- I've posted this list of Boxrec ranked heavies at the time the usual emasculates howling over Vit fighting Shannon Briggs as a sample of then and now boxing idiocy. The IBHOF first inaugurates were 1990 about the time the Ks were making big waves in Ama boxing. It's a poor copy of the long time Baseball HOF established in the 1930s, but fact is they're both a cross of beauty contests and Oscars. John Wayne didn't win an Oscar until he was an ol'man in his last cancerous days appearing in True Grit, a performance that had me howling like it was a such Laurel and Hardy romp.Ezzard wrote: ↑04 Oct 2024, 11:41Hi there Broughton, hope all is well.BroughtonRulesRefuge wrote: ↑04 Oct 2024, 11:35 - Floyd Patterson and Ingo Bingo in the HOF with very ordinary records examples of HOF selections.
The HOF Ks have dominated Hvy for 30 years now in 'Ring Rankings now upheld by soon to be HOF Usyk whom they promote in a fashion never seen before. Wlad the first Hvy to challenge the Immaculate Joe Louis record.
OP don't understand the lag time of HOF, sometimes as much as 50 years. Nor does he understand they put a lady boxer in the HOF who never had a registered bout ama or pro. They ain't the brightest bulbs burning, but then neither are most boxing officials and fans, so OP in good company.
Povetkin, Haye, Chagaev, Byrd, and even Lefties Tony Thompson and Corrie Sanders who died a heroes death could get in. They would all beat most HOF Hvys currently enshrined. Only a half dozen elite HOF Hvys would have a chance.
I know the board unjustly hates Wlad and Vitali. How do you see them in the pantheon of greats. And Usyk? He seems like a fantastic fighter to me. Up there with anyone I've seen in the division since following the sport.
Currently I'd go 1-Joe Louis, 2a&b-The Klitschkos, 4- Big George, 5-Jack Dempsey...It's a scramble after that.
Ironically Big George set a record for winning a title after a 10 year absence from boxing similar to Vit's 4 year absence before going straight into a WBC title fight vs Champion Sam Peter whom he KOed.
*** Boxrec rankings as of September 5th, 2010 while Vitali, Wlad, and David Haye were all putting together their fights.
The (notes) are mine of course:
1. Wlad
2. Vitali
3. Haye (already backed out of one signed and sealed contract and refused recent 50/50 offer by the Klitschkos, signing to defend against Audley Harrison in spite of repeated denials that he was even in negotiations)
4. Adamek (pending to allow cuts to heal, but apparently fighting Maddalone in Dec)
5. Chagaev (beat badly by Wlad and currently Haye’s mandatory)
6. Povetkin (refused to sign negotiated agreement to challenge in Wlad’s last defense, thus losing his 2 yr long mandatory ranking, not to mention his trainer, Teddy Atlas, says Povetkin is not yet ready to challenge for the title.)
7. Valuev (interesting deal was almost put together against Vitali, but out into next year with left shoulder/wrist surgery)
8. Peter (beat badly by Wlad 2x/Vitali 1x)
9. Thompson (beat badly by Wlad with no following)
10. Chambers (beat badly by Wlad and still rebuilding)
11. Arreola (beat badly by Vitali and still rebuilding)
12. Dimitrenko (new EBU champ, but turned down Klitschko offers, maybe building into a much bigger promotion in the next year of two)
13. Gomez (beat badly by Vitali and a last ditch opponent for now)
14. Sexton (busy being knocked out by Chisora)
15. Boytsov (maybe in the future, but only 24 and shaking off the rust after coming back from hand surgery, now is not his time, maybe a year or two in a bigger promotion)
16. Austin (beat badly by Wlad with no following)
17. Helenius (very promising prospect recently breaking into fringe contender. Maybe a year or two away in a much bigger promotion)
18. Solis (chubby growing into a blimp with promoter problems looking like he’s moving to challenge for the WBA cheese belt, not the Klitschkos)
19. Pianeta (who dat?)
20. T Ibragimov (The lesser talented of the Russian Iggys, his cousin already lost a shutout against Wlad)
21. Sosnowski (beat badly by Vitali and rebuilding against Dimitrenko)
22. Ustinov (undefeated Russian Bigfoot monster promoted by Ks and wants a Kbro. I’m guessing Vitali’s retirement fight if he makes it past Briggs and can’t sign Haye or Valuev)
23. Holyfield (Oh, brother, where art thou buried? Jeez…..)
24. Platov (who? See Pianeta!)
25. Johnson (beat worse than badly by Vitali……..please, watching Vitali try to stuff a giant squash into a blender would be better stuffing for a Saturday night turkey……..nevermore…….nevermore…….)
So, thusly informed, now say HELLO to one Shannon The Cannon Briggs, lifelong asthmaholic, part time wastrel, yet all while breaking the all time first round KO record first officially recorded by Jack Dempsey in his all time tear through the heavy division. Briggs has 31 first round KOs, unofficially 32 but for failing a post fight drug test, probably a positive test result for ganja. Briggs is unabashedly Jamaican after all.
Briggs is a strange one alright. He was a dynamic, charismatic young personality who won the ‘Dream’ “Lineal” heavyweight title with a dubious decision over the nearing 50 yr old Big George Foreman, then was knocked out in a ferocious slugfest against WBC champ Lennox Lewis in his very next bout. Instead of rebuilding, he partied hardy and let his training and weight go, thus was written off as a wasted talent.
In spite of all the above shortcomings, many years later he managed to renew “The Dream” when Briggs lifted the WBO title from the then highly regarded Siarhei Liakhovich with a Hail Mary last second knockout in the 12th round, a title that Briggs promptly dropped in his first defense. He then retired to hit the all you can eat buffets for 2 yrs before coming back hard with 4 straight 1st rd Kos.