Not super middleweight, but career middleweight. So you can't say Ezzard Charles. Yes, he started off at middleweight but did his best work at LHW and HW. You can say Marvin Hagler or Carlos Monzon or Carl Bobo Olson. What middleweight, if any, could upset the Spinks apple cart?
Neither Hagler and Monzon fought at light heavy so I can’t pick them. Roy Jones is the obvious pick because he was a light heavyweight champ and a big middleweight, plus had the natural talent. I’m not confident he could do it though. Does Harry Greg count? He’s the only other dominant middleweight champ with pedigree at light heavyweight I can think of who could theoretically do it, but it’s pretty much a guess.
Harry Greb I guess is the safest choice. Bob Fitzsimmons could be dangerous as well, though I think that Spinks has style advantage against him.
No one is beating Spinks except maybe Greb ( who turned the trick on Tunney twice)... or maybe Walker pounding on the inside .. or a Fitz bomb
So it has to be a career middleweight? That rules our Roy, who probably has the best chance. I liked the Michael Nunn pick, but I'm not sure. Nunn also fought at 168 for a bit, so technically he doesn't count either. Actually, I'm not sure anyone could beat Spinks at 175 if the stipulation is a career middleweight. Hagler, Monzon and Hopkins aren't going to get it done, IMO. Canelo doesn't count either. GGG? Doubtful. I very much doubt the likes of LaMotta, Steele, Zale etc. are getting it done. Probably nobody, honestly.
Spinks is a very hard ask for any middleweight, to be fair. I think Hagler and Golovkin are as good a choice as any, because anybody with a shaky chin is going to get slept, and fast. If Golovkin gets blown out then so does Hagler, since Golovkin is factually bigger and has sparred with guys above 175lb, notably Gassiev. I see the case for Roy Jones, except, of course, that he had a sucky chin. I'm not sure that Monzon would be as effective at 175, where his length advantage is minimized. Greb is a good pick on record. Toney and Canelo are also not bad picks given on how good their defence is.
