet science."

[El-blanco]

He'd be top three right now. The division is unbelievably overrated and full of guys who won't fight each other. Vernon fought everyone and brought it every time.

[Bram]

I think he'd be near the top and I'd definitely be interested in seeing how he'd deal with some of the guys of today. Forrest is one of those guys who, at least for me, is so hard to qualify in terms of how good he was because he went so immediately from his career high to a low and he came back and recovered but he never launched that same type of attack again. He was just kind of around and well-respected but the thought of him being GREAT was gone. And even the way he lost didn't really go too well and now when you size him up, we kind of think of him as a guy who had a problem with - unrefined big punchers.

Still, I'd favour him against most of the division today, but I wouldn't be surprised if almost any of them beat him also.