BoxRec

What do you think of Chris Byrd in the sense of his place in the history of boxing?

He was a 2-time World champion, held WBO and then IBF belt. The list of his scalps uncludes the likes of Holyfield, V. Klitschko, Tua, Oquendo, McCline.

The thing is, he defeated Klitschko for WBO due to Vitali's injury, he won a shadow of Holyfield, he had arguable decisions against Golota, Oquendo and some say even vs McCline.

However, Byrd seemed to be an ingenious boxer. His punch was as heavy as a feather, but he could box, he was good defense-wise, he was really slick. In the result he had some entertaining fights, even if he lost or drawn.

Is he close to be a Hall of Famer? I believe, he at least was better, than a row of 2000s champions overcoming such guys as Ruiz, Valuev, Liakhovich, Briggs, Ibragimov.

Great boxer ... don't know about HoF but definitely a great boxer ... fun to watch too ...

... as for the HoF itself ... when Mark Ratner got in that just about did it for me ... (no way) ...

It depends how big he was in the States. He was brilliant was Byrd, what an exponent of the art of boxing. He‘d fight anyone, it didn’t matter how big they were.

Very good boxer, and very courageous to have moved all the way up from Middleweight to Heavyweight in only like his 4th or 5th Pro fight, and actually managed a very successful career in doing this.

It's interesting to wonder what would've happened if he'd taken his time moving up the weights like most fighters do.

I'd like to have seen Byrd fight James Toney sometime around 2004-2006. There would have been so much skill and craft on display.

chrisjs1985 wrote: ↑23 Aug 2018, 16:07 I'd like to have seen Byrd fight James Toney sometime around 2004-2006. There would have been so much skill and craft on display.

Toney kinda jawed at Byrd a minute after the Jirov fight I recall. It would've an interesting tactical bout if not the most exciting bout in the world. Would've been a real chess match kinda fight.

I'd pick Byrd against Toney. HW division was too much for Toney, he was fat there and barely stood on his feet.

DrDuke wrote: ↑23 Aug 2018, 16:46 I'd pick Byrd against Toney. HW division was too much for Toney, he was fat there and barely stood on his feet.

Yeah. Much as I love James I'd have to agree that Byrd could've beaten him. Mainly for the fact that Byrd was a hell of a lot swifter on his feet at the weight, and would've been able to fight at a busier pace throughout. Toney was the better inside fighter, but I don't think Byrd would've been engaging him on the inside all that often.

Byrd was excellent.

Had no punch but he could box and was slippery as an eel.

Something of a Jimmy Young type but with more discipline.

Doesn't get enough credit for the Klitschko win...ya he quit on his stool but Byrd was getting to him and frustrating embarrassing him.....another example of how overated the Klitschko bros were...

He probably won't get into the HOF, but he certainly had a career to be envied. I agree with those who pick Byrd over Toney. Byrd had a bit more mobility. I think Byrd falls into the Floyd Patterson/Jimmy Ellis category: If he stayed at the light heavyweight level, we would be talking about him as top 10 in the division.

Toney, if I recall, said: "I have the Byrd trap," and recounted the several times he allegedly slapped Chris around in sparring. It'd of surely been a boxing purists dream, but unfortunately Byrd couldn't sell. He never could sell. That's why he was almost always in David vs Goliath matches cus the selling point was, "Can Byrd once again survive against the giants?", rather than on his abilities because he was viewed as a scared, runner who slapped and pawed his way to victory.

I remember how he was viewed as the man who destroyed the plausible "Lewis vs Jones" fight, when he beat Holyfield in the IBF title match. It was supposed to be Jones against Holyfield, and then against Lewis. Byrd ruined it, in people's minds because nobody would pay to see Jones and Byrd.

Duran1970 wrote: ↑25 Aug 2018, 21:07 Doesn't get enough credit for the Klitschko win...ya he quit on his stool but Byrd was getting to him and frustrating embarrassing him.....another example of how overated the Klitschko bros were...

Watch the fight again. Vitali was beating Byrd convincingly.
The official scorecards after the 9 completed rounds were: Melvina Lathan 88-83, Ruben Garcia 89-82, Joachim Jacobsen 88-83.
With only 3 rounds to go Byrd could not have won the contest on points - unless he knocked Vitali down a couple of times!

Wladimir beat up Byrd in a one sided fight. The scores after the 6 completed rounds were: Roy Francis 60-53, Steve Epstein 59-54, Robert Hoyle 59-54.

