No Tyson.

In a world where things turn out the way I want them to, Larry's career becomes defined in a grudge match with Trevor Berbick and he loses the title to Berbick in their third match in 1985. Berbick defends to Spoon losing in an awesome brawl. Spoon defends to Weaver, which would just be plain awesome, but loses to Smith like he actually did. Smith ends up deposed by Michael Spinks or Pinklon Thomas. But in the end Holyfield ends up sitting on top of the heap by 1990.

 

What happens in the Berbick-Holmes II fight? You skipped that one.

 

I really believe that Michael Spinks would have had a longer title reign as IBF Champion, Tony Tucker would have been his mandatory challenger. I believe Terrible Tim Witherspoon would have defeated James Bone Crusher Smith in a rematch, then goes after Spinks to unify. the winner of Tucker vs Spinks.

 

I think the titles stay divided until Evander moves up. He unifies. Then things proceed as they did in the normal time line

 

Larry outpoints him in 1982 with considerably more difficulty than before.

 

I think Ruddock would take over for a few years until losing to Bowe/Holyfield/Lewis.

And the most obvious answer here is that there would be lots of fragmented belts and musical chairs.

 

But Holmes looked pretty great beating Cooney and Cobb that year, at least as good against Berbick 1. In fact, I daresay his decline didn't start until Spoon. To me Larry already knew Berbick's style and, like he did Weaver and Smith, have stopped him within 8 at the latest. If you had said the year 1984 I would have been a bit more understanding. But that's just my view.

 

I agree. I think Larry still would have won easily on points, but Berbick gained a bit more experience by 82 I think.

 

Well, he beat Page, which back then was a biiig deal for sure.

 

Pinklon Thomas would have beaten Berbick in the rematch for the WBC Title. He'd then go on to fight Bonecrusher Smith (who KO'ed Witherspoon) in a unification for the WBC & WBA championship. Thomas wins via UD. He then fights Tony Tucker (who just won the vacant IBF belt) for undisputed.

Tucker wins via MD/SD & is the first undisputed champion of the 80s. Tucker beats Biggs & an old, back from retirement Holmes & Bruno. Spinks (who Tucker had wanted to fight prior) finally fights him - only to lose via TKO in 10. Tucker then has face the up & coming "Razor" Ruddock. Tucker loses in an upset via 8th KO, after winning on all the judges scorecards. As this was a mandatory challenge there's no immediate rematch. Tucker goes back to the drawing board to get back into title contention.

Ruddock has some impressive KO victories over light opposition like Bert Cooper & Francesco Damiani. He then faces former undisputed CW champion, newly HW #1 contender Evander Holyfield. In a grueling, back & forth battle Holyfield is triumphant with an 11th TKO Stoppage after a vicious combinations that pins Ruddock against the ropes forces the referee to stop the fight. And that concludes the 80s.

 

Cool post to read. But I never thought Tucker was even good enough to beat the late 80s Holmes. I thought he was very overrated, mostly for hurting Mike with that one uppercut in a fight he was mostly dominated in. Just me.

 

Holmes at his absolute peak couldn't stop Berbick in 15 and never looked like it. Berbick is one of these guys that can take fair to good power all day and it takes BIG power to get him out of there. Guys like Thomas, Page, Holmes, Williams, Bey and Douglas landed good shots on him and Trev didn't go anywhere. As a matter of fact he was only stopped twice in his career despite facing a lot of good and even a couple of great fighters. He was in just his twelfth fight when stopped in one by Mercado, a huge puncher. He wasn't stopped again for 7 1/2 years when a streaking Tyson got him and he then went more than a decade without ever being stopped again. 24 years and 61 fights for just two losses inside the distance. I find that extremely impressive.

So no Tyson. Spinks IBF champ, Berbick WBC and Bonecrusher WBA. The HBO tourney would still be on imo. Who replaces Tyson as the contender. Whoever faces Berbick. Berbick wins. Spinks still pulls out for the Cooney money. Berbick - Crusher wouldn't be a completely foregone conclusion because Crusher has that POWA. Lets say Berbick outhustles him. Berbick - Tucker.

Berbick might well out-hustle Tucker too. Either way we have a lifeless non lineal champ at the top of the division. Money would be up for Spinks to fight the winner and Spinks would likely beat Berbick. There'd be no money elsewhere for Spinks so it comes off.

Does King offer Holmes a Spinks III gig? Maybe not because he's not going to make remotely the sort of money off that he did off any Tyson fight. Maybe so because the division is DEAD. Holmes would come back at some point. Spinks might fight on a bit without the monster Tyson money and thrashing. Maybe he fights a retread or two. Witherspoon frozen out.

Holyfield takes over as happened around about when it happened.

The end.

 

Yeah, back when Page was in decent shape. Even though he lost to Snipes too, I still think that gained him some good experience. That was a real barnburner.

 

Love the love for Berbick lol.