Whitaker vs. Hearns

[Marnoff]

How do you see it going at Welterweight?

[Marnoff]

Hmm, no one going to take a shot at it.

[Thread Stealer]

Hearns.

Whitaker was better at lower weight classes, and the best WWs he beat were way smaller and less rangy than Hearns.

Not to mention slower and less powerful.

Tommy's straight right hand would be key.

As a matter of fact, I'd hestitate to pick Whitaker over Hearns in a p4p sense.

[achillesthegreat]

Hearns by near shut out.

[KhanB]

Bad style matchup for Whitaker. Hearns was rangy, powerful and fast.

[El Bombasto]

hearns dominates
after the fight is over whitaker claims he was robbed

[pit]

Hearns too big, too strong, and a bit to quick for Sweetpee taste .

Hearns by UD.

[brooklyn1550]

Hearns by wide decision

[SchweitzerMan]

Hearns without a doubt

[kg0208]

Hearns would win.

[dave82]

I love Pea, however Hearns would be too much for him especially at welterweight. Hearns UD 116 - 111 with a kd scored

[bigtime9]

sweet pea by ko:nut

[Fedor Em]

Hearns by wide decision 12-3 or 11-4 with both at their peak. He might even stop Sweet Pea but I doubt it.

[Toopretty]

hearns...speed..reach...excellent boxer not some wild slinging bafoom that falls in with his punches pea would have to take MEGA risks just to score...Hearns might stop Pea...but I cant say that being as though Pea was never stopped.

[joito3]

Pea wouldn't be able to land much as Hearns would keep pea at the end of his sharp jabs and right hands...

We all saw what happened to the shorter duran against hearns and how hearns reach made it impossible for benitez to land anything significant ... hell even SRL almost lost a wide ud until he finally caught hearns !

Pea gets a serious beating in this fight

[Holmes' Jab]

Hearns, fairly wide UD. Bad stylistic matchup for 'Pea'.

[El Bombasto]

sweet pea by ko:nut

mayweather tko1 jesus

[joe the great]

Hearns has never been outboxed but he hasn't fought anyone Pernell's claiber. Still I'd have to favor Hearns.

[pugilistspecialist]

would be similar to Hearns fight with Benitez. Whitaker would take more chances than Benitez did and the fight may be a little bit closer. A prime Whitaker at 147 goes the distance with Hearns. A prime Tito couldnt kayo a 35 cracked out Pea. Prime Hearns may get a kncok down though.

[robert ungurean]

Hearns no doubt.

[kg0208]

Just so noone's getting confused as to thinking Hearns is the better boxer, this is a fight at 147, past Whitaker's prime weight, against a much bigger opponent. It's a bad matchup for Whitaker in similar ways as to how it's a bad matchup for Floyd.

At 135 is where Whitaker is best, where I(and many others) favor none over him.

Sorry, I had to throw that out there. Continue.

IMO I think that Hearns has better boxing skills than even Whitaker, though this would be an impossible discussion and be sheerly based on opinions. I don't think anyone ever outboxed either fighter, but Hearns may have had better physical gifts to work with.

[kg0208]

They were very different. Hearns relies on his height, reach, and snap. Whitaker relied on his reflexes, ring awareness, timing, etc., and I'd say his style relied more on his skills than Hearns did, as Hearns relied a lot on his dimensions, his physical advantages. Though still, it doesn't change the fact that he would probably still be just as hard to outbox. Pretty close for me, when it's that close, gotta go with my boy, as we were talking about pure skill, and I think Whitaker edges that.

It is close, but I would probably go with Hearns. But we are splitting hairs here between 2 of the best technicians in recent memory.

