How does Chris Byrd do today? - how would you manage him?

I don’t think I’d change anything about him really. Bulking him up would only slow him down. I would just focus on making him as fast and skilled as possible. As for how he’d do, I think he would be a high rated contender but not sure how long he’d last. Taking on some of these giant monsters in literally EVERY single fight might take its toll sooner rather than later

 

He gets about as far as he did in his own time. Maybe a bit less. Lots of close decision wins.

Byrd was an incredibly talented man, but he wasn't as impressive in his own era as he seems to be remembered as being. A guy his size had to be amazing at what he did just to eke out wins against the bigger heavies he fought. There are even more of those guys around now.

 

I don't think theres room for improvement here unless you expect him to beat Wlad. Between the Wlad losses, Byrd got a belt there was no reason for creating and defended it 4 times losing over 4 rounds a fight against mid to lower level contenders. Its part of why I don't understand the angst Vitali and especially Lennox didn't fight him. Byrd was rated in the top 2 4 years in a row and the top 3 5 years in a row. Thats overachieving with very little wiggle room for more. Byrds one of those guys that became everything he could be.

Byrds only chance to be "the champ" was to win a rematch with Vitali he probably doesn't win. After Vitalis retirement they were only going to make Byrd the lineal champ once he was the last claimant standing. This wasn't going to happen. Even if he beat Wlad by some stroke of luck it took Wlad 7 more fights and 3 years to become clear cut lineal champ. At this time Byrd was in his late 30s. Incredibly unlikely. So Byrd only shot is the Vitali rematch and if he won that his last defense being lineal before fighting Wlad.

 

The same. He could get an "upset" victory over Joshua or Fury, in place of his win over Vitali.

 

One of Byrd's biggest advantages in his time was being a southpaw and fighting people who had seldom/or never been in the ring with a southpaw. The fighters today have seen southpaws all through their amateur and pro careers. Wallen, Zhang, Usyk, Torrez Jr., Larena, Jalalov, Itauma, just to name a few, fight from a southpaw stance, (some may or may not be real southpaws)...everybody has either fought or sparred southpaws now. In Byrd's time there was Byrd, Alexander Zolkin, and Michael Moorer, before that there were almost no southpaws. Richard Dunn, and Karl Mildenberger were the first southpaws to fight a title fight.

 

I believe he'd do better today than his own era because he could actually fight.
Other than Usyk, he'd actually frustrate and embarrass most of the top ten in today's era.
The fighters he loss to had SIZE and skills...
The fighters today only have size.
There's a difference.

 

Out of the current top ten, he might give Parker a close fight if it’s low output. He’d potentially beat Zhang because Zhang’s gas tank is beyond pathetic right now. He’d probably beat Wardley because Wardley barely knows how to box and depends on landing something big. He’d probably beat Bakole if Bakole showed up at 320.

The others would beat him, sometimes widely and putting a lot of damage on him. Ditto 275 Bakole.

He also wouldn’t have his gear if he were using back then. I don’t think he’d get a title.

 

Fury and Joshua would be tough fights.

 

I think he would be a Top 10 fighter today...

 

Holy crap Toney seems to be talking much much more clearly. I can actually understand what he's saying now. Wow. He's looking good.

 

A couple of thoughts.

I think that he would be much more tempted to have a stint at cruiserweight today, as it is a much more glamourous division.

Great as Usyk is, he might me a better stylistic match for Byrd than the Klitschko's or Fury.

If I am managing him today, I am looking for a road to Usyk.

I would be looking for men in the top ten to pick off.

I might try to match him with Parker, since he is a willing soul, and a win would propel him to a likely title shot.

 

Chris Byrd was an exceptional fighter .... I recently rewatched his fight vs an extremely well prepared and trained Tua and it was a terrific performance .. it's interesting to note that Byrd ws just a bit smaller than Usky at 6'2" , 214 or so w a 75" reach but he couldn't really compete with the very best of the giants in Wlad and Vitali ... (don't get me started on Vitali here) ... he may have done well with AJ but Furys size and style would be a hell of a mountain to climb ...