All time great fighters who could have been even greater

Holmes.

Imagine if he had added Dokes, Page, Coetzee,Thomas...

 

Joe Goddard should have started fighting before his late 20's. With more schooling and more time to develop he would have the fighter to bridge the Sullivan - Jeffries gap.

Jack Dempsey could have defended more often against all comers and truly been something more spectacular.

Packy McFarland should have gotten more opportunities. ATG talent and skill.

 

Roberto Duràn,had if he never partied a ton and blew up in weight in between fights,he could've had more by g wins,I'd say he could have a nice thin,close(prob controversial) win vs Marvin before getting smashed in the rematch,beat Leonard in the second fight after an adjustment and make out a better trilogy with him, surviving against Hearns better and do better against Benitez and Laing,he could also do better vs Vinny and Camacho.

 

The Black Murderers Row too,all ATG but was ducked too much they never kissed a world title once except the coloured one,same to Ezzard Charles,I wish he also retired much sooner.

 

THE CORRECT ANSWER IS: ALL OF THEM!

 

If one of Packey McFarland's numerous wins over world champions had been for the world title, he would have likely gone on to be a long reigning and dominant champion, who some would rate far higher on all time lists, even with an otherwise identical resume.

 

Mike Tyson
RJJ
Holmes
Holyfield
Dempsey
Toney
Calzaghe
Naseem

 

I agree with most of it... I think Holmes used a lot of his potential. He fought until he was 50, he got opportunities, he conducted himself well. If he had met Ali in 1978 instead of 1980, it would have made a big difference.

Holyfield used 120% of his potential... He unified the cruiserweight at the perfect moment, he moved to HW at the perfect moment, he got Tyson at the perfect moment, it couldn't have turned out better than it did. He could have finished after the fight with Moorer, Mr. Bean, Lewis, Ruiz, Donald and the rest were unnecessary. I would add Liston, Foreman, Leon Spinks, Walcott to this list instead...

 

Sometimes it's just timing. If Lewis career had coincided more perfectly with Tyson's, and he'd have beaten a prime Tyson, a prime Holyfield and a prime Bowe, and if he hadnt had the two sloppy losses, would we talk of him as the greatest?

 

Aaron Pryor. He should have fought Duran and Leonard but bad management/decisions were made and he missed out on those paydays. Drugs and partying also shortened his career.

 

and there are dozens & dozens of them over the duration of Boxing, great fighters denied their rightful shot!

 

yeah, good points, which of course reverses the question, 'if' some of these great fighters got their chances and won, it changes the legacy of said champions, likewise if they lost, theirs could still be elevated immensely in the showing or lessened even, if their status was only just marginal in the first instance.

Still for me 'Greatest' Lists are the most inaccurate lists of all anyway, they are based on Titles, where as H2H is based on Skill, Longevity and wins and loses against fellow Top Men.

the Only way to rate fighters.

 

Jack Root retired before his 30th birthday after just 2 HW fights. While Hart beat him I think Root would have been the better HW.

Ketchel died before he turned 24. He was not only a MW great but he just so happened to fight in the six year period that LHW stopped existing. Instead he went up to HW.

Fulton. One of the best HWs of the early 20th century and has no belt of any kind.

Miske who was also the top HW at times during WW1 died before his 30th birthday. He was the coleader of the HW division with Fulton in 1917,1918 and also could have been a HW champ. Unlike Fulton he really also should have been LHW champ.

Stribling retired at 28 as the all time win leader and with time could have shattered every longevity category. Stribling won rarely acknowledged titles at both 175 and HW. Stribling, Tommy Gibbons and Mickey Walker all won fights for the LHW title but didn't get to hold the belt because the fights were KO to win. Loughran and Greb also fall into this category but I don't think they really need a legacy boost.

Braddock wasted years trying to knock out elite LHWs 20 pounds below his optimal weight which he only reached his last 3 fights. Braddock could have been the guy at HW between Tunney and Louis if he'd been his full weight. You'll see a theme here with Louis rivals.

John Henry Lewis had 101 wins and 57 knockouts before his 25th birthday. 25 fights against LHW contenders, 11 against HW contenders. With 10 years imagine what he could have done?

Tommy Farr took a 10 year hiatus from boxing at 28. He already had over 125 fights and came back 10 years later and did ok. What could he have done in the 40s?

Buddy Baer retired at 26 with 57 KOs.

Witherspoon gets the nod against Holmes who knows how things turn out for him. He also missed 5 years he was a top contender because of the blackballing.

Moorer and Buster Douglas bailed after losing their belts for several years they would have been top fighters.

Tarver started his career super late. By the time he fought for the belt he was nearly 35. He was 1 year older than RJJ yet came around at the end of his reign. Hes that guy who H2H could beat just about anyone but his careers timing was just off.

Trinidad

Quartey

Bradley

 

Hmmm ... The Mallard didn't always take on the best contender available at the time - I rate him but he could've cemented himself as clear number 3 at the weight.

I hear you but he didn't get called Mallard for no reason. Meeting Ali in 1978 or '77 wouldn't have done too much more for him, knowing now what we know. It was moreso the choice of some of his defences - Ali's a good win in name alone but anything after Manilla, how much stock do you really put in it?

Holyfield is a bit Toneyish. Amongst brilliant performances were subpar, questionable performances as he got older and Evan was clearly under the assistance of assistance. Had Holyfield beat Bowe in the series (arguably without intervention of Fan Man, he loses the second fight as well) and then beat Moorer and done better in the first Lewis match, you could argue him top 5, based on a mix of résumé and H2H. His balding and health complications, plus egregious use of the head - I asterisk Mr Fields when I rank him.

Liston - yep, why not. Foreman - the Ali fight did its damage - to come back and capture the world title again is a big achievement (never been repeated). Spinks - victim of the times he was in. Walcott - pretty much the same - agreed tho.