Rate HW comebacks after long layoffs

Champions only or including top contenders?

 

foremans was just too unbelievable. You were worried he might die in the ring with each successive higher fight. Almost made you believe in god eventually.

ali was less unbelievable, but with more h2h success by far. made you believe in the power of 1 man.

tyson, he did well to unify after prison, made you disbelief how someone could mess up something so good.

vitali - peter is a weak win in the book of anyone above, but vitalis best. made you disbelieve how a 6 round fighter could win a world title.

 

Foreman closed a lot of mouths clowns like jim lampley

 

yeh foreman and ali are inspirational comebacks of the highest level, tysons was kinda just ugly (who wants to support someone viewed as a rappist, although its likely he wasnt guilty in retrospect) and vitalis was disgusting, has the air of a setup to allow a guy like peter who shouldnt have been top ten, to have a title just so vits could get a guaranteed title win. Especially given that vitali had only been out of the game to avoid getting beaten up by little chris byrd...which would have ended his career and credibility.

 

Well for champions, Foreman and Vitali stand out to me. As far as top contenders go, I'll say Andrew Golota. Throughout his rollercoaster of a career filled with ups and downs — twists and turns — Andy was always treated as a people's champion. Despite his lapses, most ring observers know deep down that the Polish legend defeated Chris Byrd and John Ruiz (or at least one of them) and should have had his crowning moment that April/November 2004. Golota did make some big mistakes along the way, but he went on to prove that even if you screw up and make many mistakes, you can still do good and still achieve at least some success. Keep in mind that this is the same Andrew who appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, graced the cover of RING, and caused a riot following Bowe I. This same guy is who came ever so close to winning a piece of the heavyweight title in bouts with Byrd and Ruiz on a good comeback run (the same crown once shared by Ali, Louis, Marciano, etc.). And just think if Andrew had won! It would have become one of the greatest stories of redemption and inspiration in heavyweight history, up there with "Cinderella Man" James Braddock, "Big George" Foreman, and James Buster Douglas. Imagine that! Golota's comeback which began in 2003 when he linked back up with Sam Colonna, was looking like one hell of a run...he was well on his way to a title and although he fell short, the run was just amazing, and that's why the story is so noteworthy. All things considered, Andrew warrants a mention here for the purposes of your post.

 

1. Vitali 2. Ali 3. Foreman 4. Tyson

Without Moorer, Foreman's comeback biggest win was over Briggs, Morrison & Schulz got jobbed. Moorer did win a title a 2nd time off a SD and never beat another fighter of significance bar a come from behind fight over a former CW, Jirov. Again without Moorer, Foreman just had some entertaining fights

Without Bruno, Tyson's comeback is a circus act, sorry.

Vitali ruled over weak era but as a result, which fight presented any challenge?
Ali fought among the top 5 fighters in both decade 60s, 70s.

 

Vitali, in my mind, looked MARVELOUS in the win over Peter...he was magnificent, no matter what a schlub Peter was compared to other champions.

 

sure did, but who wouldnt if the had some decent ability.

 

Out of action for how many years...and in the fight, he looked like Peter's puppet master.

 

Jim Jeffries' comeback wasn't all that successful. If nothing else, it was an excuse to lose some weight.

Jess Willard's comeback after 4 years of resting (which was preceded by his drubbing against Dempsey and 4 additional years of resting) was just as inscrutable as his prime run. He beat a somewhat rated Floyd Johnson and acted his age against Firpo.

Jack Dempsey's comeback after 3 years of intensive starlet banging didn't result in many won rounds but two very contentiously debated knockdowns that fit and amplified the legend already created.

 

People forget that Peter was at his absolute best at that point and not exactly such a schlub.

 

peters crap.

 

toney is a frekin middleweight originally, great argument.

YOu dont think 250lb Vitali would dominate a 160lber with some chub on him ?


why on earth are you using a MW as a yardstick for HW performance?