How would Bob Fitzsimmons fare in 1990's HWT Division?

How would Julian Jackson fare in the HW division.

Barring a miracle punch he never cracks the world rankings.

 

An all time great fighter.
I don't see him prospering in modern times.

 

Ruby Rob is a legend but realistically he'd be severely outgunned against the typical 6'4, 220lb heavy of the 90s.

 

He'd need to have a coffin ready to go.....the plot picked out and the limousines idling ...

 

Fitz could hardly fail to be successful in the 1990s, with the myriad of weight classes and sanctioning bodies, but that is not the question being asked.

Jeffries showed that a great big man would probably beat him, despite his tremendous finishing ability.

Even that would not leave him entirely out of options.

With careful management, you probably could get him into a title fight.

If he were lucky enough to draw one of the less durable belt holders, then you can never say never.

 

fitz had incredible adaptivity. give him five years in the 90s and he would soon adapt to become the new holyfield. given enough time to adapt I would in fact say evander and lewis plus bowe are the ones who outmatch him for certain.

Put him in the 2000s with 5 years to learn his trade and he'd probably emulate roy jones.

but snatched out of time straight into the 90s, hes going nowhere.


however take most hws from the 90s and they would fall to fitz if zapped back in time to 1910, I'd only have the throwback Tyson, adaptable lewis and all rounder holyfield a chance to beat him immediately under 19th century rules.

 

Interesting question. However I feel it's very possible with a man of that skill and durability level to find a way to be sucessful in today's hwt mess. Remember their can be as many as 4-5 champions at any given moment and with that a watered down 40-50 top challengers.

 

Top 10 maybe :good

 

You need to look at the lower end of the top 100, before you say something like that!

 

Just joking! that era was so different, can,t compare att all

 

If Bob Fitzsmmons fought in the 1990s, and he entered the ring weighing 165-170 pounds ...

I am quite confident he'd win the World WELTERWEIGHT title.

Because, with weigh-ins taking place 36 hours before fights, most welterweights weigh 170 on fight night.

But he wouldn't set foot at heavyweight.

 

He'd be a killer at 168 or 175. Forget heavyweights.

 

I am not sure this is true. An old Fitz fought and bullied Jeffries well enough to win a points decision under modern rules.

In fact, in 12 rounds, only the speed and movement of Corbett was able to catch him. Modern heavy's have far more in common with Jeffries than Corbett.

Some great light heavyweights like foster struggle to take a decent heavyweight punch and thus they can often go up in weight and are easy prey. Still, this wasnt the case for Braddock, Spinks, Charles, Tunney, Moorer (though his chin was debatable admittedly) and many other light heavys. The jeffries fights although they were losses show that the power and chin is not going to be a major problem for Fitz. His speed will cause his opposition some trouble, and his trap setting should be twice as good against today's behemoths albeit, as others point out he will be facing bigger weight discrepancies and stronger fighters in many cases.

Looking at some of the top fighters (and ignoring the likes of Lewis, Bowe, Tyson etc), you would have to say that he is a great chance of beating Moorer. If an old and ancient Foreman can set a trap for Moorer, what is a prime Fitzsimmons going to do? He has to be a good chance of winning this.

John Ruiz. Ruiz was not a champion in the 90s but he had fought his way to number one contender. Ruiz struggled in his loss with former light heavys Toney and Jones Jr. What is there to suggest he could deal with Fitzsimmons, who handled this type of decent but average heavyweight time and time again, in brutal fashion.

Jimmy Thunder was a regular top 10 contender in this era. He was a modern fighter, and one of my favourites, but come on Size advantage or not, Jimmy Thunder is not in going to defeat Bob Fitzsimmons.

Chris Byrd is another former light heavyweight with decent skills, who was one of the better fighters in the late 90s and certainly a top 10. He has decent size compared to Fitz, but that really is about it. If he can be competive surely Fitz would also. He was certainly a far better hitter and you would think quite a bit quicker also.

George Foreman was a great fighter in his prime. And with his power, he can never be counted out. Still, the fact remains that in his second career he could be hit at will three or four times before he landed. I know Foreman had an incredible chin but this has to be a worrying fight. If Fitz landed clearly 4 times without answer on anyone he usually won. If he did it regularly it was lights out. At worst, this one is going the same way as Fitzsimmons Jeffries, and it is hard to see Foreman pulling it out, certainly not twice in a 3 fight series.

Bowe was a good fighter, but he really did seem to decline badly by the end of his title reign. Fitz waited a long time before getting his shot at Corbett or Jeffries for this matter. With Bowe declining quickly after his reign, he either is the declining Bowe that Struggled with golota or worse yet, it is the 90s and and it is the Bowe nearly got stopped by Billy Zumbren. Fitz is right in the fight.

Tyson was a huge fight as well, but again, with Fitz' longevity he can wait for the Tyson of the Williams vintage, and this version shouldnt pose any problems. Lewis is a challenge Fitz never saw with his size and skills. But the counter argument is that if anyone could beat lewis it was a big hitting trap setter. Fitz has caught good fighters cold and KOd them before. Lewis has been upset by big shots before. I wouldnt bet on it, but stranger things have happened and it certainly isnt beyond the realms of possibility.

There are plenty of other fighters around who would start underdog against Fitz. Two things that are forgotten, is firstly that Fitz as a heavy was old. If he peaked in the early 90s (middleweight championship reign), he wouldnt be ready to go up in weight (if mirroring his old career) until the late 90s or early 2000s. This means that the better name fighters of the 90s would be all starting to get ripe for the pickings. the second thing is that his training resume is reduced his weight. if he trained like a body builder, even if he weighed 200 (and their are pics of him at this weight and i believe APpollack even suggested his weight was usually understated), he could have easily carried the 200lbs plus and still been trimmer than most modern fighters.

 

He would not be alowed to fight at hw period. They would say get out of here pathetic skinny 168 pounder