Holyfield had to fight real contenders at HW to get his shot.... shouldn't Usyk have to do the same?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by Oakland Billy Smith, Oct 20, 2019.



  1. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Tillis, Thomas and Dokes were on the slide by the time Holy fought them and Stewart wasn`t that good at all.
     
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  2. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    People forget that when Holyfield moved up to Heavyweight in 1988, there was only one champion, Mike Tyson, who in his previous fight had just annihilated Mike Spinks in one round to become the lineal, undisputed, undefeated and in the eyes of just about everyone the unbeatable heavyweight champion of the world. It would have been madness for Holyfield and his management team to even consider moving up to heavyweight and jump almost straight away into a fight with the fearsome peak Tyson. They had to get used to fighting the bigger,heavier and harder hitting fighters at heavyweight and work their way up until they thought that he would be ready to not only challenge Tyson but hopefully beat him as well.

    It’s not like Michael Spinks moving up from light heavyweight and Straight away fighting the aged and slower 35 year old Larry Holmes or David Haye moving up from cruiserweight and within a fight or two, targeting the giant though very limited Nikolai Valuev. You can’t compare the likes of Wilder, Ruiz, Joshua and Fury today with Mike Tyson as he was in 1988. There’s absolutely no way Usyk would even consider jumping straight into a fight with the prime Tyson if he was in the same situation that Holyfield was in, in 1988.
     
  3. Robney

    Robney ᴻᴼ ᴸᴼᴻᴳᴲᴿ ᴲ۷ᴵᴸ Full Member

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    Yeah, had to look for who that was at the time... Damiani!
    Ruiz Jr had moidered da bum! :lol:
     
  4. PolicemanPrawn

    PolicemanPrawn Member Full Member

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    Top contenders should be the prime candidates to face the champions.
     
  5. Malph

    Malph Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Holyfield had to work his way up it is true. But it was his choice. He had to the PEDs time to fully kick in.
     
  6. Malph

    Malph Boxing Addict Full Member

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    This is an excellent post and I think describes the situation Holyfield was in at the time.
     
  7. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    You are wrong Mark.

    Holyfield had his first heavyweight fight against James Tillis in July 1988, a month after Mike Tyson became the lineal and undisputed heavyweight champion by beating Michael Spinks. The WBO didn’t come into existence until may 1989 when they laughably refused to recognise Tyson as champion but instead sanctioned a ‘title fight’ between Francisco Damiani and Johnny Du Plooy to be their first heavyweight champion (which Damiani won) so there was no WBO choice for Holyfield when he moved up. There was only Tyson and no sane fighter whether Holyfield then or Usyk today would have targeted a fight with the Tyson back then straight way.
     
  8. KeedCubano

    KeedCubano Read my posts in a Jamaican accent Full Member

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    Is that how you justify Wilder not fighting them
     
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  9. Oakland Billy Smith

    Oakland Billy Smith Active Member banned Full Member

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    How does he have a better resume at CW?
     
  10. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member Full Member

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    Absolutely this. I don't want to see Usyk fight a line of Chazz Witherspoons. The sooner he can fight decent names, the better. The whole "you gotta earn your shot" thing smells like a device used by champions to duck their toughest contenders.
     
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  11. Holler

    Holler Doesn't appear to be a paid matchroom PR shill Full Member

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    Just one of the many fine boxers on his illustrious resume. If only Usyk could show a similar level of ambition. :(
     
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  12. KeedCubano

    KeedCubano Read my posts in a Jamaican accent Full Member

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    Gassiev, Briedis, Hunter, Glowacki, Huck and Bellew
    >>>>>>> Qawi *2, Tillman, DeLeon.

    Easily
     
  13. Oakland Billy Smith

    Oakland Billy Smith Active Member banned Full Member

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    No. No they do not. I know it's easy to get caught up in all the fan boyism when you have guys like Max Kellermen calling fights, but go check out some of those old bours on yputube. You can also order the career box set for about $40 for all the fights .

    The guys fought 15 rounds, threw way more punches per round, and didn't look for help from the ref anytime a foul went astray
     
  14. BiggieL

    BiggieL Active Member Full Member

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    At least he had his good friend Evan Fields to assist him in growing
     
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  15. KeedCubano

    KeedCubano Read my posts in a Jamaican accent Full Member

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    Why don't they?

    Gassiev, Briedis, Glowacki and Hunter all beat Evander's best opponents.
    Glowacki, Huck, Briedis, Gassiev and Bellew are all top 10 CWs of all time, or have a case to be. Not one of Holyfield's do.

    Before you say Qawi does, he has a very poor record at CW. A win over Leon Spinks does not make him a top 10 CW, he's more like an ATG LHW. Tillman wasn't ever very good and DeLeon's best wins are over a shot LHW contender and a past prime Burlon who didn't beat anyone.
    They may have fought 15, it's not really relevant. Where's the evidence that they throw more?
    What relevance does fouling have?
    I have watched the fights, I love watching Holyfield and Qawi but I know there limits, well Qawi's.
    The ****s this? Are you on there payroll?
     
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