Two fighters who prefered to die in the ring (no pun intented). The officials would have to plant 5 gallon sized buckets in each corner of the ring because a lot of blood would be spilling. Gatti was a big LW and we all know about Chico.


Who ya got ?

Corrales.

Why ?

chico pretty easy. chico is the bigger puncher, better in pretty much every aspect of the game and would rip Gatti to shreds. This fight dosent last long 4-5 rounds tops. Gatti was never a fighter who could compete on that level of the game.

Corrales had a bigger/better set of skills, but I think this is an unfair assessment. Chico had what, 4 fights at lightweight (other than the few bouncing up there early in his career. And he was 2-2 there, 1-3 without a little help from Tony Weeks? Arturo was massive at 135, probably even bigger than Corrales, and hit with comparable power. This would be a sick war. Yeah, I'd favor Corrales, but I think the deciding factor is who gets lucky and lands a few big ones in succession first.

Quicker, straighter punches, superior boxing ability. Not that Corrales was Tommy Hearns, but on this night he's the better boxer and puncher.

Also, besides Floyd, think of this common opponent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONA1xyETMHk

Chico stood up to Clottey for 10 rounds, JLC who was gigantic and destroys Gatti. Gatti was very easy to hit and was rocked badly by Ivan Robinson who has nowhere near the power of chico. Chico is on another level. this fight is not close. Its an A- guy against a C+ level guy who was dominated badly everytime he took a slight step up in competition

Corrales is the classier fighter of the two, with the broader skill-set, & would emerge victorious via a TKO through eleven. Can't see Gatti ever beating someone of Casamayor or Castillo's ability at LW.

Corrales, but not easy. C'mon, do you really think Corrales, blood and guts Corrales, is going to miss an opportunity to go to war with a guy who craves war like Gatti? This is about 7 rounds of violent, brutal, destructive warfare. Hell, Chico was doing real good in the first JLC fight when he took a few times to stay on the outside and box a bit, but he happily joined JLC in the trenches.

This fight is probably happening right now. Alexis Arguello is the referee.

I can't see this fight as being competitive or a war. It would look like a war for 30 seconds then Corrales would crush Arturo. At the end of the day he was just a better fighter and Arturo would not be able to take the power.

K X P

I think Chico wins, but not before hitting the canvas at least once.

"This fight is probably happening right now. Alexis Arguello is the referee." - Salvy Mic.


I like the way you think, man.

AA says "I get winner."



Tom

No Corrales wouldnt miss the opportunity to goto war with Gatti, thats why Gatti gets knocked out quickly, he was rocked by way lesser punchers than Corrales, one - two good left hooks from Corrales and its lights out for Gatti.

Corrales! Gatti would have cuts lots of cuts.

30 seconds? Take Chico all day long if ya want but 30 seconds, GTFO

Gatti was a clubfighter, the most justifiably celebrated clubfighter ever, yes, but if we're talking prime vs. prime against an elite fighter he's always going to be overmatched.

Calling Gatti a clubfighter is absurd.

I didn't say he would get KO'd in 30 seconds but that the war would last 30 seconds. Then Gatti would go in take an asswhuppin from an A level fighter mode and Chico would crush him. Probably in 2 rounds likely even in 1 round. Gatti went life and death against B and C level guys. Angel fucking Manfredy was trading hooks with him getting the better of it and slapping the shit out of him. Yet people here are calling 7 round wars or Chico having a tough out? Its bad enough life overrated Gatti but now death is kicking that shit into overdrive. The only thing Chico'd have a tough night with is his conscience.

K X P

Goes 5 with DLH and 6 with Floyd, but doesn't see the 2nd with Chico. k

agree, a club fighter does not go on and win titles. He was a B- level fighter, not a club fighter.
I think Chico was at worst was a B+ and at times he was almost elite. I think Chico gets to Gatti in the mid to late rounds and ko's him. If Chico decides to box him (like on casamayor II) he wins a UD clearly.