Having said that, I do agree that Chris was an excellent boxer.

Duran1970 wrote: ↑25 Aug 2018, 21:07 Doesn't get enough credit for the Klitschko win...ya he quit on his stool but Byrd was getting to him and frustrating embarrassing him.....another example of how overated the Klitschko bros were...

Byrd was on a good survival mode there, but no more. He was losing fair and square.

Don't know where I said I had Byrd winning

Survival mode? By walking him down and outpunching him the last few rounds?..

I had Byrd up 86-85. There were several close rounds. Terrible fight.
He was a likable guy who was willing to fight anyone.
I don't think he was quite the defensive wiz that some people do; he could be hit. However despite lacking power, he usually managed to get the job done.

Someone had Byrd winning Vitali. Are you kidding?

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑26 Aug 2018, 22:42 I had Byrd up 86-85. There were several close rounds. Terrible fight.

That's got to be a wind-up right?

No, we had a thread on this this a few years ago. I wasn't the only one. Others had Klitschko up but very close. Watch the fight again. If you can stomach the early parts where they are punching each other's gloves, watch the hole thing. Klitschko only had two clear rounds the entire fight. There were several close rounds with little action.

I expect everyone here knows how he developed his skills ... especially defensive skills ...

SteveO wrote: ↑27 Aug 2018, 13:55

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑26 Aug 2018, 22:42 I had Byrd up 86-85. There were several close rounds. Terrible fight.

That's got to be a wind-up right?

super predictable for this section (where also usy has nothng on the record to match the quality of the early 2000s us domestic cw scene LOL). vital one of my least favourte fghters but he was defo winng that . sure may have been closer then many had it and the actual scores...but he was ahead

Duran1970 wrote: ↑25 Aug 2018, 21:07 Doesn't get enough credit for the Klitschko win...ya he quit on his stool but Byrd was getting to him and frustrating embarrassing him.....another example of how overated the Klitschko bros were...

an example for one of them....not wlad obviously when wlad easily dominated bryd twce and had the guy down several times. vit has been far more overrated then his brother.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑27 Aug 2018, 15:39 No, we had a thread on this this a few years ago. I wasn't the only one. Others had Klitschko up but very close. Watch the fight again. If you can stomach the early parts where they are punching each other's gloves, watch the hole thing. Klitschko only had two clear rounds the entire fight. There were several close rounds with little action.

heres a thread started 2016 and you were the only one. the op started the thread to argue the fight was much closer then most say ..but even he had vitali ahead. even some random buddy you say watched with you and was probably therefore susceptible to hearing your bias account of it still had vit ahead. not even brother hater tuan j says byrd was ahead.

maybe your discussing another thread though. would be especally interested to see someone who had byrd ahead and DOESNT have an obvous anti-k brother history. even i rag on vit but im not gonna go all stupid and say he was losing that fight.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=197562

btw funny to see a certain miserable tuan j go to punch stats there when hes trashed stats so much before. whatever suits the agenda i guess but even then not even he claims byrd was ahead

Not sure if this was the same thread or not; there have been many discussions about this crappy fight.
My "random buddy" and I did not compare scores until the fights were over.
Going into the fight I really had nothing against Klitschko. This was his first fight that ever meant anything.
My "bias" against the Klitschko is that he had two major fights and lost them both. I really have no respect for quitters and have always been consistent in that.

There is an obvious bias for the Klitschkos on this Forum. When I say bias, I mean that people give them credit for things they don't give credit for other fighters. The Byrd fight is a perfect example. How often do where how he was winning the fight when it ended.
So frikkin what? This is boxing. You have to finish to win. Nobody says Tate really beat Weaver because he was ahead on points. Or dozens of examples.
Same with the Lewis fight. He couldn't finish the fight. He lost. End of story.
If you can find one example where I have ripped either of of the Klitschkos where I give another fighter a free pass in a similar situation, then name it. If you can't it's not bias.

As for punchs tats numbers, I think there is something to it but but I certainly don't have faith in them. They are culminative numbers and that is not how fights are scored. They also don't take into account how cleanly the punches landed. A grazing punch counts just as much as one right on the button. Doubtful they numbers 100% accurate anyway.
However, they can give a ballpark idea if a fight is close or not. The V. Klitschko-Byrd pillow fight was close. You would have to be biased to not think that.