Most Under Rated Boxers?
Most Under Rated Boxers?
Watching the DeGale vs Jack fight at the weekend made me think that Badou Jack is probably the most under rated champion around at the moment. Has wins over Anthony Dirrell, George Groves, Lucien Bute (in reality) and arguably DeGale (although I thought a draw was fair). Yet the next time he fights a top fighter he'll probably go in as the underdog again.
It made me wonder about who people think are some of the other underrated fighters of the past? I'm personally more interested in the modern era, but all shouts are welcome. Also, I'm more speaking about underrated even within boxing rather than by casuals because their opinion doesn't matter.
Mike McCallum is one I see mentioned a lot as being under rated, who else have you guys got?
It made me wonder about who people think are some of the other underrated fighters of the past? I'm personally more interested in the modern era, but all shouts are welcome. Also, I'm more speaking about underrated even within boxing rather than by casuals because their opinion doesn't matter.
Mike McCallum is one I see mentioned a lot as being under rated, who else have you guys got?
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SaadOffTheDeck
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Certainly not McCallum. I think Mancini is underrated, Johnny Bratton, Michael Moorer deserves more credit as a heavyweight, he's overrated at light heavy. Marco Huck is very underrated.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
The first that I think
Ray Mancini,Barry McGuigan,Chris Eubank, John Mugabi,Meldrick Taylor,Michael Moorer..
Ray Mancini,Barry McGuigan,Chris Eubank, John Mugabi,Meldrick Taylor,Michael Moorer..
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Why not McCallum? Do you think he's rated about right or were you just not a fan of him?SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Certainly not McCallum. I think Mancini is underrated, Johnny Bratton, Michael Moorer deserves more credit as a heavyweight, he's overrated at light heavy. Marco Huck is very underrated.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
McCallum is probably under-rated by people who are 'sports fans' rather than by pure 'boxing fans'......for those in the know he's always been right up there and for those who can name a dozen fighters per decade he does not figure; somewhat unfairly.
The guy went about his business very effectively and was assuredly the real deal; but Mike lacked cross-over appeal and his habit of turning-up and fighting on the night means that he's been forgotten outside the business and his native Jamaica.
The guy went about his business very effectively and was assuredly the real deal; but Mike lacked cross-over appeal and his habit of turning-up and fighting on the night means that he's been forgotten outside the business and his native Jamaica.
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SaadOffTheDeck
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
People have been calling him underrated for so many years he might be overrated now. I liked all the kronk fighters.ElJefe wrote:Why not McCallum? Do you think he's rated about right or were you just not a fan of him?SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Certainly not McCallum. I think Mancini is underrated, Johnny Bratton, Michael Moorer deserves more credit as a heavyweight, he's overrated at light heavy. Marco Huck is very underrated.
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Counter-puncher
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Rafael Herrera doesn't get discussed often enough.
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Syntax Error
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Gregorio Peralta.
Last edited by Syntax Error on 19 Jan 2017, 02:14, edited 1 time in total.
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Ambling Alp II
- Super Middleweight
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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Herrera and Peralta are a couple interesting ones.
McCallum is getting to be like Joe Dumars, Maurice Cheeks and Dennis Johnson were in basketball. Just about anytime they were mentioned they were labeled underrated. Same with McCallum. It is now to the point where he might even be overrated.
Mancini is like Brad Daugherty. Called overrated so often that he is now underrated.![[icon_e_biggrin.gif] :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
McCallum is getting to be like Joe Dumars, Maurice Cheeks and Dennis Johnson were in basketball. Just about anytime they were mentioned they were labeled underrated. Same with McCallum. It is now to the point where he might even be overrated.
Mancini is like Brad Daugherty. Called overrated so often that he is now underrated.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Duane Bobick and Marvis Frazier are remembered for their losses and not their wins.
Slightly underrated. Before someone starts SCREAMING @ me, yes they were limited and no they weren't great, but I expect to be misquoted by the usual suspect(s).
Slightly underrated. Before someone starts SCREAMING @ me, yes they were limited and no they weren't great, but I expect to be misquoted by the usual suspect(s).
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Boxing Writer
- Light Heavyweight
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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Max Schmeling, Joe Frazier, Tim Witherspoon, Chris Byrd
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elmersalsa
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
I think the great Eder Jofre was the most underrated fighter of them all.