No shit. So all of a sudden Gatti cant take a punch.

It may be an ass whoppin but its not a 2 round fight.

Baldomir was a champion, but also a journeyman. I appreciate Gatti's accomplishments, but I see him as a clubfighter who did good, an overachiever. And as I said before, the most justifiably celebrated one ever.

Then you don't understand the meaning of the term clubfighter.

The Mohegan Sun & Boardwalk Hall, for instance, are not the regular domain of a clubfighter, however exciting.

Rocky Sekorski, as an example, is a clubfighter. Arturo Gatti isn't close to your description.

"He's an Arturo Gatti," "this guy is from the Arturo Gatto school," "he's coming on like Arturo Gatti," "this has become an Arturo Gatti fight!"; he is a standard bearer no doubt.

He will be a point of reference for styles, fights, and fighters for years to come.

Corrales by KO after 4-5 rounds of beatdown.

Gatti was what he was. He was never or would ever even be remotely competitive with a B+, A-, A type fighter. Corrales at his best is either a B+ and A- type guy. Styles make fights so i could Chico getting Gatti out sooner than Mayweather. Gatti is a C+ type fighter, with incredible heart and will but was severely lacking in the skills that would make him competitive always with top fighters

Chico would have hurt Gatti in round 1 just like Oscar and Floyd did but he would have stayed in seek and destroy mode the whole fight. Gatti never had a huge puncher take it to him. Oscar was the biggest puncher he faced but contrary to popular belief he was not in seek and destroy mode vs Arturo. He LET UP on Gatti after kicking his ass in the first round and proceeded to pick him apart the the way Floyd Sr. wanted him to for almost all of rounds 2, 3 and 4. He mostly brushed off Arturo's attempts to engage him in a brawl with his defense and for most of the fight he was relying on landing his right which was never ever a power punch. When they exchanged Oscar could have KO'd Arturo easily but he never ever pressed the advantage and basically just drew that fight out longer than he needed to.

If you can watch that fight and tell me with a straight face that Chico would EVER have given Arturo the breathing room Oscar gave him I would be amazed.

K X P

Good analysis, KXP.

Indeed, this is a mismatch.

complete missmatch, 3-4 rounds max, they're not in the same league.

new sig material bro, thanks.

Hey, Mitch Halpern could use the work up there.

He's got the rematch.

Corrales is the overall better fighter but he would give Gatti chances because Chico is a hooker who fights insdie. He would give Gatti a chance to get his own hooks off. Two sluggers that can bang.

Both guys would be hurt at some point. Both may see the canvas.

I would take Corrales if I had to bet on it but it would be a war.

LOL


When these two guys go head to head Chico's power shots will be quicker, shorter and probably do more damage. It would be an explosive affair, but I don't see Gatti making it to the end of the third very often. You just can't let Chico land 2, 3, 4... punches at a time.

You know, just on the surface I would think ... Gatti? WAR! ... Chico? WAR! ... Gatti vs Chico? WAAAAAAAAAAARRR!!!

But when you actually take the time to really think about the potential fight, it's almost not fair.

I agree with this. Floyd wiped out Chico as bad as he did Gatti.........Chico still wins and is the better fighter but still. Gatti wasn't a club fighter.

Yes, think of Foreman-Frazier. Probably a lot of war anticipating in that prefight hype.

no. frazier was expected to knock out George within 4 rounds.

Correct. The vast consensus was Frazier was just too big a leap for Foreman at that time. There were a few, however (who had probably enjoyed the priviledge of seeing the young Foreman's punches in the flesh, at one or two of his bouts), who did correctly pick that one at the time, stating Frazier would walk headlong into Foreman's power, & wouldn't handle it --- but I don't know if any of them dared suggest it would play out just as it did.

I suggest that many saw them as two offensive juggarnauts and expected a heavyweight slugfest. Foreman wasn't unknown then, he made a splash at the Olympics.

