My analysis on Gohan's power

WHY GOHAN WAS SSJ1 AGAINST DABURA

I won't start talking about hair and sparks,because such visuals are vague and discussing about them leads nowhere.
I'll just use common sense.Gohan had not been training since Cell Games,he hadn't practiced his SSJ2 form,so he
could not use it at will.
Of course,we have his transformation at 25th Budokai.But.Don't forget that Goku could not go SSJ at will before
Yardrat.Yet,when he turns back to base on Namek and Freeza fires the disc,he goes SSJ again,without being as
angry as before.Also,when Super Perfect Cell appeared,Gohan went SSJ2 again,being nowhere as angry as before.
Therefore,i think that,when someone who cannot transform at will reaches the rage required to trigger the
transformation,he retains for a while his ability to transform.In the 25th,Gohan had reached the rage required when
he saw Videl's beating.So,he could go SSJ2 for a while.


DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SSJ2 AND GOHAN'S RAGE

Many people say that Gohan could not get a rage boost while SSJ2 and that SSJ2 was his rage boost.Wrong.They're
two different things.SSJ2 is,like SSJ1,a trait of the whole Gohan's race.A transformation triggered by rage,NOT a rage
boost.Gohan's enraged power,on the other hand,is a trait unique to Gohan.An increase in power caused by rage,
which only lasts a few moments(ex.vs Raditz,vs Freeza),it cannot be retained for longer periods,like SSJ2.
Goku did not know about Gohan's transformation beforehand (him seeing Gohan's SSJ2 in spirit room is filler,in the
manga,he just speaks about Gohan's hidden angry power,he doesn't mention anything about a new form).He
expected Gohan to beat Cell with his momental angry power.When he transformed into SSJ2,it was a pleasant bonus.
Super Perfect Cell was at least equal to(probably a little stronger than)SSJ2 Gohan.When Gohan got injured and lost
more than half of his power,Goku said ''hey,you still have your rage boost''.Gohan managed to access it for a
moment,when Cell was distracted,and that's how he beat Cell.
Note that,when he gets his rage boost,SSJ2 Gohan becomes even stronger than Buu Saga SSJ2s.That becomes
obvious by Vegeta's statement in Babidi's spaceship (''we're stronger than him as we're now,we don't know what
happens when he gets mad though'') and Goku's when he prompts him to get mad (''remember the time you fought
Cell and bring out all the power you have,you can't lose to anyone this way'').


WHY CELL GAMES GOHAN=BUU SAGA GOHAN

I don't see how chi can atrophise over the years.If,say,Buu Saga didn't happen and Gohan kept living peacefully,how
weak would he get? If he had an immortal body and did not train for,say,one million years,would he become as
weak as Farmer?
I think the multiple quotes about Gohan being weaker at Buu Saga are misinterpreted.
Let's start with Vegeta at 25th Budokai:''He was far stronger when he killed Cell''.Notice that he says ''when he
killed Cell'',not ''when he was fighting Cell''.He's obviously referring to Gohan's beam struggle,when he got his rage
boost.In other words,Gohan was not weaker than in Cell Games,he just seemed weaker,because he could not
access his rage boost.
Now,about Vegeta's comment during Gohan vs Dabura:''He was stronger against Cell''.I explained before why
Gohan is SSJ1 against Dabura.Now,is Vegeta talking about Gohan fighting Cell before or after going SSJ2? As SSJ1,
Gohan did not do much against Cell,so it would not make sense for Vegeta to compare a poor performance (Gohan
vs Dabura) to a poorer performance (SSJ Gohan vs Cell).He's obviously referring to Gohan fighting Cell as SSJ2.In
other words,Gohan seemed weaker because he could not access his SSJ2.
Lastly,remember Piccolo's words,when he saw Vegeta fighting Buu:''He's stronger than Gohan was when he was
fighting Cell.But,if even Gohan lost,how strong is this djinn?''.If Gohan had got weaker over the years,it doesn't
make sense for Piccolo to compare Majin Vegeta to Adult Gohan's defeat.


And here you have it!