Other greats like Emile Griffith and Luis Manuel Rodriguez don't get any love at all. They were some terrific fighters!
Other greats like Emile Griffith and Luis Manuel Rodriguez don't get any love at all. They were some terrific fighters!
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SaadOffTheDeck
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Agreed on Marvis, gutsy win over Smith, who did bobick beat?Tony1244 wrote:Duane Bobick and Marvis Frazier are remembered for their losses and not their wins.
Slightly underrated. Before someone starts SCREAMING @ me, yes they were limited and no they weren't great, but I expect to be misquoted by the usual suspect(s).
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SaadOffTheDeck
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Great call on Rodriguez, Emile and jofre are rated plenty.elmersalsa wrote:I think the great Eder Jofre was the most underrated fighter of them all.
Other greats like Emile Griffith and Luis Manuel Rodriguez don't get any love at all. They were some terrific fighters!
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Syntax Error
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Spot on about McCallum.Ambling Alp II wrote:Herrera and Peralta are a couple interesting ones.
McCallum is getting to be like Joe Dumars, Maurice Cheeks and Dennis Johnson were in basketball. Just about anytime they were mentioned they were labeled underrated. Same with McCallum. It is now to the point where he might even be overrated.
Mancini is like Brad Daugherty. Called overrated so often that he is now underrated.
I am forever hearing about how underrated McCallum is & I want to know by whom?
McCallum gets rated plenty & some folk talk about him in the same breath as the 'Big 4'.
In fact, a certain poster on this forum has claimed that the 'Big 4' actively ducked McCallum, so fearful of him they were.
That doesn't strike me as a fighter that is underrated.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Agreed on Marvis, gutsy win over Smith, who did bobick beat?Tony1244 wrote:Duane Bobick and Marvis Frazier are remembered for their losses and not their wins.
Slightly underrated. Before someone starts SCREAMING @ me, yes they were limited and no they weren't great, but I expect to be misquoted by the usual suspect(s).
Bobick's best pro wins were Middleton, Wepner, Bunny Johnson and LeDoux twice. B. Johnson was in the Ring's top 10 at one point somehow. Not a list of world beaters by any stretch. But if I called my brother and my old HS buddy I used to watch boxing with, they'd just remember him as the guy KOd by Stevenson, Norton, and Tate, none of the wins.
Marvis also beat Bugner in a close one.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Tyson Fury done the impossible and still remains undefeated.
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SaadOffTheDeck
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Yeah, your brother remembers him properly.Tony1244 wrote:SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Agreed on Marvis, gutsy win over Smith, who did bobick beat?Tony1244 wrote:Duane Bobick and Marvis Frazier are remembered for their losses and not their wins.
Slightly underrated. Before someone starts SCREAMING @ me, yes they were limited and no they weren't great, but I expect to be misquoted by the usual suspect(s).
Bobick's best pro wins were Middleton, Wepner, Bunny Johnson and LeDoux twice. B. Johnson was in the Ring's top 10 at one point somehow. Not a list of world beaters by any stretch. But if I called my brother and my old HS buddy I used to watch boxing with, they'd just remember him as the guy KOd by Stevenson, Norton, and Tate, none of the wins.
Marvis also beat Bugner in a close one.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Yeah, your brother remembers him properly.Tony1244 wrote:SaadOffTheDeck wrote: Agreed on Marvis, gutsy win over Smith, who did bobick beat?
Bobick's best pro wins were Middleton, Wepner, Bunny Johnson and LeDoux twice. B. Johnson was in the Ring's top 10 at one point somehow. Not a list of world beaters by any stretch. But if I called my brother and my old HS buddy I used to watch boxing with, they'd just remember him as the guy KOd by Stevenson, Norton, and Tate, none of the wins.
Marvis also beat Bugner in a close one.
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Definitely Joe bugner under rated. He beat a lot of good heavy s well in tu his forty s. I believe the Cooper fight was always held against him
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Ambling Alp II
- Super Middleweight
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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
He was talented but occasionally was lazy.
A few others:
Joe Goddard
Teddy Yarosz (beat Overlin, Brouillard, Kreiger, Babe Risko, Pete Latzo, Vince Dundee, Lloyd Marshall, Archie Moore and Billy Conn.)
