Would you consider Michael Moorer a Great Fighter?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Jay1990, Dec 3, 2017.


  1. Jay1990

    Jay1990 Active Member Full Member

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  2. red cobra

    red cobra Loyal Member Full Member

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    A very good fighter,...not a great fighter.
     
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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  4. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    Wish he would've stayed at 175.
     
  5. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    No. If he had stuck around longer at light heavy, he could have become a great one in that division. But never has becoming a multiple time world heavyweight champion meant so little as it did with Moorer. His KO loss to 44 year old Foreman is a real black mark too.
     
  6. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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  7. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    You could just about argue it, based on cross division accomplishments.
     
  8. juppity

    juppity Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Moorer was somewhat unlucky. Michael Spinks stole his glory.
    Moorer was one of only four men ( the others being Bob Fitzsimmons ,
    Spinks and Jones Jr) to win both LHW and HW title.
    Moorer is one of three men to win HW title on three separate occasions.
    (the others being Ali , Holyfield and Lennox Lewis ).
    So based on Moorer underrated achievements yes there is a very valid
    argument he was great.
     
    InMemoryofJakeLamotta likes this.
  9. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Jones Jr. never was HW champ. Moorer did not win the HW championship 3-times. Belts are not championships.
     
  10. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    No, but how many fighters who were legitimately top players at light heavyweight, have gone on to be lineal heavyweight champion?

    Not that many.
     
    bodhi likes this.
  11. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Moorer was never the top player at 175 tho, unlike Spinks who had a fine reign there and also beat a couple of fantastic fighters to boot. Moorer didn't beat guys as good as spinks second tier i reckon.
     
  12. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I agree, but I think that you would at least have to be a legitimate contender at light heavyweight, to be as invested in the division as Moorer was.

    If we are looking at guys who were world class at light heavyweight, but later went on to win the lineal heavyweight title, then we are left with the following list.

    Bob Fitzsimmons
    Tommy Burns
    Gene Tunney
    Jimmy Braddock
    Ezzard Charles
    Floyd Paterson
    Michael Spinks
    Michael Moorer

    Not a bad list to be on.
     
  13. Big Ukrainian

    Big Ukrainian Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I think Moorer had great skills, but not great career (just very good).

    His resume lacks elite opponents at LHW.

    At HW he has win over ATG Holyfield, when Moorer won lineal HW championship of the world

    Other than that, it's Shulz, Bert Cooper, Alex Stewart, James Smith, Botha, Vaughn Bean, CW Vasiliy Jirov.
    Far from great resume.

    His KO loss to nearly 46 y.o. Foreman was really a bad thing for Moorer's resume.

    As for skills, Moorer had great right jab, straight left, right hook (his money punch), right and left uppercuts, and he threw them in series. Moorer had also nice counterpunching skills. He was technically sound boxer.

    Moorer had one defensive flaw - he often blocked punches while standing against the ropes instead of slipping them. That was bad idea as Moorer's main weakness was his chin.

    Moorer also was lazy in the later stages of his career, both in and outside the ring.

    Very good figter, but certainly not great.
     
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  14. Mr.DagoWop

    Mr.DagoWop Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    Great name to have on a resume as well as talented and nice to watch but not a great fighter. A little bit below that for me. Imo he didn't have a good ring iq which brought him down a lot.
     
    Contro likes this.
  15. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    I look at Moorer`s time at `75 like Oscar DelaHoya at `30. He grabbed a belt and was overwhelming with size and power but was never really tested there. Had a quality opponent taken them into deep water we may have seen them fall apart from making that weight.
     
    JohnThomas1 likes this.