Which Fighters Have Benefitted/Suffered The Most From Revisionist History Here?

Thank God.

 

Good picks as always, JT! Spinks in particular seems to be benefitting at the moment - top 3 light heavy all time and top 2 or 3 of the 80s? Really? Am I underrating him?

 

He's a very good choice for top five 175 i think. Pushing him to three is certainly not outrageous but you'd be easing out guys like Greb or Tunney i think.

Many put him top 3 of the 80's. It's a solid claim.

 

I think his rep suffered so much from the Tyson KO that he was off the radar for many years. That was unfair so it's good that his reputation is being restored. I'm just not convinced he deserves quite as high a place on either list - number 5 on both is fair imo, although maybe no. 4 on the latter list. I just can't see him above Leonard, Hagler or Hearns.

 

The Tyson fight did tremendous damage to his sterling reputation. Tyson was the most high profile boxer for a long time and everyone saw it. Spinks was blown away, completely. It's what many remember most about him, not the fantastic career at 175 and even the win over Holmes. It's a real shame.

 

I think up to including the win over Holmes no-one can argue with what he achieved. From 86-88, it looks a bit less impressive as that coincided with Tyson dominating the heavyweight division. Hearns edges him out of the top 3 for the decade in my view.

 

come again?....Tyson was an ATG in a weak era ..

...because that era had top ten ATG Spinks as one of the champs... .

...who was champ because he caught top five ATG Holmes, by razor thin decision, when holmes was old?

 

Loving Hearns in the top 3!!!!

 

I’m not, seeing as he lost to Barkley in the 80’s and Hill was in the 90’s.

Spinks did all of his best work in the 80’s and lost only to Tyson. I’m gonna’ shade it to Spinks, although I have Hearns higher all-time (similar bracket, both top 50)

 

Fair enough but i was loving it because Hearns is my all time fave

 

That is probably the most obvious one. Another would be Tyson-Holy. Ali-Frazier I has perhaps gone a bit in the other direction. Frazier was the favorite going in, probably largely due to Ali not being seen as the same fighter any more.

 

Interesting; Tyson-Holy in what regard?

 

Holy was a big underdog at the time and was viewed more or less as cannonfodder for Tyson by many. Nowadays many sound like Tyson was the past it fighter of the two.

 

Holyfield was such an underdog that there was genuine concern from some he might die in the ring against Tyson - That's how past it EH was believed to be at the time and how invincible Tyson was believed to be at the time.

 

Yes. People were worried for his health. For us who remember that, it becomes a bit strange to hear the thing put forth like Holy got lucky and caught Tyson at the right time.