What if Holmes retired at 50-0?

A case could be made. He had great skills for a heavyweight. He's considered to have the best jab in the sport by many. His chalangers wern't the best in history though.
He not only had the second longest unbeaten run, but the second most defenses. I think a lot might be dertermaned on who win #50 would have been against.

 

No, because great wins always trump numbers, and like Marciano Holmes lacks the wins to stake his claim to being the greatest heavyweight ever.

Its better to be 55-5 with wins over Frazier (2), Norton (2), Foreman, Liston (2), Patterson (2), Spinks, Shavers, Quarry (2), Ellis, and Bonavena surpass a 50-0 record with wins over Norton, Spinks, Witherspoon, Cooney, and Shavers.

 

It would depend how he beat Spinks to go 49-0. I don't recall the first fight being conterversual.

 

Spinks wasn't expected to win the first time out. Had Holmes knocked Spinks to go 49-0. He'd have had faced someone else for fight 50.

 

Not the greatest. And it depends who he fought. Technically talented, but wasn't a part of a super era, and had trouble with a lot of his best challengers.

 

I don't think Holmes would have got his props whatever he achieved.

 

Holmes could have gone to 60-0, he still did not fight 3 best contenders, Doles, Page, and Coatzee. Also never gave Mike Weaver a much deserved rematch while he had title.

 

I think his stock would go up if he could have unified for win #50. The WBC champion was Pinklon Thomas. Given the fact that Holmes gave up the WBC for the IBF, could that fight be made? The WBA champion was Tony Tubbs.

 

He would be known as having never unified.

 

Don't think so.

Marciano is 49-0 and few have him as GOAT

It would cement his position (on MY list) at #5. Currently I have him tied with Marciano for that position.

He might rise as high as #3 (behind Ali and Louis).

He would, at 50-0, lose his decent later wins, including Mercer.

Would a win over Spinks (which many thought he eventually got anyway) outweigh the dozens of fights he actually fought over the next decade or so ?

 

A case could be made that he's greater than Louis.