How many heavyweights do you think M. Spinks could have beaten from 1985-1987?

I, for one, had a lot of doubts about Spinks as a heavy. All of his credentials were based on beating Holmes afterall. But Larry had faded quite a bit and Spinks outhustled him is all. It wasn't exactly a Mike Tyson type execution over Holmes, but a nice decision win.

I didn't like the Spinks chances aginst very many of the top 10 fighters in that timeframe. The one style he could handle was an old guy whose reflexes had diminished. But not the tough physical fighter or youth and reflexes. And I sure didn't like the way Spinks had looked in that 85 bout against Davis and thought his legs had deteriorated quite a bit. As a heavyweight they had to put him in with guys that couldn't capitalize on the footwork issue and an old Holmes and Cooney and Tangstad were optimal opposition. A guy like Tyson was going to be a whole diffferent ballgame though.

I wanted to see Spinks fight Tucker back then and would've backed Tucker to outbox him. I think Page/Tubbs/Williams all outpoint him by a wide margin because the Spinks footwork is not going to get in and out quickly enough. Witherspoon/Bruno get the Ko's.

Pinklon Thomas had deteriorated quite a bit > Weaver but still would've been a stern test due to his jab and chin. Probably a close fight one way or another. Berbick was such a hot and cold guy you can never tell but he was definately a guy that scored lots of upsets in his career & this could be another. Frazier was pretty much a non-factor by then but even a guy like Snipes is a live underdog against Spinks.

I just think Butch Lewis did a masterful job of avoiding the toughest matchups and got his guy a few wins and kept him inactive. Tangstad as an opponent was a page right out of the Holmes title defenses when other viable guys are around. Even the Cooney fight wasn't all that easy and that was a real real bad cut Spinks had in there. Other fighters like a Tubbs or Page or Bruno or any of those guys get Spinks busted up like that would just go on for the tko.

Man, I sure thought the ballgame was over for the guy when he fought Tyson though. He'd fought handpicked opposition and now it was time to fight a big puncher who was extremely aggressive early and was young. Whole different ballgame now and every other time it was the Spinks youth facing the old guys. I didn't think the Spinks legs had a chance in the world in that fight and didn't think he could go 2 rounds. But there were some folks picking Spinks to beat Tyson & I just thought they were buying into the Futch mystique way way too much. And I didn't really buy into the spinx jinx right hand as all that big of a punch at heavy and figured Tyson to walk thru it. If Tyson does walk thru it, what chance does Spinx really have anyway?

 

i was surprised to see marvis frazier in the top 10 there..you rate him above tyrell biggs at that time ??

 

I think the real powerfull consistant punchers would have been too strong for him but Spinks could handle the less than powerfull punchers with his ring savy and angles. He would have been competitive

 

cool :good

i suppose i remember frazier from 3 fights...remember him beating bonecrusher smith...then he fought holmes for the title...and for the first minute and a half looked good...bobbing and weaving..making holmes miss with the jab...then he started showboating, hands down by his side...then...holmes hit him ..he went down like he was shot...he got up and holmes starting teeing off on him..evening turning round to the ref asking him to stop the fight..which he eventually did..
and of course i remember the tyson fight...

so..i dont know much about his other wins apart from smith...so maybe he was better than i remember him.

 

He bets Marvis, any others would be unexpected ,imo.

 

I don't think it's a coincidence that Spinks was matched against "safe" heavyweight opposition. An old Holmes, Never really tested and alchohol soaked Cooney and Stephen whatever the hell is name is doesn't parlay into heavyweight greatness. When Spinks fought a true heavyweight dreadnought in Tyson he was annihilated. Spinks was carefully matched until he could collect a hefty payday against Tyson then call it quits which is exactly what he did.

 

Marvis Frazier, possibly Trevor Berbick, Tubbs and Tucker would be too much for him.