red cobra
11-17-2007, 11:50 AM
A lightheavyweight contest scheduled for 15 rounds. Who wins it? Wille "Wil-o-the wisp" Pastano with fast hands and feet, who was fast jabbing natural defensive boxer who was Ali's mentor, or Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, who, after ruling the roost as middleweight champion for many years, took his bag of tricks up to lightheavyweight to take the crown from Antonio Tarver? I personally think that Pastrano wins it by virtue of his constantly moving, boxing, jabbing style, which would be very similar to the way Roy Jones won over Hopkins back in '83 (?), and similarly by Bernard Taylor on two different occasions. Willie was also, despite giving up a few inches in height and reach, the naturally bigger man, and was used to fighting heavyweights, whereas Hopkins was not. Pastrano was almost paranoid about getting hit, and would have relentlessly made himself an elusive target against Hopkins. Jab, jab, and jab some more, all night, and not stopping to fall into any of Hopkin's traps. The title winning bout against Harld Johnson may have been debateable, but it showed that Willie could acquit himself well against a master defensive strategist (one of the greatest) like Johnson, so who could out-trick Pastrano after that? Pastrano, when in shape, was impossible to hit, and could tatoo his name on your face with that left jab of his, which is something a young Cassius Clay sure took notice of.