Hearns or Spinks- who was the better fighter?

I was stretching with my last comment, I 'spose.

I can certainly see arguments for both men here. I do believe that Michael Spinks was the more complete operator, given his superior toughness, but I think Hearns weight jumping has to count for something. It's weird, up until this thread I thought the Spinks' triumph over Holmes was universally under-appreciated...just like his career.

 

:good...Not to mention the manner in which he beat Holmes. He took it too him, and it's quite moving when you're looking at Spinks down the stretch just hanging on. He must have been absolutely exhausted setting that kind of pace.

 

The interesting thing about Hearns and Spinks losing to Barkley and Tyson is that the fights were 3 weeks apart in 1988. Hearns lost to Barkley June 6, 1988 and Spinks to Tyson June 29, 1988

 

I think Hearns had the better career and resume, but that Holmes win was great. Holmes was undefeated and Spinks beating him led to Holmes insulting Marciano about the jockstrap comment. I was sort of shocked that he would put down Marciano like that.

 

Quite a few Welterweights of the past could conceivably move up to Middleweight and beat Iran Barkley. The great man himself did it. No Light Heavyweight ever moves up and beats the Tyson that turned up for the Spinks fight. Some say he was scared, I'm not convinced, but he had every reason to be. Outmatched completely.

 

Holmes was a very bitter man because he was never embraced as the Heavyweight champion of the world. He respects Marciano a great deal.

 

Well about Barkley I agree. Barkley was not a great fighter, which is why I think Duran beating him was overrated. But Hearns beating Virgil Hill who was undefeated and had 10 title defenses was a real accomplishment, and very close to the Larry Holmes win by Spinks. As for Spinks and Tyson. Tyson took him out with the first punch he landed clean pretty much. I never understood that fight. Tyson landed a bodyshot which put Spinks down, and then Spinks got up and Tyson landed a right hand. Two punches. Hearns/Barkley was a fight where had Tommy relaxed and been careful he would have stopped Barkley with bodypunches easily.

 

Well I don't know if he respects him a great deal. I am sure he respects him, but that is not a comment from a guy who respects him a great deal, regardless of him being upset about losing- that was uncalled for and even Larry knows it. But Larry was a great fighter no doubt.

 

What's not to understand about the Spinks fight? Spinks was a blown up Light Heavyweight, taking body punches from a peak Mike Tyson, who was having no trouble mutilating legitimate Heavyweights at that time, is a big ask. He got hurt by a body shot, got up, and in his own words, tried to catch Tyson off guard by throwing a right hand but got caught himself.

 

More like the shock at the ease with which Tyson knocked out a guy who was supposedly could beat Mike. Spinks had never lost and fought some great fighters. Which just proved how Tyson never had trouble with anyone moving up in weight. Spinks did well with Cooney and Holmes and a guy named Steffan Tangsted I think-that is his name.. I remember he stopped him in the mid rounds. With that resume I thought he could last a few rounds and maybe land the Spinks Jinx and wear out Mike in the late rounds, and also there was an ABC show after the Cooney fight in 1987 in prime time with Alex Wallua, and they had Tyson and Spinks side by side and Spinks towered over Mike. I was surprised. But that didn't matter, Mike overpowered him and then Mike took a break until Bruno. I have the whole press conference on tape with Duran standing next to Tyson as Spinks comes into the press conference. Interesting stuff.

 

...Dude...everyone knew what was going to happen that night. Nobody thought it'd probably be that easy, but not even Michael's mother thought Tyson was going to lose that nigght.

 

Spinks was a better fighter and boxer. He was also the smarter fighter.

 

Spinks above Hearns.

 

I don't think everyone knew that. There was a delay in the proceedings, and then the introductions started and I saw Spinks face and then did I realized that this might not go very long, but before that I thought Spinks had a chance. In hindsight everything looks clear now, but before that fight I was not sure at all.

 

Spinks was good but Hearns was a superstar and fought the best in several divisions. His fights are more classic and he was greater by far.