Wrong Man at the Wrong Time

[jamiebhoy]

Which of your favourite boxers where around when their division was just stacked with people they couldn't beat to be an ATG but in a different era could have been truly huge.

First off I go for Tommy Hearns, despite what he achieved he still was in the shadow of Leonard and Hagler and didn't take on the best Duran so for me despite achieving great things he could have been up ther with some more household names.

[ElTerribleMorales]

Which of your favourite boxers where around when their division was just stacked with people they couldn't beat to be an ATG but in a different era could have been truly huge.

First off I go for Tommy Hearns, despite what he achieved he still was in the shadow of Leonard and Hagler and didn't take on the best Duran so for me despite achieving great things he could have been up ther with some more household names.

up to a certain point Tyson, i mean he's considered one of the greatest HW champs, but you could easily question how good most of his wins were against his opponents at the time, IMO he would have given any of the great heavies a run for their money, and would have fit in just nicely with Foreman, Ali, Frazier, and crew

[Master]

Herol Graham was due for a shot at Hagler lost against Kalambay, personal issues. Then loses against McCallum after an unfair point deduction and then walked into Jackson after the corner were going to throw in the towel. By the time he got another shot he was old and had no legs to last against Brewer, even though he had him down early on.

[JazMerkin]

I think Ken Norton gets very underrated due to being in the greatest HW era there has been. He just met a beast against Foreman and in his prime only really lost debatable decisions to Ali and Holmes, as well as beating Ali once. However, I feel that due to his less than aesthetically pleasing style and being overshadowed by the magneticism of Ali and Frazier and the raw power and fear generated by Foreman that he gets overlooked. He also was coming out of his prime by the time he fought Holmes so didn't really have a chance to dominate a weaker division, but was more the 4th guy when the division was great.

[ICB]

I think Ken Norton gets very underrated due to being in the greatest HW era there has been. He just met a beast against Foreman and in his prime only really lost debatable decisions to Ali and Holmes, as well as beating Ali once. However, I feel that due to his less than aesthetically pleasing style and being overshadowed by the magneticism of Ali and Frazier and the raw power and fear generated by Foreman that he gets overlooked. He also was coming out of his prime by the time he fought Holmes so didn't really have a chance to dominate a weaker division, but was more the 4th guy when the division was great.

I think Ken Norton would always fail, in any era. You keep mentioning the Larry Holmes fight, but i don't know how you had Ken Norton winning that personally. He lost atleast 7 rounds in a row, and despite a great comeback late on.

He didn't have a clean sweep all the way to the 15th round, he clearly lost the 13th round and one other of those later rounds was debatable aswell.

But forgetting that for a second, the reason he done well vs Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes. Is because he could take away there best weapon, which is there left jab. And also because there only mediocre punchers.

Everytime he was put in with a puncher he was KO'ed, the fact is Ken Norton didn't have a great chin. And he was also lucky he even won a version of a Heavyweight title. Because many people thought he lost to Jimmy Young.

Ken Norton's a good solid fighter, but put him in the 1980's he would of lost to Mike Tyson, Tim Witherspoon, and other punches like Frank Bruno, Razor Ruddock, ETC.

Put him in the 90's he would of lost to a handful of fighters, put him in 00's and he would lose to the Klitschko brothers.

I just can't see him dominating any era really, only if he was put in the older era. Where he had all the physical advantages.

[Spicoli]

Ike Quartey....this man had everything save for activity level it seems.One more KD or differing judge and he tops Oscar.Should have taken "w" over sqandered talent Jose L. Lopez,thought he beat Forrest also.

[CutMeMick]

"Yaqui" Lopez...

[El Kabong]

I doubt Tyson would have done much in the 1970's....maybe the early 60's vs Liston and Co. but Foreman would have wrecked him, Ali would have toyed with him, and I think Tyson-Frazier is a toss up just because Mike is an early fighter and Joe poured it on late so it all depends on when someone got caught.