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Rocky Lockridge
A few others:
Joe Goddard
Teddy Yarosz (beat Overlin, Brouillard, Kreiger, Babe Risko, Pete Latzo, Vince Dundee, Lloyd Marshall, Archie Moore and Billy Conn.)
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Rocky Lockridge
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Syntax Error
- Heavyweight

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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Sot Chitlada.
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
Thing with Jack is, apart from the clear Bute win, he hasnt won a fight decisivily since Direll. It's always majority decision or split. He hasnt won a fight via UD or knockdown. I think he's got skills, but underrated? That's just my opinion.ElJefe wrote:Watching the DeGale vs Jack fight at the weekend made me think that Badou Jack is probably the most under rated champion around at the moment. Has wins over Anthony Dirrell, George Groves, Lucien Bute (in reality) and arguably DeGale (although I thought a draw was fair). Yet the next time he fights a top fighter he'll probably go in as the underdog again.
It made me wonder about who people think are some of the other underrated fighters of the past? I'm personally more interested in the modern era, but all shouts are welcome. Also, I'm more speaking about underrated even within boxing rather than by casuals because their opinion doesn't matter.
Mike McCallum is one I see mentioned a lot as being under rated, who else have you guys got?
Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
I think he's definitely been underrated over the past few years. I'd say most people favoured Groves to beat him and thought that Groves wouldn't get a better chance to win a world title, yet Jack won that fight. Even going into the Bute fight people weren't convinced he'd win after seeing Bute compete well with DeGale, yet as you say he clearly won that fight. Then going into the DeGale fight he was a considerable underdog again. He's one of those fighters that people have thought would come unstuck when he comes up against top opposition because he doesn't stand out as an amazingly talented fighter. I'm not saying he's an elite fighter, but I think he's much better than people have been given him credit for. Saying that, I think opinion on him is starting to change after the weekend.Ruthless-RKO wrote:Thing with Jack is, apart from the clear Bute win, he hasnt won a fight decisivily since Direll. It's always majority decision or split. He hasnt won a fight via UD or knockdown. I think he's got skills, but underrated? That's just my opinion.ElJefe wrote:Watching the DeGale vs Jack fight at the weekend made me think that Badou Jack is probably the most under rated champion around at the moment. Has wins over Anthony Dirrell, George Groves, Lucien Bute (in reality) and arguably DeGale (although I thought a draw was fair). Yet the next time he fights a top fighter he'll probably go in as the underdog again.
It made me wonder about who people think are some of the other underrated fighters of the past? I'm personally more interested in the modern era, but all shouts are welcome. Also, I'm more speaking about underrated even within boxing rather than by casuals because their opinion doesn't matter.
Mike McCallum is one I see mentioned a lot as being under rated, who else have you guys got?
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Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Most Under Rated Boxers?
I can agree with you, in what you say in regards to not many people believing he would win fights but still pulled it off.ElJefe wrote:I think he's definitely been underrated over the past few years. I'd say most people favoured Groves to beat him and thought that Groves wouldn't get a better chance to win a world title, yet Jack won that fight. Even going into the Bute fight people weren't convinced he'd win after seeing Bute compete well with DeGale, yet as you say he clearly won that fight. Then going into the DeGale fight he was a considerable underdog again. He's one of those fighters that people have thought would come unstuck when he comes up against top opposition because he doesn't stand out as an amazingly talented fighter. I'm not saying he's an elite fighter, but I think he's much better than people have been given him credit for. Saying that, I think opinion on him is starting to change after the weekend.Ruthless-RKO wrote:Thing with Jack is, apart from the clear Bute win, he hasnt won a fight decisivily since Direll. It's always majority decision or split. He hasnt won a fight via UD or knockdown. I think he's got skills, but underrated? That's just my opinion.ElJefe wrote:Watching the DeGale vs Jack fight at the weekend made me think that Badou Jack is probably the most under rated champion around at the moment. Has wins over Anthony Dirrell, George Groves, Lucien Bute (in reality) and arguably DeGale (although I thought a draw was fair). Yet the next time he fights a top fighter he'll probably go in as the underdog again.
It made me wonder about who people think are some of the other underrated fighters of the past? I'm personally more interested in the modern era, but all shouts are welcome. Also, I'm more speaking about underrated even within boxing rather than by casuals because their opinion doesn't matter.
Mike McCallum is one I see mentioned a lot as being under rated, who else have you guys got?