BoxRec

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 02:46 how much better was larry's reign than ggg's

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 04:34

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 02:46 how much better was larry's reign than ggg's

Was Larry’s reign better than Wlads?

BroughtonRulesRefuge wrote: ↑04 Oct 2021, 21:11

Crease wrote: ↑02 Oct 2021, 18:35

BroughtonRulesRefuge wrote: ↑01 Oct 2021, 02:14Not sure why you would have to ask for the most obvious answer, but Mike Tyson. Set a record not likely to be broken as the youngest hvy champ when he grabbed the WBC in an iconic blowout, and then preceded to knock down all the relevant WBA champs Lar avoided as well as the undefeated Mike Spinks himself in another iconic blowout that bookended his prime.

That's fine, we are all aware of Tyson's credentials... But didn't Tyson rise to Champ in '86... And Ali retired in '78...
So there is an eight year stretch
Who was the best Heavyweight in those years, immediately proceeding after Ali's retirement?
That is the time frame that I was talking about as you well know

Crease wrote: ↑28 Sep 2021, 17:49Probably the greatest thing about Larry was that he was dominant over a long stretch of time - he was World Heavyweight Champion from 78 to 85 and that encompasses 20 successful title fights...

No point skipping ahead nearly a decade there...

- Playing movable goalposts are you? You asked, "So who was the best Heavyweight around during the post Ali era?"

Tyson was, is, and always shall be the answer forever more. He's little more than 3 yrs removed from the last Ali fight, and then he obliterated the stink of Lar and his fellow WBA titlists that Lar ducked like a walk in the park.

Here's Lar at age 23, his pro debut, this after getting KOed in the Olympic Trials as an Ali protégé by Dwayne Bobick.

https://boxrec.com/en/event/191/194

Age 23 - Joe Louis wins the undisputed title.
Age 22 - Clay wins a disputed title in the farce of Liston and thus stripped by the WBA in the rematch farce where Ali should've been DQed for fighting with JJWalcott and trying to kick Liston in the head.
Age 23 and Tyson concussively and conclusively had already consolidated all relevant 4 titles that counted as the 80s closed to restore boxing as the most magnetic professional sport in the world . Relevant literature then including most old salts had never seen anything like him and were pronouncing him the best ever, and had he then retired, that's what it would be today. You could look it up along with Lar's 0-6, 0 KO record against standing champs having won their titles in the ring. It ain't brain surgery

Let's put down the supposed Lar lineal title for beating a medically feeble Ali whom Ferdie had removed himself from. I could've beat that Ali, not that 20,000 other heathy males knowing about boxing couldn't have also accomplished the dirty deed if they had the stomach to fight a sick man. Had I been The Grand Poohbah, in advance I'd have sentenced all relevant promoters and commishes to a 5 year mandatory sentence living in and working gratis in local Dog Pounds.

I have never watched that fight nor the Berbick fight any more than I watch medically or mentally impaired folks getting beat up on youtube. Thank the heavens above Vander recently eliminated hisself post haste in his Triller disaster with no damage done save that to his reputation and his fans.

The dishonestly disingenuous often cite that Tyson only gave Lar 3 months notice for their fight ignoring Lar had been in training for a year in his own gym on his own homestead for just that fight in between appearing at every Tyson fight to publicly impugn Mike in the most derogatory manner possible on broadcast TV. Lar begged and Mike gave it to him.

Mike never had to beg. Fighters came begging to him, thus Lar became one in a long line of them, and then Lar went begging to Foreman and on to Butterbean. 'Tis what it 'tis...

thereverend wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 07:38 Incredible how overrated Tyson has become, and how underrated Holmes always has been. There's actually posters complaining about how 'unlikeable' Holmes is, while Tyson's behavior has been much worse. Holmes was champion for 7 years, Tyson for only 3. When Holmes lost to Tyson he was 38 years old. When Tyson was 38 years old who was he fighting? When Tyson was in his prime years he was either in prison or biting off ears. Tyson's career was a tragedy and an example of wasted talent not a success story.

The idea that Joshua would beat Holmes in his prime is ridiculous. Of course Joshua would have a chance to beat Holmes when he was fighting guys like Butterbean. I wonder who Joshua will be fighting when he's 50? We've seen how well Tyson fights in his 50s..

thereverend wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 07:38 Incredible how overrated Tyson has become, and how underrated Holmes always has been. There's actually posters complaining about how 'unlikeable' Holmes is, while Tyson's behavior has been much worse. Holmes was champion for 7 years, Tyson for only 3. When Holmes lost to Tyson he was 38 years old. When Tyson was 38 years old who was he fighting? When Tyson was in his prime years he was either in prison or biting off ears. Tyson's career was a tragedy and an example of wasted talent not a success story.

The idea that Joshua would beat Holmes in his prime is ridiculous. Of course Joshua would have a chance to beat Holmes when he was fighting guys like Butterbean. I wonder who Joshua will be fighting when he's 50? We've seen how well Tyson fights in his 50s..

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 00:06 what would we rate as larry's 5 best wins of his long long reign?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 03:41 When people talk about the 80’s boxing.

Do we think Holmes?

Or do we think the 4 kings?

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 00:06what would we rate as larry's 5 best wins of his long long reign?

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 04:34Was Larry’s reign better than Wlads?

Crease wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 07:26

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 00:06what would we rate as larry's 5 best wins of his long long reign?

Well he beat Norton, Weaver, Berbick, Witherspoon, Bonecrusher Smith & The Truth Williams - all of which were World Heavyweight Champions themselves...
And that's not counting his destruction of Leon Spinks or what he did to poor old Ali...

Larry has a very strong resume... He's a top ten guy, he has to be - he's achieved too much to be ignored...

Crease wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 07:34

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑05 Oct 2021, 04:34Was Larry’s reign better than Wlads?

I would have said so... But Wlad was brilliant himself, very serious operator at the top level - very, very professional...

The problem with Wlad's career is the there are fighters who were around the same time that he never tested himself against - his brother for one (who I think would have beat him) and a bout against Nikolay Valuev would have been an interesting test for him...

One other thing i would say is that he had some very odd fights - Alex Leapai? Then he was was sanctioned to fight his own sparring partner - Pianeta...

Wlad is a Heavyweight great for sure, he just doesn't rank as high as Larry...

DrDuke wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 03:43

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 03:41 When people talk about the 80’s boxing.

Do we think Holmes?

Or do we think the 4 kings?

The majority thinks of Tyson.

jamesmcdonnell wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 15:09

DrDuke wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 03:43

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 03:41 When people talk about the 80’s boxing.

Do we think Holmes?

Or do we think the 4 kings?

The majority thinks of Tyson.

Larry's body of work is way more impressive.

DrDuke wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 07:43Yeah, but Williams wasn't a champ.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑06 Oct 2021, 03:41 When people talk about the 80’s boxing.

Do we think Holmes?

Or do we think the 4 kings?

ironbeard wrote: ↑09 Oct 2021, 20:53 Holmes in his 40’s would have beaten AJ.