RON LYLE would have done well in a different era, tough fella, big punch, bad stamina though

EARNIE SHAVERS at 6'1 205 and hitting the way he did, I think the 1930's-1960's would have been PRIME time for him

Ray Mercer, had he been around when Tyson was in his prime he would have given him a run and probably beaten Mike.

[ElTerribleMorales]

I doubt Tyson would have done much in the 1970's....maybe the early 60's vs Liston and Co. but Foreman would have wrecked him, Ali would have toyed with him, and I think Tyson-Frazier is a toss up just because Mike is an early fighter and Joe poured it on late so it all depends on when someone got caught.

RON LYLE would have done well in a different era, tough fella, big punch, bad stamina though

EARNIE SHAVERS at 6'1 205 and hitting the way he did, I think the 1930's-1960's would have been PRIME time for him

Ray Mercer, had he been around when Tyson was in his prime he would have given him a run and probably beaten Mike.

oh i agree he wouldn't of dominated and would have probably lost to Ali and Foreman, but he would have fared well with pretty much all of the rest, i mean the fact that you even said Frazier/Tyson would be a toss up is enough to be able to say Tyson would have been able to hold his own against the best

IMO Holyfield is another example, he's already considered one of, if not the best Cruiserweights of all time, he would have destroyed pretty much any of the modern (2000-2010) Cruisers easily

[El Kabong]

I think Terrell, Young, Lyle, and Shavers would have been big tests for Tyson....I certainly would have liked to see him challeneged more in his "Prime".

[ElTerribleMorales]

I think Terrell, Young, Lyle, and Shavers would have been big tests for Tyson....I certainly would have liked to see him challeneged more in his "Prime".

i agree, i think a fight with Lyle would have been similar to the Ruddock fight, Lyle would have gone down but would have gotten right up and given Tyson hell

[boxer dude]

Which of your favourite boxers where around when their division was just stacked with people they couldn't beat to be an ATG but in a different era could have been truly huge.

First off I go for Tommy Hearns, despite what he achieved he still was in the shadow of Leonard and Hagler and didn't take on the best Duran so for me despite achieving great things he could have been up ther with some more household names.

actually hearns did take on Duran, he knocked him out cold like in the third round

[Spicoli]

I doubt Tyson would have done much in the 1970's....maybe the early 60's vs Liston and Co. but Foreman would have wrecked him, Ali would have toyed with him, and I think Tyson-Frazier is a toss up just because Mike is an early fighter and Joe poured it on late so it all depends on when someone got caught.

RON LYLE would have done well in a different era, tough fella, big punch, bad stamina though

EARNIE SHAVERS at 6'1 205 and hitting the way he did, I think the 1930's-1960's would have been PRIME time for him

Ray Mercer, had he been around when Tyson was in his prime he would have given him a run and probably beaten Mike.

Not sure about Mercer.He really hit his stride at best in with Morrison but his peak was at best eratic.He was coming on while Tyson was showing slippage and I flash back to a poor mans Tyson-esq clone in Bert Cooper....a quality cooper taking Mercer to hell and back over 12 rounds and having his face misshapen in a war.Mercers jab was pretty underrated when it was on but he soaked up to much leather and I dont think he cracked hard enough to hang with Tysons speed/power.Helluva fight though......would of loved a Mercer/Moorer fight back then also.Always struck me as a quality matchup that got away.

[El Kabong]

Mercer was streaky, one fight he could give Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield all he could handle or just demolish Tommy Morrison and then another fight he loses to an ancient Larry Holmes.....his career wasn't a smooth one it had lots of peaks and valleys.

[ElTerribleMorales]

Which of your favourite boxers where around when their division was just stacked with people they couldn't beat to be an ATG but in a different era could have been truly huge.

First off I go for Tommy Hearns, despite what he achieved he still was in the shadow of Leonard and Hagler and didn't take on the best Duran so for me despite achieving great things he could have been up ther with some more household names.

actually hearns did take on Duran, he knocked him out cold like in the third round

that was Duran past his best, i'm pretty sure jamiebhoy means the same Duran that beat Leonard at welterweight, not the blown up 154 version