Is Beterbiev top 5 all time LHW with a win over Bivol?

Okay

 

Who are your top 5 LHWs MF99?

 

LHW's all time rankings is very deep, and to crack the top 5? Nah. Like really, let's think about some of the names at LHW, then re-ask this question. That's no knock on Beterbiev he's really good but LHW is crazy deep

 

Now this is a good post on this subject, it reveals what he's actually done at 175 and it is very thin. No where near top 5 in my opinion.

 

Needs the Bivol fight to solidify his legacy. But based on the eye test, he's right up there.

Who are the best Light Heavies of the modern era? Roy? Different style of fighter but he didn't face the then WBO champ at Light Heavy. Michael Moorer was very good. He showed the world the value of the Cruiserweight division. Virgil Hill - fast & skilful but not a ball-breaker like Beterbiev. Antonio Tarver? Yeah, nah. I'm not real good on Light Heavies but I think Beterbiev is a dangerous guy who could be competitive at Heavyweight. Any Light Heavy that can be competitive at Heavyweight is pretty decent.

Top 5 all-time? Beyond my knowledge really but he's definitely top 5 of who I've seen. Not sure any of the guys I mentioned would beat him. Michael Moorer would have the best chance against him I think of the Light Heavies I've seen. Had the physical strength to match it with him & the skills to win rounds.

 

Charles, Spinks, Moore, RJJ, Foster.

Actually you know what you have a point

 

Michalczewski was better than Beterbiev and has the resume to prove it, there's really no question about that. And no one is asking if he's a top 5 guy................

And for you to be so dismissive of Virgil Hill who had not one but two extended reigns and wins over fighters better than the wins Beterbiev has is real questionable. Virgil has wins over Maske, Frank Tate, Tiozzo, Kinchen, Czyz, De Valle I could keep going.....all of those wins are better than anything on Beterbiev's resume currently except Gvodzyk. And Maske and Frank Tate IMO are equal or better than him. And just because he didn't stop them all doesn't mean anything...............and you maybe overrated Moorer at LHW just a little bit, he showed glimpses but his resume there was pretty bare, he missed a lot of guys before deciding to move up (Virgil, Prince Charles, Frankie, Uriah Grant, Harding).

Beterbiev is phenomenal.......................for today's standard.

But I don't even think he could beat Tarver (busy, crazy left hand and right hook and damn near impossible to hit clean) and would be life/death against Adamek (bigger and possibly stronger) and Glen Johnson (he'd actually have to box Johnson, Johnson ain't going anywhere). Let alone a "focused" Chad Dawson (total package of skill, speed and athleticism) or pre Ward Kovalev (a far better boxer/puncher that hits as hard and had faster feet). All of those men were known for being physically strong and all of them were physically bigger framewise than Beterbiev. There's a number of guys just from a few years ago I think would beat him, let alone historically. I don't even think he breaks top 20 of all time honestly.

 

He’d be competitive there because that’s his natural weight class.

 

He hits people in the back of the head about the same as ny other fighter who has guys turning their backs out of fear.

Bivol will find it much tougher than he did against Canelo thats for sure.
That Beterviev jab will bust him up real quick

 

I'd have to look at a list but maybe top 10 for the winner of beterbiev vs bivol.

I mean even Kovalev once you looked at his resume his best win was Pascal.

 

I'm a trained historian and I've been debating for a few years now going all-in on looking at pre-1960s boxing culture (doing appropriate source-work and so on) to test my hypothesis that 95% of fighters' records were essentially the equivalent of hard sparring, but in a club scene, and that the upper echelon of modern fighters generally fight at a much higher and more professional level, to debunk all of this ''erm, yes, Floyd was okay, but this [random 1930s welterweight who is neither Armstrong or SRR] was clearly better'' stuff

Of course, I could end up disproving my gut feeling, and I do consider SRR the GOAT regardless, but threads like this deeply depress me, and this topic needs looking into properly because tbqh a lot of it boils down to ''trust me bro'' forum-speak

If Beterbiev beats Bivol I don't mind putting him into my top 10 175ers. Maybe even top 5, but I'd have to do some serious thinking

 

Legacy-wise? Hell no. Ridiculously stacked weight. Ridiculously stacked weight.

 

Climb off your horse you sound like a dingbat. Your statement about today’s guys “fighting at a much higher more professional level” is also just simply incorrect.

 

Michalczewski fought in relative obscurity during the Roy Jones era. I don't consider he was better than Beterbiev. Bivol has a much higher profile comparatively than what Michalcsewski did.

My eyesight isn't what it used to be but the thread topic says: "Is Beterbiev top 5 all time LHW...".

I watched plenty of Virgil Hill title defences from North Dakota in my early years as a boxing fan. They all looked the same to me but I always appreciated his athleticism, boxing skills & hand speed for a Light Heavy. Terrific fighter & one of the most underrated Americans from their class of 1984. I think Beterbiev's physicality would cause him problems but if it's possible to outbox Beterbiev from the outside, Virgil is the guy to do it.

Moorer was a hell of a talent for a Light Heavy & proved his worth as a fighter by moving up & dethroning Holyfield. I think rather than him missing a lot of guys at Light Heavy, they missed him. With good reason. Nine title defences & never beaten at the weight is enough for him to be in the conversation and he had the kind of physicality & punching power at the weight that would be needed to take down a beast like Beterbiev. In fact, Moorer went through Light Heavy with a 100% kayo ratio. He was a very dangerous guy.

I'm not as impressed by some of these names as what you seem to be but then again, I didn't follow their careers very closely. Light Heavy hasn't always been the most exciting weight division to follow. Of the Light Heavies I have seen, Michael Moorer is the guy I think matches up the best against Beterbiev. Beterbiev's vast experience, amateur & pro, might enable him to edge a hypothetical match-up against him.

 

Moorer had zero title defenses at 175. WBO was not a real belt back then and it shows in his totally forgettable resume at 175.

Beterbiev wouldn't have much of an issue stopping Moorer.