Could it be said that Michael Spinks is HW ATG?

Christ no......well off it.

 

Just using what he did at HW? Then no. I do like the comparison to Usyk tho. If Usyk gets the Fury fight and wins is he greater than Spinks pfp?

 

Not at heavyweight. Michael Spinks wining the heavyweight title was certainly a tremendous feat but he wasn’t there long enough to make it into the ranks of the great heavies. Perhaps if he went on to unify the titles and had a couple of big defenses he might have squeezed in. But two close wins over an aged Holmes and stoppages of a faded Cooney and Steffen Tangstad aren’t going to cut it.

 

No way, I do however place him top 5 light heavy ATG for sure.

 

Hell no.

 

Heavyweight Michael Spinks gets quite the discussion on here for a guy with 5 fights in the division.

If he’d have beaten Tyson or gave him a great great fight I would see a case. As it was he was on the floor from a body shot and packed in after 91 seconds from a shot that didn’t even look that big in truth, so I’d say no.

His Holmes performances get underrated though. Larry never could get a hold on Spinks and the way Holmes fans cry robbery is silly. He lost twice.

 

Definitely not.

 

LHW ATG? Yes.

P4P ATG? Yes.

Does his 4-1 (3-2 in a lot of people's eyes) record at HW make him a HW ATG? Most certainly not. Not even close.

 

Most fighters with Spinks’ HW record wouldn’t even be in any ATG discussions. 4 wins and 1 defeat. I mean it’s almost like saying would his brother Leon have been an ATG HW if he had retired after defeating the great but faded Ali with a record of 7-0-1. We’d be laughed out of town for even suggesting it.

But Michael is allowed at least a mention because of his great LHW and P4P status. He is an absolute legend, one of my favourite fighters and he can do little wrong in my eyes. I’d take him to beat most LightHeavies that came before and after him. I’d even give him a good chance against many, many HWs too. But that’s in fantasy fights. His actual HW record in the real world is just nowhere near deep enough to merit sitting at the top table.

His elite fighting status allows him to peer through the door though…but nah, he’s not coming in, not with that ultra light HW Resume!

*Had to edit out the word shoddy in describing his HW Resume. It isn’t shoddy at all. It’s ok as far as it goes it just doesn’t go far enough. Winning the world title against an unbeaten legend and defending it successfully against him buys him some hefty brownie points though…but not enough.

 

No way. One of the top 5 175 lb men for sure,but heavy? No.

 

Historically he’s right up there being the first light heavyweight Champion to move up and successfully win the heavyweight title but that aside it’s hard to make any real case for him been in any discussion as an ATG heavyweight, whether it’s based on his actual heavyweight resume or any assumptions on how he would match up with the top heavyweight elites throughout the history of the division in h2h matchups.

 

If he beat Tyson and maybe 1 or 2 other top contenders then yes.

But that didn't happen so no I can't see how he can be considered an ATG Heavyweight.

Usyk is overrated at Heavyweight aswell I haven't been as impressed as others seem to be.

 

An emphatic no. Not even close.
A razor thin win over a past prime and lazy
Holmes 1st fight that some saw as a gift
to him. The 2nd fight just as close whom
most thought Holmes actually won.
A fresh out of rehab version of Cooney,
and some guy named Tangstad.
The total sum of his heavyweight career,
3 wins against old men, a win against something
name Tangstad.
Completely obliterated by the only live body
at the weight he faced Mike Tyson.
Not enough to be considered very good, much
less great.