Versions of great heavyweights who lose to '78 Leon Spinks

certainly an aging holyfield and the old foreman i think both lose.

i think tyson in his second reign might also get talked about but he stops him.

 

I think an old Holy would be a good pick. I dunno about Louis...even an old version was still decent, and he still had a knockout punch. An old Holmes could get outworked...I think it's feasible. Possibly an old Jack Johnson too.

 

1 question I was thinking was, how good was Leon Spinks that beat the old ALi, the accepted history is he was **** based on his future performances, but he did what Shavers couldnt do the year before, he was an olympic champion, maybe he just deteriated after been slung in the trash after the second Ali fight. Yes Ali was shot to pieces but you have to have something to pull out the W

 

At first glance i am thinking the old version of Foreman would be very well suited to Neon Leon.

 

I must be honest, so do I. What could Spinks possibly do to him? Outwork him maybe, but Foreman would stoicly plod forward and find the KO punch eventually.

 

He didnt against chinny Morrison

 

But then again Morrison is a natural big man with a crunching hook. Spinks had neither size nor much power. Foreman feasted on a bunch of cruisers (which Leon basically was) during his comeback.

 

He would make mincemeat of neon leon.

 

Spinks would have to fight one of these Champions, who were in the same circumstance as Ali. In thier decline. Spinks was a determined brawler, with not much power. Who could probably outwork an older unprepared fighter. A prime Larry Holmes made mincemeat out of him. BUT the Holmes who fought Tyson against the Spinks who beat Ali? It is very possible for Spinks to Beat holmes.

 

Spinks fought that night on painkillers to deal with a rib injury and fought the last few founds in agony. I certainly think any version of Holyfield, Foreman or Holmes would beat him. Maybe even Tyson as well, given Spinks's dodgy chin and come-forward style.

Basically, off my head: a shot Ezzard Charles, post-1978 Ali, 1981 Frazier, a pensionable Jack Johnson... That's about it. Spinks was arguably the worst linear heavyweight champion ever; Primo Carnera and even Shannon "the Cannon" Briggs would probably beat him. He was just in the right place, with the right style, and a shot opponent.

Ali came in poor shape once too often and didn't have the natural goods left. Even though he looked good against Shavers, that was based on determination and cunning yet he brought none of that to the table against Spinks. Sadly, Spinks would have probably won again in the rematch if it wasn't for the fact that he'd been training in a shack with moonshine and pot.

 

I am not a big Holmes groupie, but I think you guys underrate him. I think he would always have too much size and skill for Leon Spinks, and off the fight they did have, perhaps too much power also.

 

The Tyson who fought McBride.

The Ali who fought Holmes and Berbick.

The Holyfield of recent fights.

The Frazier who fought Jumbo Cummings.

 

word at the time was ali never trained for spinks.for the second fight he did and won by decision

 

The late sixties version of Gene Tunney who was in the midst of his bouts with alcohol and depression. Max Baer just prior to checking into that hotel that he had a heart attack in in 1959. Ezzard Charles just before he was confined to a wheelchair. Jack Dempsey at 70. Max Schmeling in the late 1980's (he was a little off his game by then).