Michael Spinks, Michael Moorer, Chris Byrd or David Haye?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by catchwtboxing, Dec 27, 2024.


Spinks, Moorer, Byrd or Haye?

  1. Spinks

    65.4%
  2. Moorer

    23.1%
  3. Byrd

    11.5%
  4. Haye

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

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    This seems unresponsive to the post you're quoting? You can hold the view that Holmes was not anywhere close to being shot for Spinks I whilst still thinking he had slipped. In fact, I've never heard anyone suggest Holmes was prime in 85. Literally never.
     
  2. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

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    So if you had scored 2 rounds the other way, you would have had Spinks winning, and yet you say with absolute certainty that it was a robbery.

    This is what I'm talking about.
     
  3. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Lol, he outpointed him despite having a torn rotor cuff for multiple rounds. If you want to claim Byrd was a better fighter or somehow completive with Klitschko go right ahead. I won't waste my time debating it. Harold Letterman even scored it 88-83 at the time of the stoppage. I have no doubt in my mind that a healthy Vitali would have beat the brakes off of Byrd like his brother did and Ike Ibeabuci and Povetkin. Byrd beat other Don King promoted fighters that were flawed. He fell far short against the cream of the crop.
     
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  4. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'm not debating that Holmes was in his prime against Spinks. He clearly wasn't. I'm simply saying he was not a shot fighter like folks make him out to be. Shot fighters don't beat top five fighters nearly a decade later like Holmes did. Prime Larry Holmes beats Michael hands down.
     
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  5. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I never stated Byrd was a better fighter you're claiming Vitali was dominant in the fight and that's not what happened at all. It was a nip and tuck tactical fight Vitali had the edge early on but Byrd started to come on in the 2nd half of the fight specifically after the 4th round and made it a competitive fight.

    Byrd certainly won more rounds than 2 rounds even 1 of the judges scored the 9th round for Vitali which was nonsense as that was a dominant round for Byrd.

    I'm not disputing Vitali wasn't ahead in the fight i'm disputing the judges scorecards don't reflect the competitiveness of the fight as it was closer than that. And i also don't believe the myth that gets branded around that Vitali was dominating Byrd which is absolute nonsense just like the Nunn vs Toney myth.

    Would Vitali be favoured over Byrd in a rematch ? yeah probably but you also have to remember Byrd would be his best win of his career and Vitali never really had a stand out win. His hype comes from not losing many rounds against B, C, class fighters which is impressive in one aspect. But it also means he gets a bit overrated in a H2H sense against other top Heavyweights throughout history.
     
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  6. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    A competitive fight can still have a clear winner it was competitive in one aspect but in regards to the scoring i thought Holmes was a clear winner.

    For example Norton vs Ali 1 was quite close in regards to the scoring but if Ali had won the fight it would be considered a robbery because Norton clearly won in a competitive fight and the same logic applies to Holmes vs Spinks 2.
     
  7. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

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    Well we disagree, so there's not a lot else to be said.
     
  8. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Fair enough good day to you mate.
     
  9. Man_Machine

    Man_Machine Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Each had their attributes of note.

    I tend to favor Moorer here, overall - he really looked the part as a heavyweight and appeared to be so well schooled. He also has the win over Holyfield who, despite the subsequent claims made about his health, had just come off the best win of his career in the Bowe rematch.

    I rate Moorer's big win higher than Spinks' against a past-it Holmes in what was a thoroughly dreary fight. Despite his technical ability, Spinks was never really convincing as a heavyweight and I think he and his team were aware of his limitations there. I do think that, as a plan to navigate themselves to riches, it was beautiful - and I cannot hold that against him.

    Byrd, while admirable in some respects, really led a charmed career and his results against Vitali and Evander are tokens to a large extent. There are also too many questionable decisions for my liking. But I can't fault his courage, even if I suspect he was as crazy as a loon. His best win was against Tua.

    Haye is a bit of an odd one out here. He was already a big power-punching cruiserweight, as opposed to a light heavyweight. He was great coming forward against opponents less likely to hurt him, which made him really quite impressive at 200. However, he became extremely defensive against the more dangerous men he faced within the open class. His best win is against Valuev - a bout during which Haye threw just 170 punches. Save for the moment he wobbled The Russian Giant, it was quite the dire spectacle.
     
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  10. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Who is your pfp?
     
  11. GoldenHulk

    GoldenHulk Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I assume you mean at light heavyweight. It's Michael Spinks, I would say Qawi because he's one of my favorite fighters, but I'd be lying. Dwight had might but Spinks was the Jinx.
     
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  12. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    No I meant your profile pic
     
  13. GoldenHulk

    GoldenHulk Boxing Addict Full Member

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    That is actor Roscoe Lee Browne, known for his distinctive voice. Who is your pic and why does Seamus have the same one?
     
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  14. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    It’s definitely between Moorer and Byrd. While Spinks was pound for pound better than all of them, he simply had too few fights at heavyweight. Haye doesn’t even belong in the discussion.

    Michael Moorer’s heavyweight record amounted to 30-4-1-18 with the claim of capturing lineage and a win over at least one hall of fame claimant. Chris Byrd’s record at heavy was around 37-4-1-20 or something to that effect. While he was a two time belt holder I don’t believe he ever secured lineage. Not sure if Vitali Klitschko is in the HOF yet or not but he most likely will be if he isn’t.

    It should also be noted that Moorer’s win over Holy and Byrd’s win over vitali are somewhat overshadowed by the fact that Evander was in poor health while Vitali sustained an injury that had nothing to do with anything Byrd did to him.

    Moorer had the claim to lineage while Byrd had a few more fights at heavyweight and possibly beat more ranked contenders. I’m almost inclined to calling this one a tie
     
  15. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    I posted but may have misunderstood the question. Is this about which man was better in general or was it about who did better while they were at heavyweight ?