80's heavyweights..

when? Yes he had talent, later proved what he could have been but why is he under rated?

Tubbs beat smith who was on a losing streak then he edged page (worst title fight ever) who buster douglas would beat in his next fight. I know a guy who fought clarance hill (who put Tubbs on the deck) and he said clarence couldnt hit for ****.

 

To be honest with you I had Tubbs one round up but it was a learning fight, bowe was the better heavyweight. with no mileage in tubbs as a force at that point and with so little in it I had no qualms in the judges going with the future rather than the past on that occasion even though I had tony one round up.

Holmes beat mercer more clearly, he took mercer to school where as tubbs against bowe messed around, slowed the pace and kept things at friendly sparring mode - he was not trying to kick anyone’s ass in that fight.

Bowe v Tubbs was like Tyson v Tillis, a step up fight twhere the adjustment in class took too many rounds for the prospect to get used to. The veteran was not the better fighter in either fight. Bowe would have ruined Tubbs in a rematch just like Tyson would have ruined tillis in a rematch. Tubbs was no better than Tillis in that respect, and that is a compliment.

 

There is street tough and then there is ring tough. Two different things entirely. I have no doubt green was THE man on the street but even with all his talent as a GG boxer the fact is it never panned out in the pros.

 

fair points. However I dont think Tubbs stealing an extra round against a young Bowe with nothing at stake in a learning fight helps Tubb's 1980s legacy. joey maxim beat floyd patterson in exactly that kind of fight. It did not boost maxims legacy. If muhammad ali fought doug jones a year earlier than he did ali would have lost but would it make jones any better than he was? Tubbs was the opponent against Bowe it was his job to test the youngster and keep it friendly there was nothing at stake nobody was rated at that time either. Tubbs was trading o his name and looking for the next buck. I think bowe was told "go out there and learn from him" and bowe did but forgot to beat tubbs up.

 

Tony Tubbs was a heck of a fighter, fat or not.

 

I dont think tubbs was much better than quick tillis, only he just did not fight as many contenders as tillis did. Tubbs had neat skills but was lucky he did not have to fight guys like coetzee, Bruno, weaver, james broad, carl williams, cobb, berbick, thomas or even marvis frazier. Of his own era Tubbs went 1-1 with page and witherspoon, two of the better guys outside of Holmes and did not fight anyone else of much standing. The way page was begining to drop decsisions at that point even that is not such a big deal. For the most part Tubbs was a world class spoiler who stole rounds on the sly. he was never ever regarded as the best heavyweight in the world. Tubbs got by on the hope of what he could be, never on what he actualy was.