I mentioned this mythical matchup in a mailbag to Gabe and didn't realize this post even existed til now. Nice to see I wasn't the only one dreaming about it.
What does surprise me is how many people believe this would be a Chico blowout. There weren't many harsher critics of Gatti than myself, however I do believe he would be a lot more competitve than the majority of posters on this thread.
I think a lot of people are remembering a better Chico than the one who actually fought. Corrales was very good but not "Arguello, Duran, Chavez good". I think people are forgetting about how easily he could be hit with left hooks and how speedy fighters (Mayweather, Casamayor, Freitas) and even plodders (Castillo, Robert Garcia) could reach his chin.
Both Gatti and Corrales were prone to cuts and swelling. Both men were bombers who had the ability to box, but preferred going to war. Both men came from behind to win. Both men suffered shaky chins. Both men were also much bigger than the weight class they excelled in (130).
It's a pick em fight and without a doubt a matchup that needs a trilogy to be properly evaluated.

In a trilogy, I see the first fight: going to Gatti by sixth round (off the floor twice) one punch left hook knockout (ala Gabe Ruelas, Wilson Rodriguez) with Corrales beating the count at 7, but too unsteady to allow to continue causing an uproar from Chico, his camp, and his fans and some ringside media. Thus the need for.....

The second fight: I see the fight that Chico fought against Casamayor the second time coming into play, keeping at a distance, rising from a 3rd round flash knockdown, eventually slicing and swelling and dropping Gatti in the ninth to force a doctor's stoppage in between the ninth and tenth.

The third fight, Corrales and Gatti both score first round knockdowns, Corrales tears a nasty gash above Gatti's eye in the second, Gatti wobbles Chico in the third, Chico recovers in the fourth widening the gash and raising more swelling before landing a perfect left hook body shot that incapacitates a rallying Gatti at 2:16 of round 5.



I'll prbably catch hell for making it too competitive for Corrales fans, but why have a dream match with a blowout result? Fuck guys, they're both dead, so use your imagination for Christ's sake.

He had made a splash & bested some credible, quality opposition by late-1972, but the picture you imagine was a long way removed from consensus. The breakdowns of the up-coming fight usually centered on what a leap in class Joe Frazier represented from the likes of Boone Kirkman, Gregorio Peralta, & George Chuvalo (considered Foreman's best outings by most) & how little true preparation Foreman had (in-ring) for what Frazier would bring.

I think Cosell was actually one backing Foreman, though I could be wrong on that. I can tell you very few saw it as a competitive fight --- & fewer still liked Foreman's chances. It was not expected to be more than a five or six-round affair. Everyone had their eyes on Frazier-Ali II.

You know, like Obama with the white police officer and the black professor, I wasn't there. I didn't read the Rings at the time, nor post on boxing message boards (they had them, but they were made of cork and you had to use thumbtacks to call someone an idiot who knows nothing about the sweet science).

But I'm sure George had his fans going into that fight and others were excited about the matchup.

Yes, Message Board's have come a long way!

I must confess --- this Sly Fox was one of those with his mind more set on how long Frazier would make Ali wait after beating Foreman before fighting him another time. There is a line in the 2002 film, Ali, which is along the lines of, "The fight will take place right after Joe beats this bitch still," referring to Frazier fighting Foreman.

That's pretty much how yours truly, in his infinite wisdom, saw the fight going down. I had seen Foreman before, & thought him much too wild, with too many errors in his game, to pull off the upset. Boy, was I (& everyone I knew) ever wrong.

you mention that chico was hit by fighters like freitas, casamayor, castillo. Thats true but the thing is Gatti was no where in the league of skills and ability of fighters like those three. All three of those guys give Gatti and one sided beating before stopping him. Gatti was NEVER remotely competitive when he stepped up to B+ level of the sport. We are talking about the guy who was beat up and dominated by Angel Manfredy, was toyed with by DLH and was so outclassed by mayweather it was sad. Everything about Gatti is overrated except for his heart and ability to recover. his chin, power etc were all vastly overrated.