70s-80s boxing without Larry Holmes

Well i'm gonna assume that the winner of ali-spinks 2 gets mandated to fight norton and does so losing to him.

So unofficially norton was the best from 76, but in 78 he legitimises his claim. He gets a couple of defences vs spinks and ocassio before getting blasted out by shavers.

Shavers is champ from 80-82 until he loses a shootout to cooney. Old foreman comes back sooner in 83 to knockout cooney in his first defence and he knocks out spinks when he steps up. He keeps the belt until 86 defending against the usual suspects until tyson comes along.

Tyson stops the usually durable foreman and still loses to douglas. Douglas still loses to holyfield who loses then avenges bowe before losing to then avenging moorer. Tyson comes back the same blasting out bruno for the wbc and then loses a unification match with holyfield. Holyfield then loses to lewis and history continues the same.

 

Canny good predictions m8, But imo Old Foreman KO's Tyson in 1986, so i say Old Foreman is World Champ from 1983 till 1991 when he loses defending to Holyfield. So Foreman is Champ 1973-1974, 1983-1991 And 1994-1997 when he gets ROBBED by evil blind judges VS Shannon Briggs. Them years as Champ would be enough to make Foreman teh GOAT. :deal

 

Shavers would be greater than he is today......would be a top 20 HW of all time...

 

I think george would have retired upon losing to holyfield in your scenario there because he'd have fed the itch he had.

Regarding tyson vs big george in 86, he'd have been 3 years into his comeback but I see him losing a brawl to the fresh iron mike. Holy was able to get to foreman in 92 and the timescale is about similar, but only iron hits a lot harder than holy.

 

A young and in shape challenger (call him Witherspoon, Dokes, Thomas, or what you will) wins the title while looking like a great fighter, but then loses it in his first defense while looking like a whale. Rinse and repeat. Nobody really sticks out.

 

The WBC title would have suffered the same fate as the WBA version. Would have changed hands after nearly every defence,untill Tyson came along.

 

Jimmy Young may have had a rematch with Ken Norton.

 

PP,...you are a blasphemer, sir. :twisted:

I can't see it, myself. I don't think he was great at all. Just one great attribute. Everything else was wanting at the highest level and even if he got a title, he'd get knocked out or outclassed by somebody soon enough and he'd go down almost the same way. A fine top 5-10 heavyweight of his time, at his best, but very beatable by a genuine top-notch guy. In my opinion, anyway.

 

:rofl

Foreman already is the GOAT, in your mind.
Except, boxers like Ali and Young son'd him in his immediate prime.

 

Arum had all those late 70's WBA fights and after ALI, goes after Coetzee because he can sell out Johannesburg. He digs guys up for him and he never matches with Tate, who Arum never ever supported much anyway. We see defenses like Knoetzee, Knoetzee's brother, a Schutte rematch and a few more softies/winnable fights.

Don King goes after Teo Stevenson and signs him up and steers him to WBC title. Turns him into his pet project and bankrolls him. And soft defenses up until Page/Dokes fights. King also signs up Cooney and when the IBF is formed, has Gerry named champ.

Tyson comes along and clears up the mess just like he did the 2nd half of the 80's.