Really good counter argument. I was agreeing with @IntentionalButt until I read this. Changed my perspective. Yes. That mental strength is as tangible a part of what makes a fighter as something like a powerful punch so, yes, given Tony's lack of drive we saw the best of what someone never having that fire could be. It's like saying how good could Evander Holyfield have been if he'd had a huge punch? He didn't, so it's a non starter. You could attribute greatness to a lot of fighters if you bestow on them a quality that they intrinsically lacked.
I ponder if Lennox Lewis would have stood a chance against Rex Layne. That's what InMemoryofJakeLamotta ponders.
Probably champion for a year or 2. Best pure boxer of the 80's crew not named Page. If he had wanted his career to last a little longer, could have punched harder. Could see him beating Pinklon Thomas in the 85-86 time frame in he had trained.
I think under different circumstances, he might have held the title longer. He might have been better than he was. But I don't think he was ever going to be Larry Holmes for example.
He definitely could have done more. Success would have been predicated on staying 230 lbs or under. Even past prime he boxed very well in the 1991-1993 timeframe in the fights where he came in 230 lbs ish. Even at 244lns he kept it close veruses a prime Witherspoon Basically his career stalled after the Witherspoon loss. He did get the Tyson fight but was largely inactive in the two years that preceded it and the two years that followed it. Of course a Coke addiction didn't help. But lack of conditioning and long stretches of inactivitely played large roles in his uneven record
Along with Greg Page,Pinklon Thomas,Tim Witherspoon and Michael Dokes,Tubbs was one of those '80s heavies who were very talented but underachieved for one reason or other. Tony had fine skills and was very mobile for such a big guy.
He along with Dokes, Thomas and Tucker could've been a lot better if they didn't get into the cocaine. Even during his career with drug use he was still a tough out for mostly everyone he fought and beat some decent opponents. If he had stayed motivated and healthy he may have been able to compete with the top of the division he pretty much fought even with Bowe when Bowe was on his come up I don't know whether he was dedicated during that time or not. I don't know what he was doing at the time he fought Tyson it seems to me that loss may have sent him into a downward spiral.
Very quick hands and feet excellent boxer with a good jab. I like watching him on you tube his performance against bowe was excellent. I also liked his Jerry curl hair do very swish. Like boxing Barry white !!
One negative about Tony was that he could not punch. He would get into a war with someone like Dokes and get knocked the heck out.