Which Hvy weight Champ Faced A Genuinely Tough Challenger,In His First Defence?

Holyfield V Foreman has got to be up there imo.

 

Ken Norton being awarded the title after beating Jimmy Young and then had his first defence against a prime Larry Holmes.

Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson for the title and then had his first defence against a prime Evander Holyfield.

James Braddock beating Max Baer for the title and then had his first defence against a prime Joe Louis.

Trevor Berbick beating Pinklon Thomas for the title and then had his first defence against a prime Mike Tyson.

Tim Witherspoon beating Greg Page for the title and then had his first defence against a prime undefeated Pinklon Thomas.

Greg Page beating Gerrie Coetzee for the title and then had his first defence against a prime Tim Witherspoon.

Jersey Joe Walcott winning the title against Ezzard Charles and then had an immediate rematch vs Ezzard Charles in his first defence.

Herbie Hide winning the title against Michael Bentt and then had his first title defence against Riddick Bowe.

Bonecrusher Smith/Tony Tucker both had their first title defence against a prime Mike Tyson.

Chris Byrd beating Vitali Klitschko for the title and then had his first title defence against Wladimir Klitschko.

Corrie Sanders beating Wladimir Klitschko for the title and then had his first title defence against Vitali Klitschko.

Daniel Dubois after winning the vacant IBF title made his first defence against Anthony Joshua.

Looking at all these lists it's no wonder these fighters weren't champions long.

 

It's the opposite. Holyfield took Foreman because he was seen as a joke and thought it would be an easy defence. Just like Moorer. Bowe wanted to take on Foreman too, but the fight fell through. All the top guys wanted a piece of George cause he was seen as an easy work for plenty of money.

 

Evander Holyfield fought Mike Tyson in the rematch as a first defence and Michael Moorer in the second defence.

Mike Tyson faced Bonecrusher Smith (rated as a number 2 contender after Mike) in the first defence.

Ali faced Sonny Liston in the rematch as a first defence and Floyd Patterson in the second defense.

Liston faced Patterson in the rematch and then Clay as the first defense.

Patterson faced the number 1 contender Tommy Jackson in the first defense.

Rocky Marciano rematched Jersey Joe in the first defense.

 

Rahman, Usyk, and Andy Ruiz.

 

I think when they took this fight it was more thought of as an easy fight that proved to be nothing but.

 

Holyfield himself writes in his book that he went to court against the WBC to fight Foreman instead of Tyson for his first title defense—precisely because it was the safer option.
Evander wasn't afraid of anyone, but Foreman isn't a good example here. Just because a fight was harder doesn't mean it *should* have been.
Lewis, Ruddock, Bowe, Mercer, Tyson—in 1991, each of them seemed more dangerous, and in all likelihood, they would have been.

 

But he was a genuinely tough challenge.
The guy won the lineal title a few short years later.

 

Bob Fitz V James J Jeffries

 

But wasn't seen a such. Foreman being a tougher challenge than expected, was seen as Holyfield's weakness, not George's strenght, especially looking at future Foreman's fights with Stewart and Morrison.

 

Tommy Jackson was easy pickings for Patterson. His being named number one contender was a strange joke. When you watch the films you can see that he couldn't hit, could barely fight at all. He had stamina and could absorb hard punches, that's about all.

 

But he was the best out there at the time.

 

Joe Louis-Tommy Farr

The Welshman showed an iron chin and gave Louis a rough evening and not the easy title defence everyone was expecting.

 

Not sure anyone predicted Farr to go 15 with Louis, especially with Joe at that time.
Guy was proper Welsh tuff.

 

Yes. That "prime" version of "old Foreman" was highly durable. Real threat of return, super-heavyweight double-shot power, too, as long as he was upright.

And I FINALLY have to agree with my old boxing buddy from way back when- that "prime" version of "old Foreman" does in fact beat Tyson. Too durable and always a danger for heavy return fire as long as he was upright.