Is Chrid Byrd ATG defensive fighter in heavyweights?

He beat some good names. Two all time greats Vitali Klitschko and Evander Holyfield, plus David Tua.

His defence skill are one of the best we've seen. Is he ATG or atleast ATG in defence skills category?

 

His defense was good, but he was no Jimmy Young by any stretch of the imagination IMO.

 

Pretty darn good yes. ATG ... debatable.

 

Yes, he is.

But he relied on speed and reflexes, too.

When he lost it, he became way easier to get tagged.
Watch his fight vs Wlad 2, vs Povetkin and George.

He was still good defensively, but lost speed and reflexes.

 

One of the hardest guys to hit,and actually would have beat Ike probably had he not started to clown around,when he did he was hit by a massive uppercut sending him down and unable to continue. An atg? not really but a underatted fighter? yes. he was just in a land of giants with klitchkos and co. Even drew with Golota despite the size differance.

 

Look at the guys he beat, and then ask what he had apart from defence!

 

He never had a chase against Ike. It was one sided. Ike ran through him.

 

Byrd controlled the fight, with his elusive style from the opening bell.

At 208 pounds, Byrd was the smaller of the two - Ibeabuchi weighed in at 244 pounds - and used his speed around the ring. Ibeabuchi was frustrated early, failing to land punches and watching Byrd slip away off the ropes.

Byrd's elusiveness worked - at least through three rounds.

"He kept making me miss," Ibeabuchi said. "But I knew I would catch him. I just had to keep throwing punches."

Late in the third round, Ibeabuchi opened a cut above Byrd's left eye. In the fourth, Ibeabuchi started landing some punches.

And in the fifth, it was over.

 

Vitali is a all time great now? Who did he beat? Wait nobody.

But the answer is no. He had good defense but it only worked against people with limited offensive skills.

 

Right cobra, Jimmy Young was in a class all by himself. But I really liked Byrd, slick in a different way, quick moves, and he was fast and smart, I freakin love defensive boxers! George Chaplin is another one. Those guys are like magic!

 

Jimmy Young was better defensively but Byrd is no slouch. If he had a better punch he could of been an ATG. As it is, he was a really good heavyweight who is slightly underrated.

 

I'm not sure, he struggled with fighters who really weren't great. McCline, Oquendo.
But then maybe Fres Oquendo is an ATG defensive fighter too, I don't know.

 

Your not giving Fast Fres enough credit.

Oquendo knocked out Bruce Seldon.

And we know Seldon only ever lost to the best i.e Tyson, Bowe etc

 

Stopped reading right there. He neither controlled the fight nor did he win another round past the first. He was steamrolled. Go back to fantasy land. We talk in the real world around here.

 

I think he is tbh.

I can't think of ten better defensive HW fighters than him.