[VIDEO] Chris Byrd vs Tua, one of the most underrated boxing clinics ever.

Byrd was slick but this fight wasn't underrated it was just boring as hell because of Byrd's lack of power !

 

I think that people are forgetting that the Byrd-Tua fight result had a lot to do with Tua declining.

David Tua wasn't the same after making changes in his camp following his previous losses. He left Roger Bloodworth, which made a huge difference in the Tua we remember as being a monster. Tuaman became a one-armed fighter who looked for one shot all night, instead of the powerhouse who often let both hands go (to both head and body). Plus, Tua was going through major managerial problems then with Kevin Barry and Rick Pugh. There was even a nasty lawsuit that took awhile to resolve. On the other hand, Byrd was motivated to make up for his loss to Ibeabuchi.

So I think people are forgetting that the Tua who Byrd decisioned wasn't "quite" the Tuaman anymore. I don't think the Ibeabuchi-Byrd result was a fluke. Ike fought a smarter, more measured fight and took Byrd out that night.

Byrd should have also lost to Fres Oquendo and Andrew Golota. Imo. I agree that it was remarkable what he was able to accomplish several weight classes above where he would've been naturally.

 

It showed once again how Byrd could be real sneaky and slip in well placed and timed bodyshots.

I think it was the 8th round, Byrd was against the ropes, and landed this left uppercut to
Tua's body that noticeably hurt him. Tua seemed kind of short on breath after that. Byrd landed a couple of nice body shots shortly after that which moved Tua.

 

The statement about Byrd being a middleweight is beyond ridicolous.

At 6 foots and 215 lbs, fast and agile and not a fat slob, there is no way to consider him a middleweight, not without considering Tyson a welterweight and half boxers of the '70s light middleweights.

 

Comon - That's a Good win. This was a PRIME Tua - a Tua that set records vs Ibeabuchi and arguably won the fight, KO'd Ruiz in 30secs, Maskaev - A Tua that would give a Prime Tyson all he could handle.

 

I wouldn't, you probably forgot that Byrd was actually losing before the KO. Ike is never losing to Byrd. He just had too much of everything and was closing the distance as the fight wore on.

 

This version of Byrd is one of the best boxers of this generation

He would beat a prime Tyson

Styles make fights

Slick skills and great ability all the way

 

He would run into the same issues that he did against Ike. He had no fire power to keep off a heavy puncher that was skilled at cutting off the ring, which fortunately for him, Tua wasn't. Byrd is one of my favorite heavies from the late 90's/ early 2000's but Tyson would beat him from pillar to post. Very few small heavies could hang with Tyson, let alone one with no power. I'd give Byrd a much better shot at beating Marciano, who was slower footed than Tyson and struggled vs smaller heavies.

 

Depends on how you score it. I valued ring generalship and cleaner punching. Byrd was landing more at a significantly higher percentage and left Ike hitting air enough that I thought he won the 1st round for sure and a strong argument for 3&4, as well. The only round that was a definite Ike round was 2.

It's presumptuous to say Byrd never beats Ike; this wasn't the best Byrd would become and he was still having success in there. This fight was no washout like the HBO crew made it out to be. Byrd got better, Ike got crazy.

But don't take my word for it. Here's the video for anyone who wants to judge for themselves. :good


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I'd say people who say this must also consider Sam Langford and Freddie Steele lightweights, but then I realized people who say that would have no idea who Sam Langford or Freddie Steele are.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m51pATaXdjw

Go to 47 minutes, Byrd himself says "I'm a 210lb heavyweight, a blown up supermiddle"

 

I remember Byrd having success in the first few rounds, with Ike warming up and closing the distance in the next few rounds. Look at like this. I haven't seen the fight in years but if I remember correctly, he closed the gap in as early as round 4, which to me means that it would have only gotten worse for Byrd in the late rounds where his size disadvantage would have REALLY been a factor. Do you remember at the end of the round before the stoppage when Ike successfully had Byrd pinned on the ropes and was staring to do damage? You're pretty much saying that Byrd would have a good chance to beat Ike based on 2 or 3 rounds of slight success (if that's what you want to call it). If that was the case, fights would be 3 rounds instead of 10 or 12. It's what you do in the championship rounds that matters most and Byrd never even made it that far. You can only duck and dodge so much against a skillful volume puncher like Ike before you get caught simply because he will not stop throwing.

 

Nah, it wasn't a "prime" Tua at all. That version of Tua was gone after the Shane Sutcliffe fight. Furthermore, he fought Ruiz, Izon, Maskaev, and Ike several years before he lost to Byrd. Tua became a different fighter right before the Obed Sullivan bout, which was around the time he had those changes in his camp and let his fighting weight fluctuate.

 

I can respect the view that Ike would've eventually caught Byrd anyways. I just happen to be on the other side of the coin that a more experienced Byrd could've pulled it off. Would he win 10/10? Of course not. Could he have won a rematch? I believe so.

Had Tua-Byrd never happened, people would be projecting the exact same outcome as the Ibeabuchi fight (and going in to that fight, they were- Byrd was something like a 5-1 underdog).