Back in 1997 Julio Cesar chavez vs Micky Ward fight was made

[Joey Giardello]

But micky missed out on a big payday, when chavez pulled out of the fight! how do you think this fight of 2 of the greatest body punchers would of went! here is a article which talks about the fight getting made, top rank were promoting the fight

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=3076556

[CarlosG815]

I think Chavez would handle him very easily... Knockout early on. Don't expect Micky to be able to get off many clean body shots or make for a competitive fight.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

Chavez wasn't knocking out anybody early in 1997 --- he struggled to make that happen even at the height of his career, & you can make it a doubly-impossible task against the bigger, stronger Ward, who was tough enough to eat nails & ask for seconds.

I honestly think, as sad as it sounds, Ward wins a close, brutish decision, on the back of his size & being fresher & closer to his (fairly mediocre) prime. That's how far Chavez had fallen off the crest by this time. De La Hoya beat a good chunk of the fading life out of him only a year before, & he was already a spent force going into that.

[cooper5]

Chavez would have handled him even though he was past his prime. It would have been a non title bout because in 1997 Chavez was no longer a champion.

[Steak]

Chavez wasn't knocking out anybody early in 1997 --- he struggled to make that happen even at the height of his career, & you can make it a doubly-impossible task against the bigger, stronger Ward, who was tough enough to eat nails & ask for seconds.

I honestly think, as sad as it sounds, Ward wins a close, brutish decision, on the back of his size & being fresher & closer to his (fairly mediocre) prime. That's how far Chavez had fallen off the crest by this time. De La Hoya beat a good chunk of the fading life out of him only a year before, & he was already a spent force going into that.

I dont. Unless Im mistaken, this was supposed to happen around the time fought Alfonso Sanchez. That was the fight in which Ward obviously lost every single round and then came from behind instantly with a one punch KO to the liver in the...7th? Its actually a surprising performance by him. he flat out ran from Sanchez and was dropped at one point in the fight too. It kind of tells me he went into this fight planning on surviving, not winning.

this was only in 1997. Although Chavez was severely diminished, he still was coming off a cut stoppage victory over Joey Gamache and would go on to draw with Miguel Angel Gonzalez, who was a pretty accomplished Lightweight Champ. Not to mention Chavez was fresh off a victory over Tony Martin, who had beaten Ward previously.

I dont think Chavez would have won by stoppage...slight possibility for a cut stoppage, which he had just done and is what happened to Ward in his very next fight...but Ward had not yet hit his best yet and Chavez still had enough left in him to win a somewhat competitive decision.

[JAB5239]

But micky missed out on a big payday, when chavez pulled out of the fight! how do you think this fight of 2 of the greatest body punchers would of went! here is a article which talks about the fight getting made, top rank were promoting the fight

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=3076556

According to the book "Irish Thunder" there was almost a deal struck for a Ward-Pazienza fight sometime in the late 80's (can't remember) but was dismissed by Paz as a step down in class. I wouldn't have minded seeing the best 140 version of Ward against the 140 (not his best weight) version if Paz had they come along at different times. Would have been Ward-Gatti all over again.

[Joey Giardello]

According to the book "Irish Thunder" there was almost a deal struck for a Ward-Pazienza fight sometime in the late 80's (can't remember) but was dismissed by Paz as a step down in class. I wouldn't have minded seeing the best 140 version of Ward against the 140 (not his best weight) version if Paz had they come along at different times. Would have been Ward-Gatti all over again.

Pazienza would of boxed rings round ward

[JAB5239]

Pazienza would of boxed rings round ward

I agree he would have won going away, but Paz could easily be lulled into exchanging, especially in front of a New England crowd that would be going ape shit!

[bojangles1987]

I don't think Ward in 1997 was anything that special, JCC would still manage to win.