Hardly. Cruiserweight was 190 in Morrison’s time and is 200 today. In ring, that’s about 215. Heavyweights to heavyweights.
I think it's important to point out that Morrison was not a fringe contender. He may have dropped some to some lesser opponents due to a notoriously poor out of the ring lifestyle but he was world class at his prime none the less and be was beating guys like Chaz Witherspoon long before he turned 32 years old No doubt Usyk belongs at heavyweight but it's yet to be seen how he translates to fighting large men in professional fights and as we have all seen that doesn't always work out the way it should. Especially with the style of Usyk.
Morrison is the definition of a fringe contender. He finished 9th for two years in The Ring ratings annually and otherwise was absent. Usyk finished better than that last year in most heavyweight rankings.
Ring magazine in those days consistently had the minimum weight for heavy listed as 195. more importantly, how many fighters can you list who Morrison fought who were 190-195 ?
That isn't a correctly phrased question. The limit was 190. That isn't debatable. With the weigh in rules, most were entering the ring in the low 200s. He fought Yuri Vaulin and looked very beatable. Today's cruiserweights are even bigger so I have no idea what you're getting at. It's a strange post to say the least.
pretty strait forward to me. You had to be 195 or above to be a heavyweight in the 90s. And I also asked you to list some heavyweights who were at the proposed 190 something limit that you claim, and how many of those Morrison fought. Either way i don’t see concrete evidence that Gassiev hit harder or that Usyk has taken a punch from a man who hit like Morrison. Does that mean Tommy would win ? No. But your argument seems to be grabbing at straws
It isn't straightforward at all. Cruiserweights back then had to weigh in at 190 or less and generally entered the ring in the low 200s. 191 was a heavyweight. Crusierweights today have to weigh in at 200 or less and largely enter the ring in the 210s. I'm talking about Usyk and Gassiev. 195 is nonsense.
Yes. Donovan Ruddock was a tomato can.. Yes yes yes "he was not in his prime blahblah " i know i know