What Heavyweight Did You Think...

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 11 Jun 2006, 18:29

Would have been champion but failed to do so?

There are many Heavyweights who had the 'look' and the resume, but seemed to fail when they hit the top ten or even in title bouts.

Here is my list:

1.) Jerry Quarry

2.) Gerry Cooney

3.) Ken Norton *

4.) Earnie Shavers

* Norton was awarded the WBC belt after Spinks chose to have a rematch with Muhammad Ali---but I do not consider Norton to be a true champion, as he did not 'win' it from anybody.

Now I could throw in names of 'white hopes' and other fighters who were more 'hype' and living in a 'pipe dream' of becoming a champion, and this would be my list as follows:

1.) Duane Bobick

2.) Tommy Morrison

3.) Mac Foster

4.) Michael Grant

5.) Jorge Luis Gonzales

And of course there are countless others, and I am sure your lists would be far more different than my own, and everybody's opinion is correct.

I don't list Cooney in with Bobick, because Cooney fought harder in defeat than any of these other 'white hopes' like Bobick. Plus Cooney fought for the title and in my opinion could have beaten any of the other alphabet titlist' (Coetzee atm) when he faced Holmes.

The Scranton Assassin · Post by **The Scranton Assassin** » 12 Jun 2006, 04:04

Norton and Shavers both got robbed against Ali and should have been champ

generic screen name · Post by **generic screen name** » 12 Jun 2006, 09:38

If Cooney would've won the heavyweight championship, It wouldn't be for long, he was mentally fragile.

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 13 Jun 2006, 04:32

I think Tommy Morrison gets unfair criticism. He was a good honest fighter. he wasn't the best by any means but he always gave a good account fo himself. He got in with some top fighters and made a name for himself with his skills and determination and not just his skin colour. There's no doubt that white HWs get more breaks but Morrison would have done well no matter what.

barry · Post by **barry** » 13 Jun 2006, 05:38

If Morrison would have had a chin and decent stamina, he would have been hell to handle, well, he was hell to handle with a weak chin, but aside from Jeremy Williams, Morrison had one of the weakest chins that I have ever seen, but he also had one helluva left hook!

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 13 Jun 2006, 06:38

barry wrote:If Morrison would have had a chin and decent stamina, he would have been hell to handle, well, he was hell to handle with a weak chin, but aside from Jeremy Williams, Morrison had one of the weakest chins that I have ever seen, but he also had one helluva left hook!

Stamina and HWs seem to haver got divorced in the early 90s... Everyone seems to be obsessed by size and muscles. It's like watching 2 body builders plodding around these days.

Flump · Post by **Flump** » 13 Jun 2006, 07:19

My list of the best heavyweights not to have won or been awarded a title(since, say 1970) would be as follows, in no particular order.

Jerry Quarry
Great skills, weak skin
Ron Lyle
Big punch, one paced
Earnie Shavers
Serious hitter,bad stamina
Jimmy Young
Great skills, little power
Gerry Cooney
Big puncher, fragile mentality
Razor Ruddock
Another big hitter,forgot his right hand
Francesco Damiani
Good skills,poor chin
Ray Mercer
Great chin, poor discipline
Tommy Morrison
Good punch, bad chin
Andrew Golota
Had the tools, not the brains

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 13 Jun 2006, 12:42

..nothing to add....except the "weak chin" for Jerry Quarry is was way off base!!! He had a great chin....and in my opinion this is what led to his tragic and fatal brain damage. he took fearsome beatings but just wouldn't go down....thus his head took batterings longer....both in individual fights and his over all career than they should have.

i'm interested in hearing from boxbuzz on this....

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 13 Jun 2006, 12:54

Jaclem wrote:..nothing to add....except the "weak chin" for Jerry Quarry is was way off base!!!

I think he said weak skin in his post, not weak chin.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 13 Jun 2006, 13:51

hmm i see the skin/chin issue...guessing we are referring to his propensity to get cut..... My guess is no one would accuse Jerry of not having a beard.

On the "pugilistic dimentia" issue it's one I tend to debate on occasion...

1.some boxers don't get it from there chosen occupation and never seem to lose there "edge". Mostly guys who tend to avoid the incoming. (Is Ray Leonard a good example here?)

2. a few boxers do not avoid the incoming all that well and still seem to avoid getting it (Is Roberto Duran a good example here?)

3.of those boxers who clearly demonstrate it how many would have gotten it anyway because of some natural cause in life? (Ali may be an example of this or he may be a mix of "natural" and "occupationally imposed" parkinsonian symptoms.

4. Jerry probably was "occupationaly imposed"

QUESTION.....How does/did George Chuvalo do in this catagory? Does he show symptoms? He should but I have not heard the man talk since his career ended. I assume he is still alive.....

*Some boxers just plain get it from the beatings they take
*Some have a remarkable resistance to it.

Diego Corralles worries me currently. He seems to be showing some signs.

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 13 Jun 2006, 14:14

BoxBuzz wrote:QUESTION.....How does/did George Chuvalo do in this catagory? Does he show symptoms? He should but I have not heard the man talk since his career ended. I assume he is still alive.....

He is very much alive and can be seen on some of the ESPNC Ringside shows. He doesn’t seem to show any real signs of dementia, although his speech isn’t as clear as back in the 60’s. However, that’s probably due more to age than any affects from his ring beatings. What a warrior.

What Heavyweight Did You Think...

What Heavyweight Did You Think...

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