Is Frazier's Destruction of Foster...

While you know I'm a big Frazier supporter, "both great light heavyweights" does not equal "both equally valuable wins for a heavyweight." Spinks was a proven high-level heavyweight (in fact, he was linear champion). Foster was not. Of these two, Tyson's win was much more significant.

 

Not really.Tyson was facing an undefeated fighter many had thought would test him.Spinks was in over his head.Foster had no business in the ring with Frazier whatsoever.

 

Foster rocked Ali and cut his face to shreds ? Can we possible try to stretch the truth a little less ... seriously , wow ..

 

A very impressive win for Joe..he should have gotten more credit for it..afterall, Foster was at his peak, whether he did well vs heavies or not.

 

At least Foster was trying to win, Spinks was a big nothing against Tyson.

 

Slinks was champ. Foster wasn't.

There was a good article about that fight recently. I think it was in relation to Joes ability to pressure a fighter.

Foster and Frazier were good buddies. I think Frazier could move, close and take Foster's punch, Foster couldn't take Smokin Joe's.

RIP Joe

 

Agreed. Spinks didn't fight the solid heavyweight contenders at the time. He avoided Greg Page, Pinklon Thomas, Tim Witherspoon, etc. He beat Holmes, which was great, but then he fought guys like Tangstad and a rusty, washed out Gerry Cooney. It's hard to judge Spinks at heavyweight based simply on his two performances against HOlmes, who was clearly on the down side of his career.

 

Foster was a great LH champ...but he could not get over the hump with the heavyweights..give Joe his due...Spinks was terrified that night...

 

Very bad and ignorant comparison .
Bob Foster was not anywhere near Michael Spinks .
Spinks was only KOd by Tyson and even then Tyson was blatantly helped by d use of his elbows . Foster however was fair & square destroyed by Doug Jones , hardly a Tyson .
And u can also compare Spinks' 2 close fights with Larry Holmes as opposed 2 Foster's destruction by Ali . Even in their lightheavyweight reigns they do not come close 2 being close in quality . Spinks fought Qawi , Mustaffa Muhammad and a few more . Foster fought ? no1 worth a mention .
Foster was also KDd and defeated by Mauro Mina , do u know who that was ? later he was also KOd by Terrell and lost 2 Zora Folley .

Michael Spinks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Foster .
Leon Spinks > Bob Foster

 

I go along with that. Spinks froze.

 

Foster and Spinks were two of the best ever Light-Heavyweights. I definitely agree with you about Michael's resume being a lot better than Bob's though.

 

Spinks might have been 1 of d best , Foster's resume was thoroughly surpassed by so many that when some1 claims that he was 1 of d best , i know that that 1 does not know how 2 count

 

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Does Bob Foster beat Steffen Tangstad? Keep in mind that Bob was decked in the first round by 11-12-3 Eddie Vick in their August 1968 rematch. The 190 pound Vick never produced a stoppage win. Tangstad drew with Buster Douglas in Chicago, and was awarded decisions over Evangelista, Bugner, Lakusta and Lucien Rodriguez, all more accomplished regional HW titlists. Lakusta was a future Canadian champion, Evangelista was on an eight fight winning streak, and would regain the European Championship within a year, Tangstad dethroned Rodriguez for the EBU Title, Bugner was coming off a win over Anders Eklund, and would defeat Tillis, Bey and Page in his next three bouts, and we all know what Douglas would ultimately achieve in Tokyo. Did Bob ever prove he could defeat a heavyweight of Tangstad's caliber?

With respect to Tyson-Spinks, we had a case of one of the fastest starting heavyweights in history at his peak blowing out one of the slowest starting professional ATGs to ever lace on the gloves. Yes, Tyson could predictably have steamrolled him even if Spinks had warmed up properly, but I do wonder how their match might have unfolded if Spinks had somehow gotten out of the opening rounds as he unexpectedly managed to do with Cooney.

If Bob was facing the razor sharp and fast starting Frazier of the April 1969 Zyglewicz bout in Houston, instead of the rusty Smoke of November 1970 (coming off of nine months of inactivity in part due to a fractured right ankle sustained during a Las Vegas dance number in April 1970), then what we saw in round two of Frazier-Foster may well have been how the opening round would have unfolded.

 

Plenty of people fancied Tyson to beat Spinks, but nobody thought he would beat in the manner he did, being so quickly & clinically. That's the reason why he is given so much credit for the Win, & rightly so.

If Tyson would have beaten, by lets say, 10th round TKO, people would have said, "Oh but Spinks lasted 10 rounds". Tyson blew Spinks away quickly. No one predicted such an early ending.