[Vantage_West]

sweet pea by ko:nuti think somone is being a bit sarcastic:think

[Vantage_West]

i think it would be. pernell doing the moves slipping and moving away from that jab and right hand and just slip and counter and will get some shots but hearns will press the action.


i know whitaker was old and coked when he fought tito but i think it will be rather similar in that pernell will show som e moves but doesnt have anything that can be used to his favour. his short reach his shorted body his style of warfare.

if you can hurt hearns with a size advantage or a power advantage like leonard and barkley you can do somthing beucase you can cramp his style pernell as sweet as he is doesnt have the pop (i think he has good power in the left hand i feel unheralded at least but not the 2 fisted powerpunching needed) and not enough hieght he has a great jab but it was a counterpunching outside set up jab great at close quartes while backing off.

to win i pea needs to move forewards but thats not his style and not to his advantage physically.

[Zakman]

The Hitman knocks him OUT.

[SugarRay]

Hearns has never been outboxed but he hasn't fought anyone Pernell's claiber. Still I'd have to favor Hearns.

Hearns was outboxing Leonard before he got tagged. Definately Hearns. Hearns will not give as much respect to Whitaker's punches - not enough to hurt him.

[MagnificentMatt]

Whitaker is probably my favorite fighter P4P ever.

But i'd say Hearns, easy almost. Peas style is all wrong for Hearns, he wouldnt be able to stay stationary, and use his head movement effectively, cause he wouldnt be able to reach Tommy.

Even though Pea proved he could aggressively infight succesfully in the Mayweather fight.... Mayweather is not Hearns, size, and skill, not even comparable..

[dangerousity]

Hearns TKO. If Hearns lay's unto him like he did vs Duran...there is nothing Whitaker can do and ref wont have an option but to stop the fight.

[Robbi]

Hearns by KO late. This fight would obviously be at 147lbs. Whitaker's reflexes were not the same at 147lbs, as they were 12lbs south at lightweight.

[Robbi]

Hearns TKO. If Hearns lay's unto him like he did vs Duran...there is nothing Whitaker can do and ref wont have an option but to stop the fight.

Whitaker aint getting layed out like Duran, as Whitaker aint Duran. Simple. Much more defensively minded, and slicker than Duran as well.

Whitaker would take Hearns into the late rounds. He's got enough intelligence about him to stop Hearns from being effective for a few rounds.

[Robbi]

I strongly disagree with anyone saying Whitaker gets KO'd. If a shot, past, crack head Pea can take everything Tito throws flush, a prime Pea can avoid a lot more of the shots and take the ones he needs to. He may not have had the reflexes he had at LW, but come on, this is still fantastic.

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Hearns had the style to hit Whitaker more often than Trinidad. Hearns would have stopped Whitaker the night Trinidad fought him.

But this thread probably means Whitaker at his best at welterweight, not the one who was 4-5 past his best days in that division. Your point is taken seriously, and a case can be made for Whitaker taking Hearns the distance.

However, I still lean towards Hearns via late TKO. He'd soften Whitaker up with the jab, a weapon Trinidad never had, and even others never had when Whitaker was at his best around 93-94.

[SugarRay]

I strongly disagree with anyone saying Whitaker gets KO'd. If a shot, past, crack head Pea can take everything Tito throws flush, a prime Pea can avoid a lot more of the shots and take the ones he needs to. He may not have had the reflexes he had at LW, but come on, this is still fantastic.

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If the shots land often and clean enough Whiatker will go. Not saying that he will but, Hearns has a puncher's chance at KOing anyone, which he almost did against the likes of Lenoard. Using Trinidad is a bad comparison. It's almost like saying Hagler couldn't KO Durans so, Hearns would never be able to KO Duran.

[Robbi]

If the shots land often and clean enough Whiatker will go. Not saying that he will but, Hearns has a puncher's chance at KOing anyone, which he almost did against the likes of Lenoard. Using Trinidad is a bad comparison. It's almost like saying Hagler couldn't KO Durans so, Hearns would never be able to KO Duran.

Hearns had better power than Hagler, even at middleweight. So its not the same comparison, as Hearns and Trinidad had equal power, or thereabouts. At 147lbs Whitaker v Hearns, and Trinidad's power is on par with Hearns at that weight, or very close.

