Most underappreciated HW champ?

[Senya13]

Post-exile Ali easily competes with Ruiz in most unattractive style of 'fighting'. A lot of his fights were so boring I'd never agree to watch them again except for big sum of money.

[Sweet Science]

Originally Posted by Senya13

Post-exile Ali easily competes with Ruiz in most unattractive style of 'fighting'. A lot of his fights were so boring I'd never agree to watch them again except for big sum of money.

When Ali was getting old and way past it his fights weren't pretty. But if you're talking about anytime before 1975 then you're simply a crackhead with a very dirty habit who can't be taken seriously.

Comparing watching Ali at any point to watching Ruiz is laughable.

[Zakman]

Originally Posted by radianttwilight

As far as most underappreciated champ, I think Ruiz is a good choice, honestly. Most of the oldschool guys who are "underappreciated" around here tend to get praise when they do get brought up, whereas Ruiz gets bashed on a near-daily basis. I don't care for his style, but the guy has balls...he fought everyone he could, and he's no chump.

Of course Ruiz has "balls" - it takes balls for anybody to get in the ring. The problem, however, is what Ruiz does once he gets there. It is one thing to use whatever tricks you can to make up for limited ability - it is another thing, as Ruiz did repeatedly, to blatantly violate the basic rules of the sport against excessive holding. And what he did in the Thunder, Holyfield II and Johnson fights - overacting to force bogus "low blow" calls on borderline shots - is simply disgraceful.

Using illegal and disreputable tactics to make up for a lack of ability doesn't deserve any appreciation from the fans, particularly since these tactics not only cheated his opponents of their opportunity to win WITHIN the rules, as they almost certainly would have - they cheated the fans of the boxing matches they paid to see.

[Bill1234]

Originally Posted by Sweet Science

Top 10 is pushing it for Lewis.

The most under appreciated HW Champions were Larry Holmes and Ezzard Charles.
Simply because the skills and talent they had didn't warrant the unfair criticism they both received.

[Grebfan9]

Jess Willard Is A Highly Underappreciated Hw Champ.

Willard's Title Winning Fight Versus Jack Johnson Is
Still Regarded By Many As A Fix, Based On Johnson's
Version Of What Happened.

Willard Actually Had A Decent Jab And A Jarring Right
Uppercut. He Had Good Stamina And Was Durable.

In His Title Losing Fight With Jack Dempsey, Most Fans
Have Probably Seen Only Fight Clips Of The Fight, Like
The First Round, Where Dempsey Pummeled Willard
Silly. I Have The Entire Three Rounds, And Willard
Tried To Fight Back In The Second And Third Rounds.
Willard Was Too Badly Injured From The First Round
Beating To Come Back And Mount Any Type Of Sustained
Attack. But Willard Was A Real Gutsy Fighter.

[Dempsey1238]

There are MANY people that belive the Willard Johnson fight was no fix. And I one of em. I dont care how great you are. You dont beat on a guy for 25 rounds, like Johnson did Willard, and decided to take a dive in the 26th round.

[McGrain]

Originally Posted by Dempsey1238

There are MANY people that belive the Willard Johnson fight was no fix. And I one of em. I dont care how great you are. You dont beat on a guy for 25 rounds, like Johnson did Willard, and decided to take a dive in the 26th round.

I don't beleive for a second that Johson took a dive - that is BS of the highest order.

Weirdly, I think that Johnson is one of the few guys capable of going that deep before diving.

[Dempsey1238]

Its more than that though, both were landed HARD shots though out the fight. In round 25, Willard was driving home some amazing body punchings that knock the wind out of Johnson. Yes Johnson was ahead on points, and yes he was whiping Willard. But lets not forget that Willard took over in the 15 round and up about, and gave Johnson a slacking. Pounded Johnson and finally wearing out Johnson to get that big right hand home.

[janitor]

As far as I see it, even the historians who are Johnsons staunchest admirers accept that the Willard fight was on the level.

I think the dive story should be placed alongside aliens landing at Roswell.

Maybe Harry Wills.

I think the dive story should be placed alongside aliens landing at Roswell.

That's true. Roswell was a fixed show, and the fight was a .............