Who is the most underrated heavyweight in history and why

How so? Pacquiao spent a large part of his career fighting bums. Go check Boxrec. Usyk defeated the best of the best, and he's also an Olympic gold medalist.

 

Audley Harrison was an Olympic gold medalist

The wins over barerra, morales and marquez Trump anything on usyk record. I don't have to go to cotto, hatton, thurman, bradley, margarito, Oscar etc

Usyk has feasted on cruiser weight bums and a few over hyped English fighters.

Pacquiao shytes all over usyk's resume and it's not close

Name me usyks 15 greatest wins. I'll allow you to include joyce or any other super series fighter and I'll name Pacquiao's 15 greatest victories.

Pacquiao has been a world champ In 4 separate decades

 

I would say Vitali is overrated. His best wins are Sanders and Peter, his resume is weak, he lost 2 out of 4 his biggest fights, and some people still treat him as a H2H beast or Top 15 HW of all time. Never beat a top contender, never unified and his record against Top 10 competition is 6-2.

 

He never unified because he didn't want to beat up little bro. You gonna hold that against him? Officially, he has 2 losses but the argument could be made that he was never in a losing position in his whole career. One of those official losses is to a legend and it was due to a cut in a fight he had been winning and was an even fight when stopped. The Byrd loss was simply from an injury in a fight that he was in control of. He's the only fighter in history to take a 4 year absence and regain his title first fight back. You're not telling me anything in relation to a lack of a marquee name on his resume as I stated that in the post to which you replied. His era will be held against him but his career is nothing to be sneezed at. He's massively underrated but I respect your opinion, it's probably shared by many.

 

Wlad didn't have any belts between 2004 and 2005. Between 2008 and 2011 there was still another title holder. You can also say he didn't want to be beaten up by his little bro, depending on how you look at it.

It doesn't matter if you are not in the losing position if you still lose at the end of the day. He got beaten to a pulp by Lewis in a very entertaining and even fight, but he lost it. He injured himself swinging at air against Byrd, who made him miss and quit. Byrd only landed 8 less punches than Vitali, the fight was way closer than the scorecards show.

Good for him, nice feat. Still, he got a title back from the paper belt holder, previously beaten by his brother as well. After that his title reign was not that impressive.

I just pointed out that's not the only flaw in his resume.

It's not about an era. Wlad fought in the same era but managed to beat all top contedners, unify the belts and become Lewis' successor on the throne.

 

Sure Chisora would destroy Foreman and Liston because of his size. Imagine what he would do to someone like Haye, he would probably kill him
Oh wait

 

Trolling?

 

Larry Holmes, he's top 3.

 

Liston, at his best he could most likely beat any other heavyweight in history.

 

The Easton Assassin, Larry Holmes for sure.

All time best jab, heart, toughness, he deffo doesn't get the props he deserves IMO

 

Mavrovic maybe? Though he lost, he showed a superhuman chin, will and stamina against Lewis. If injury and illness didn't kill his career I think he could have picked up a strap.

 

I don't think it's Larry Holmes tbf

 

Well said. I have always said the Vitali comeback title win never got the credit it deserved. To come back against a dangerous opponent (Peter was at his best and still very dangerous) and basically make it look easy whooping Peter to the point where Peter said “No. No I don’t want anymore of this beating” was an amazing feat imo.

Also to take a couple of full on flush Corrie Sanders counter lefts and arguably the hardest right uppercut lewis ever landed, and stay on his feet… remarkable. Iron chin.

Vitali is very underrated. Had he had his brothers power… he wouldn’t have ever even came close to losing. And most likely would’ve had a 95-100% KO ratio

 

How does your friend explain George Foreman coming back after 10 years off and winning the undisputed, lineal HW Championship at age 45?

Foreman would dispatch Chisora inside of 2 rounds.

 

Tim Witherspoon