Hearns hit harder than Hagler at middleweight, and the reason he KO'd Duran and Hagler never wasn't just about power, both fought different fights. Hagler was pretty cautious, while Hearns went right after Duran. But even late against Duran, Hagler put pressure on the last 3 rounds and still could not get the KO.

[Robbi]

I think Trinidad is a damn good comparison, considering even Hearns wouldn't be hitting a PRIME Pea as much as Trinidad was hitting that old, shot, crack head version. Everything Trinidad threw was landing, Pea was coming forward fighting, not able to dodge anything like he used to. In his prime none of this would apply. It wouldn't be as bad as Tito/Whitaker even I don't think, as this is a prime Pea(though not as prime weight, but still great). I see Hearns winning a clear decision though, like 8-4 with a KD along the way.

Everything Trinidad threw landed as Whitaker went against his own rulebook, which was foot movement combined with ability to slip punches, thus reflexes being shot.

In his prime days at welterweight, around 1993-1994. He would have boxed and moved, employed his normal strategy. But against Trinidad it was hit and be hit, not hit and not be hit.

Against Trinidad, Whitaker was a flat-footed puncher.

[ripcity]

Why Hearns would win
I beleve that a boxer with reach who knows how to use his reach has an advantage over a boxer with less reach. I beleve the ability to use a reach advantage can allow a less skiled boxer to beat a more skilled boxer. The ability to corectly use reach is a skill, and it is one that Hearns had.
I think Hearns would keep Whitaker at a distance. Whitaker would have his moments in the fight. I don't see a shut out for Hearns but the ability to use a 3 1/2 inch reach advantage in the end would make a difrence.

Why Whitaker would win
Contary to popular belefe Whitaker is not a runner. He stays in the pocket useing boddy movement to silp punches and counter. He would make Hearns miss and make him pay.

Hearns is a very skilld boxer who could hit with power and he has the reach advantage that he know how to use.

It would be a good fight but I would favor Hearns to win.

[Robbi]

If the shots land often and clean enough Whiatker will go. Not saying that he will but, Hearns has a puncher's chance at KOing anyone, which he almost did against the likes of Lenoard. Using Trinidad is a bad comparison. It's almost like saying Hagler couldn't KO Durans so, Hearns would never be able to KO Duran.

Sweet Pea makes the comparison as he knows Trinidad at 147lbs has power very close to what Hearns possesed at the same weight. Hearns probably gets off better with his punches than Trinidad, especially the jab to set up power punches. But Pea's arguement is it balances itself out for Hearns to win a decision over Whitaker. Simply because Whitaker was much better in his prime days at welterweight, and thats the Whitaker he's using against Hearns head-to-head.

[SugarRay]

I think Trinidad is a damn good comparison, considering even Hearns wouldn't be hitting a PRIME Pea as much as Trinidad was hitting that old, shot, crack head version. Everything Trinidad threw was landing, Pea was coming forward fighting, not able to dodge anything like he used to. In his prime none of this would apply. It wouldn't be as bad as Tito/Whitaker even I don't think, as this is a prime Pea(though not as prime weight, but still great). I see Hearns winning a clear decision though, like 8-4 with a KD along the way.

Yeah, I can sorta see what you are trying to say. However, I do think Hearns has a bit more power than Tito. He has a bit more leverage and a bit more speed. He is perhaps one of hardest hitters p4p up against whitaker who has one of the hardest head p4p. Hearns really was a real beast at 147. I can see Hearns landing to the body often as he can reach in without getting tagged. This will then allow him to set up punches to the head.

Everytime I think of Hearns I think of his fights against Duran, Shuler, Barkley, etc... Hearns busted up Barkley so bad it was painful to watch. My take is that Whitaker gets outboxed. However, I wouldn't be suprised if Whitaker gets KOd. Reach, height, power, speed and great boxing skills are a tough combination to beat but, heck I could be wrong.

[sues2nd]

One of the very few fighters in and around Pea's class that I give him ZERO chance of beating. But in a p4p sense, I still give it to Whitaker.