I don't think so, there is probably no heavyweight that would take him lightly or any heavyweight that would not respect the danger he represents. I'd give him a shot against many brawling heavyweights. So I think people judge him about right.
Not at all, if anything he's underrated. The guy could punch like a mutherf*cker and he had a very good chin. He hurt himself by gaining so much weight, but he was always dangerous. To put him in perspective, Sam Peter isn't even as good as him IMO, yet Peter was a titleholder and considered by some (though not by me, admittedly) to have been one of the top heavyweights in the world recently. I would say Jerry Quarry and Ron Lyle are much more overrated among heavyweight non-champions.
Co- sign. Tua couldn't even outbox regional level clubfighters. Nor could he sting Rahman, and he was literally played with by Chris Byrd. Overrated was the word? :yep
Outboxing clubfighters was never his game. Knocking their heads into the 3rd row was. He sure looked like he stung Rahman when he stopped his ass. :think There's worse fighters you could lose to, and worse ways you could lose. Vitali Klitschko was made to quit on his stool against the same Byrd, yet has been considered a top heavyweight for quite some time. Pavlik was embarrassed by a 40-year old Hopkins, yet is still considered the top middleweight in the world. Tyson was completely outclassed and then brutally KO'd by a glass chinned journeyman (a far worse fighter than Byrd), yet some people still consider him to have been a great fighter regardless.
Tua is small for a HW but the guy has serious power what he did to Moorer and Ruiz was stunning he I think is at risk of killing his opponent. He is not overated and would haev been a contender in any era.
Overall he was overrated and overhyped at the time he was coming into title contention...But now maybe not so much, he gets overlooked somewhat now.
RE: Ibeabuchi, I always found it amazing that people would talk down Tua, yet I would see those very same people hype Ibeabuchi - even though beating Tua was basically Ibeabuchi's defining moment. atsch Not only that, but a case could be made that Tua beat Ibeabuchi, or at least the fight could've gone either way. Definite contradiction there IMO.
Yes he is. everytime he has stepped up to the premier division.....Lewis, Byrd he lost. He went to the wire with Rahman twice, Jeff Wooden and Maskaev. There is always alot of what ifs concerning Mr Tua.