lol I try and come up with interesting threads, so yes. I think certain other topics have been discussed a 1000 times each.
Agree.. He could have been a good champ.. He had skills. I pick prime fat Tubbs vs Wilder, Joshua etc... Top 3 today
even when tubbs weighed 245lbs or so he was still formidable. If he actually trained and was somewhat disciplined he would have held a belt for a year or two.
I think had he shown up in top form he could have retained his belt against Tim Witherspoon. Tubbs was in dreadful shape for that fight yet it was still close. He then could have had another defense or two before eventually losing to mike Tyson.
I suppose he could've maybe gone from being the #2 Tony T. nicknamed TNT of his era, to the #1, if they met h2h. Maybe.
^ what an oddly specific niche to have more than one guy fill simultaneously. Both born in '58, both African Americans, both lost to prime Tyson, both considered very talented heavyweights that could have had brighter careers had certain whatever gone differently/could have had longer/better/more reigns in a different era.
So you don't think any room for improvement existed in any of his fights had Tubbs been more in shape and/or motivated as the OP says? Most would disagree with you.
So, do you think Buster Douglas for instance couldn't have maybe had a better career, been more than essentially a one hit wonder?
Tubbs came along at right time to get an alphabet belt. Tucker just about eeked out an alphabet belt at the end of the merry go round...in a sense both may be slightly fortunate there imho....if there had only been 1 champ throughout the 80s and 90s...there would still have been a still lesser merry go round of sorts....larry Holmes...perhaps Dokes..Tyson...Holyfield..Bowe...Lewis...Holyfield...we get the picture .....in those circumstances these guys were lucky...in others....well i think a tucker crowned in 1984 if he'd moved along fast enough may have held onto the belt until he fought Tyson...he was more disciplined ...may have been able to handle the likes of berbick,smith,weaver,williams, Page etc...