15 rounds. Does the "Hatchetman's" deadly right shatter Moorer's shakey chin? Or does Moorer, who has good skills, box carefully enough to avoid it and keep his title? This one is tough to pick. People will no doubt point to Moorer's southpaw style being a problem, but remember that Sheppard fought Lee Q. Murray 6 times (winning twice) and always put up a good tussle. Murray was a switch-hitter, which can be worse than fighting a southpaw. I'll go out on a limb and pick Sheppard to land a bomb somewhere mid-fight and knock Moorer kicking.
Are you shittin' me..??? I believe I have an old Holmes Kayoing Sheppard inside the distance from the USA Tues. Night Fights of the 1990s.... SR.BILL
Just checked.... I do have Holmes KO 4 Sheppard from 1996 Texas..... Isn't Sheppard a sorta' / kinda' Shannon Briggs look-a-like with dredlock hair, etc.??? MR.BILL
:huh http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=12440&cat=boxer I think this is the good Sheppard.....Sr.Bill.....
This content is protected This is the Original Curtis Sheppard......a ranked HW from 40´s......but I can´t say much about the guy....
Interesting.....:rasta I only know of the clubfighter who looked like Briggs to a degree and was TKO'd by Holmes in '96..... I have it on tape.... I know zilch about the old era Sheppard... MR.BILL:thumbsup
Michael Moorer looked like a Mike Tysonesque destroyer at 175. He lost his focus, ballooned, and eventually had to move up, but at 175, the destruction potency of his offense was on as high a level as any 175er ever. How many light heavyweights moved to heavyweight and were actually very good punchers? Not many. Moorer did to Cooper what Holyfield in 200 punches couldn't, take him off his feet with single big shots. Dude would be a challenge to every 175er in history, and beat most of them. Believe it. I'll never forget a local trainer who trained 3 175er pro's watching a young Moorer fight and telling his charges to move up or down to avoid having to get in the ring with that killer. At heavyweight, he was much less formidable. Could be taken at any time by anybody with a big punch. I don't know much about Curtis Sheppard, but how durable he is and how hard he hit would factor into my answer is a huge way.
I remember how awesome a prospect Moorer was as a light-heavyweight too. His punching power brought him the same sort of hype that Mugabi or Tyson (or Benn here in England) enjoyed early on. Obviously Hearns comparisons (being a Kronk fighter) were forthcoming too. But his opposition wasn't exactly up to much. He was rightly rated behind Hill and Williams at the time. He was a great prospect but I dont think he would have been ready to take on historical all-time greats.
I'm probably inclined to think 'champions' from any era are champions for a reason - so probably lean towards Moorer - plus I'm sure I remember reading a quote from Archie Moore which went something like Sheppard only hit me once in our fight and the one time he hit me he dropped me like I'd fell out of a tree - so you'd guess that Sheppard might be a little limited in terms of anything other than pure raw power - Moorer proved against that by prevailing against Holyfield and also a big puncher in smokin bert at heavyweight that that there was a little more to him but who knows? I'd probably say 80% Moorer 20% Sheppard but I suppose the 20% could involve a major curve ball at anytime?
I wouldn't pick Shepard.. Shepard was beaten 33 times, and at 5'11", 194 lbs would have been a cruiserweight in Moorer's era who at heavyweight stood 6'3", and weighed around 220. Moorer could hit hard as well, fought an awkward south paw style and rose off the canvas against some decent hitters to win fights..
Maybe once in 10 or so fights he could accomplish this. Hitting hard and winning against top flight boxers are two different things. I guarantee the 30 or so guys who beat Sheppard weren't all a class better than Moorer. In fact, I would say very few were even in MM's class. And don't forget, Moorer survived the bombs of Cooper, who many who fought him claimed hit as hard as any heavy.
