If Every Heavyweight Champ Had To Fight His Immediate Predecessor (Whilst In Their Prime)?

Tyson Fury loses to Wladimir Klitschko by wide decision.

Leon Spinks gets knocked out early by prime Muhammad Ali.

 

Among the lineals

Schmeling would have lost to peak Sharkey.
Carnera would have lost to peak Sharkey
Ezzard Charles would have lost to prime Louis
Walcott DID lose to prime Ezzard Charles....twice.
Marciano would have lost to prime Ezzard Charles
Holmes would have lost to prime Muhammad Ali
Michael Spinks would have lost to peak Larry Holmes
Shannon Briggs would have lost to prime Foreman
Vitali Klitschko lost to Lennox Lewis
Tyson Fury would have lost to prime Wlad Klitschko

Willards a glitch where he got shutout under the rules of every other HW title contest in history and won the title because the fight was for 45 rounds.

Tunney might have lost to Dempsey. It's more of a 50/50 fight.

Conspiracys aside Liston was closer to his peak than Ali was when they fought.

 

Liston did beat his predecessor in his prime.

 

Nice premise.

I think that 1910 Johnson beats prime Jeffries. Not quite as easily with Jeff soaking up the punishment for a few rounds longer - and that’s if Johnson carries Jeff exactly as I believe he did do.

However, if Johnson truly let it all hang out in 1910, I think Jeff would’ve only lasted 4 rounds tops and given a more seriously applied Johnson against a prime Jeffries, I could see Jack disposing of Jeff in the same number of rounds (viz 15 rounds) if not even sooner.

Despite being aged 35, I can’t see prime Jeff being notably less hittable than he was for 1910 Johnson.

Suffice to say, in 1902, an old, much lighter and inactive Fitz had no trouble finding young Jeff for near 8 brutal rounds.

I’ll also add that I can’t see Spinksy lasting the distance against a prime Holmes.

 

To the John L fans out there - would a prime Sullivan have made much of a difference vs 1892 Corbett or would the MOQ rules still be too much of a paradigm shift for The Boston Strong Boy to cope with?

 

Interesting question.

 

How so?

 

He probably means Sonny's peak was 62-63 when he demolished Patterson, so in 1964 he was not even two years removed from that, while Ali reached his peak 3 years later in 1967, so was farther removed from his peak.

 

I’ve always kinda wondered if Jim Jeffries were prime if he could have beaten Johnson.

 

I suspect that Jim Corbett would have been the first casualty.

 

Hello, Fergy.

I am including Champions who may or may not have been near their primes but did not show up for the fights in their prime conditions. Not to say they would have never been Lineal Champions, but I believe (off the top of my head) the following would have been Casualties: James Corbett, Jess Willard, Gene Tunney, Primo Carnera, James Braddock, Ezzard Charles, Joe Frazier, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, James Douglas, Michael Moorer, Shannon Briggs, Tyson Fury.

And someone may rightfully add to that list. I am sure I forgot one or more.

 

I would make Johnson and Corbett winners but in more competitive fights.

Cassius Clay,as was,still beats Liston in a good fight.
Larry Holmes stops Michael Spinks.
Dempsey probably beats Tunney but I can't be sure.
Johnson uses Willard for target practice.