Fighters with the biggest post-career reputation boosts?

When I was a teen, I was reading a Saga Magazine in the late 50's, about some bad bass heavyweight from Miami named Sonny Liston who Hvywt Champ Ingo was probably ducking. Then in 1960, Liston k.o.'ed Williams #2, Roy Harris, & Zora Folley in a total of 6 rds, and decisioned Machen in 12 rds, all over a total of 6 months (Liston was the top-ranked heavyweight contender, and Machen was ranked second for that fight).

 

Ezzard Charles, yeah.
He's probably become a bit overrated now.

Same with Lennox Lewis.
Overrated now.

 

I disagree on Schmeling.
Between the two Joe Louis fights he was regarded extremely highly.

 

My favourite ever quote on this forum was from Reznick regarding Mr Greb and the tremendous video of him shadow boxing. Here is Reznick's exact words..."Also if you look at him shadow boxing, he kind of resembles that Lomachenko looseness and agility."

It is believed that Reznick was at the time sitting in the corner of a run down, smokey Bronx tavern with a Cuban cigar in his left hand and some 1920s newspaper clippings in his right hand.

 

If anything I think his stock has dropped.

 

Lots of the hitters; Shavers. Morrison. Ruddock. Julian Jackson. some of the boxers like Holmes. Hearns. Benetiz. DLH.

Most of these fall into the category of general public perception & the general public does not follow the sport closely but is aware of names.

 

I would say Ezzard Charles.
When I first got into boxing in the early sixties as a young kid, my Dad would bring The Ring magazine home.
I used to read the print off it and I can never recall Charles ever being really lauded as a great.
It was almost as if he'd just been a so so fighter.
Maybe my memory is playing me tricks.

 

Yeah, it's really unfortunate that he never got that title shot - if he'd been holding the belt around the same time as Robinson had been holding the WW title, maybe the perception of him would have been more favourable.

 

I think it would have helped a bit. It's definitely a strange affair and supported by what Cecil just posted.

 

Damn I remember these quotes!

What ever happened to that poster? Banned, I presume?

 

Good question, he wasn't booted, was he?

 

Wasn't Charles naturally a bigger man than Burley?

 

I might say Ike Williams also.
(And I think he deserves it).

 

Probably just left when he saw that his brand of bull**** wasn't going to fly around here, or above anyone above IQ 80.

I guess that's why he went back to Youtube videos, lol.