Could any 80s contender have been the GOAT with perfect management and drug-free dedication?

I’ll throw Greg Page’s name in for consideration.

 

I think he’s the one with the most talent … but not GOAT talent.

And I’m sure he probably did some drugs but it seems to me his complete lack of discipline and focus was his bigger issue, unlike, say, Pinklon Thomas.

 

Carl "The Truth" Williams.

His defense against lefthooks would have been tightened up to where it was no longer was a weakness. Picture the way he fought against Bert Cooper.

 

No

 

Not even close.

 

Williams was very talented, but I think his chin would always have the potential of letting him down. He was a pretty disciplined guy in the eighties, but he would have to be matched VERY carefully to make ATG status. And ATGs shouldn’t duck other fighters.

 

Honestly it's doubtful. Ali set the bar so high that it has been three decades since the chaotic drug riddled 80s and we still haven't had anyone remotely challenge his legacy.

 

I think Page had the skills, athleticism, and durability. I’m specifically using his 1981 output as a gauge. Seems like in 1982 he changed his style to be more exciting, and that didn’t work for him as well. Is that when he went with the Kings? I think something happened psychologically around that time (dealing with King?) that didn’t serve him well.

As far as matchmaking, I’d just be very careful about slick boxers. See George Chaplin and Tony Tubbs. The guys who outworked him - Berbick, Witherspoon, Bey - that’s where the more dedicated, disciplined approach carries him through.

 

None would be GOAT.

I do have to put Pinklon Thomas ahead of Page as a contender (with the aforementioned unrealistically supportive team, etc involved). Thomas had the kind of jab that could have taken even MUCH further and kept him champ much longer imo. He had a no-joke right hand coming behind it, too.

Sure, he could have used more movement, but to me no other contender had as much potential, though I'll assert that for single performances, Witherspoon showed that in truckloads against Holmes.

Page was losing fights he should have won relatively early on, and that just kept happening. I feel that Thomas would have given Iron Mike far more of a run for his money had it been the 1984 Pinklon.

 

Pinklon Thomas could have been much better. Look what he accomplished with hardly any amateur background to speak of.

 

Check out this jab:

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Dundee praised the Thomas jab. And he had some success against Tyson with his jab

 

He did good from rounds 2 until the end...but to my eyes it was obvious Thomas had slowed down from even two years before that. Not sure how that happened, as he was still under 30, but he looked even more past-it than he did against Berbick.

To be more clear, I'm not sure what happened to Thomas. He had Dundee, perhaps a top 10 or 11 heavyweight jab, good chin, really good right hand...it's not as clear what toppled him in comparison to Bowe (apathy, horrible manager, Kentucky Fried Chicken)...

 

Doubtful but I think there were a few of them who could have gone a lot further than they did