How would M. Spinks have done against Dempsey's and Marciano's Challengers ?

Not at all. I'm hardly discrediting them, and I think they were for the most part excellent fighters. But He Grant made a lot of valid and succinct points.
There is nothing wrong with viewing Rocky as human, which he was.
Fine fighter, but he had his flaws and shortcomings, as do they all. It's no sin admitting that.

 

The only flaw or shortcoming that I can honestly see, is the available opposition.

Exactly when do you expect to see another champion consistently fight the #1 contender, much less go 49-0 doing it, however weak the era happens to be?

 

Am I on trial?

What do you want me to say?

 

Why even bring this up? It's like saying I have no answer to how one fighter beat the #1contender, beat the champion who was fresh off his finest wins, defended against only #1 and #2 contenders (who all beat either world champions and rated heavyweights in recent fights) until he cleaned out the entire division.. so I am trying another angle...

 

bump

 

Mathews, Lastarza and Layne had a lot more credibility when Rocky fought them than Stefan Tangstad and the often retired Cooney when Spinks fought them.

 

Doesn't bother me, I'm colour blind as far as the human race is concerned.

 

Mathews was not rated when Marciano beat him, I don't know that he was ever rated at heavyweight. Both Mathews and Lastarza were well managed fighters who were kept away from the iron of the division to garner paydays with Rocky,[Hurley Mathews manager turned down a shot at the LHVy title with Maxim]. Lastarza had lost to 178lbs nobody Rocky Jones just a year earlier and Jones had him on the floor, he really didn't deserve his shot.

Layne was a credible opponent whose style suited Marciano very well, in essence he was a lesser version of Rocky in every department ,defence pretty non-existant ,condition never too good,stamina suspect owing to condition,power not as good as Rocky's A decent scalp but no surprise how this one ended.Cooney would have beaten Mathews and Lastarza I think, and prime Cooney stops Layne,a few left hooks into that soft mid-section would double Rex over imo.

 

Never mind prime Cooney, Spinks did not fight prime Cooney! Besides, Layne beat a lot more "live" opponents than Cooney ever did.

Do you think Stefan Tangstad beats Lastarza and Mathews? How many current or relevent contenders did Tangstad beat?

Beating Layne and Beshore got Mathews rated.

 

Mathews was not rated when he fought Marciano. Beshore was not rated when Mathews beat him he had won only 3 of his last 10 fights. Spinks had just three fights at heavyweight after he beat Holmes, but his wins over Holmes are better than any wins Mathews and Lastarza achieved . Tangstad was the European champion and as such a tenuously credible opponent.Cooney was seen as a decent opponent, certainly by me, I thought he would be too big for Spinks.

 

I think I am right in saying that Matthews was rated when Marciano fought him!

 

:good I also thought Cooney would be too big for Spinks. Just thought he was made to order for Cooney, but that just reminds me how little we both thought of Spinks as a heavyweight that Cooney could just turn up without any world class wins since the early 1980s and beat a champion. The established impression of Spinks at the time was that he'd been lucky Holmes had been so ripe to be outpointed by a fast clever fighter. Therefore there wasn't much faith in Michael against a younger puncher. Even Cooney would do.

The Cooney win turned a lot of people around on Spinks. I gave him credit but I think it turned people around a bit too much. I mean, Cooney was so inactive, he really did not deserve that shot. It hardly prepared Spinks for Tyson.

Ironically had Spinks done that to Tony Tucker Spinks would have got less credit. And that's who he should have fought.

 

J, Im too lazy too go through my 50's Rings but I don't think he was ,not at heavyweight anyway