Apex world champ of Ippo vs apex world champ of Joe.
Personally, I like Mendoza a lot more as a character. Family man who seems larger then life. Arrogant in his way, yet also a class act. It's hard not to like him.
__________________ What CDTM believes;
Never let anyone else define you. Don't be a jerk just to be a jerk, but if you are expressing your true inner feelings and beliefs, or at least trying to express that inner child, and everyone gets pissed off about it, never NEVER apologize for it. Let them think what they want, let them define you in their narrow little minds while they suppress every last piece of them just to keep a friend that never liked them for themselves in the first place.
He's known for just standing there and letting the #1 contender wail on him. Then finishing it in two one or two blows.
Carlos Rivera, a guy who fought Joe to a standstill, was hit in the head with a corkscrew so hard, it created a hole the size of a fist and crippled him for life.
Joe himself was one shot, and tried to sucker punch him when he came to shake hands before a march. He caught Joe's hand, forced it into a handshake, and grabbed his shoulder hard enough to make an imprint, with minimal visible effort.
__________________ What CDTM believes;
Never let anyone else define you. Don't be a jerk just to be a jerk, but if you are expressing your true inner feelings and beliefs, or at least trying to express that inner child, and everyone gets pissed off about it, never NEVER apologize for it. Let them think what they want, let them define you in their narrow little minds while they suppress every last piece of them just to keep a friend that never liked them for themselves in the first place.
Just watched the whole Joe vs Jose match on YouTube. I think that is Mori's blueprint for how Sendo is going to go out against Martinez (minus the fight being even since I still think Martinez will dominate a majority of the match). A good way to kill him off and end this stupid "broken Ippo" subplot.
As to the thread, Jose is definitely stronger and more resilient , but Martinez has a huge edge in technical skill. I do not see Joe getting in the kind of licks he got in against Mendoza if he fights Martinez. Joe will spend most of the match trying to get past Martinez's left and no amount of "spirit" is gonna let that happen. We see the level of skill you need against world champs in Ippo with the Vorg vs Elliot fight. 4D chess basically. And using Ippo logic, Martinez will be able to spam his left in what looks like 10 feet away.
Mendoza can take about as much a beating as Takamura from the looks of it, but Martinez will win on points. The dude is pretty much a well oiled machine.
Excluding Takamura, Martinez, Vorg, Prime Itagaki and Woli, I think Mendoza and Joe would whoop just about anyone else in the Ippo verse.
Prime Itagaki has got superhuman bullet time reflexes. His loss to Imai made no sense (especially given that Itagaki is already aware of Imai's counter given that he saw Ippo do it in the Karasawa fight) and screamed of being an editorial decision to gut the character. Otherwise, he is haxx and was probably the best contender for world champion prior to his loss. Which is probably why Mori toned him down.
As to Woli, I'm thinking post Ippo Woli. I don't think he could knock out Joe or Jose, but I definitely think he could take more rounds than he lost and win on points.
As to Miyata, he is trash at the moment as of the latest manga chapter. Getting his ass beat by some no name bum. Jose would annihilate Miyata in one round and would crush Ippo in 10 seconds.
Itagaki did end up losing to Imai though, he's overconfident but even at his best speed Randy ended up messing up his timing and disposed of him in no time when he got serious. Even at his best shape he is prone to mind games and likes to duke it out more than he should (he barely wins by decisión if ever).
Woli is still kind of inmature and I see him not wanting to go to decision but most of all it's difficult to say how much Woli would succeed against an opponent that can actually box. Also we haven't really seen an experienced Woli fight so it's all but speculation at this point.
I agree Miyata is kind of trash,I just don't really rate Itagaki and Woli that much higher than he is.
He gave Joe his worst beating of the series, by far. Joe died from it. Granted, that was the result of cumulative damage, but still...
And the man he killed, tanked punch's from Rikishi. Who, very early in the series, knocked out PIGS AND BULLS.
We're talking a stampede of pigs here. Joe's definitive rival stood right in front of the herd, danced around them, and proceeded to one shot each into unconsciousness.
And Joe took punch after punch, back when he had relatively little skill.
That's some Takamura level bs. THAT is who Mendoza beat to death.
__________________ What CDTM believes;
Never let anyone else define you. Don't be a jerk just to be a jerk, but if you are expressing your true inner feelings and beliefs, or at least trying to express that inner child, and everyone gets pissed off about it, never NEVER apologize for it. Let them think what they want, let them define you in their narrow little minds while they suppress every last piece of them just to keep a friend that never liked them for themselves in the first place.