It's the ultimate boxing "What if?" question: Who would win if, in a parallel universe, Fighter A from the 1950s or '60s fought Fighter B from today? In this particular hypothetical matchup, we're actually examining two fighters from the very same era (even if one's career extended well into the next era) who should have faced each other, but never did. Juan Manuel Marquez was a mandatory challenger to Prince Naseem Hamed right around the turn of the millennium, but Hamed's interpretation of the word "mandatory" was as creative as his fighting style. So Naz versus JMM for featherweight supremacy never happened.

And that means it's up to us to figure out what would have happened. For this fantasy fight, we're matching the best featherweight versions of both fighters. For Hamed, that means we're talking about his absolute prime, circa roughly 1997. For Marquez, it's debatable what year and what weight represent his true prime, but at 126, his best run came from 2002 to 2005, after he had taken a couple of controversial losses and accrued valuable experience.

Below, we provide scouting reports for both men, and our panel of ESPN.com experts picks a winner in this classic matchup.

SCOUTING REPORTS

Juan Manuel Marquez

Perhaps the best counterpuncher of his era, perhaps the most technically sound boxer-puncher of his era, and quite possibly the most underappreciated fighter of his era until his first fight with Manny Pacquiao thrust him into the greater boxing consciousness. Has transformed stylistically into more of a crowd-pleaser as his career has worn on, but at featherweight, placed a premium on defense and precision punching. Was a few months shy of his 30th birthday by the time he finally won a major title, at which point his prime was just beginning. Boasting a rare blend of physical and cerebral talents, has proved as adept as any modern fighter at figuring out opponents and making adjustments.

Prince Naseem Hamed

Unlike anything we had seen before or have seen since, combining showmanship, an egomaniacal persona, a ridiculously unorthodox style and freakish power to forever alter the pay scale for featherweights. Won his first 35 fights in a row, including 31 by knockout, and along the way cleaned out the 126-pound division even if alphabet politics prevented him from collecting all the belts. Was technically a southpaw, but really defied conventional labels, switching stances routinely and punching from bizarre angles. If you wanted to see a fighter dip down, pivot to the side, launch an uppercut from four feet away, and not only connect with it but knock the other guy out with it, then Naz was your man.

ANALYSIS

Power: Today's bulked-up Marquez is a scary puncher, but at featherweight, his power was nothing special. The Prince could end a fight at any moment, with either hand. His streak of 18 KOs in a row from '94 to '98, mostly against world-class opposition, says a lot. Advantage: Hamed