Joe Frazier tries to clean out 2020 division... (read op)

"Could" is a long distance from doing it consistently, fight after fight, against guys with 40 pounds on you.

 

He definitely could with modern training and weight cutting he's smaller then some fighters who fought at LHW today

 

The perfect weight for a heavyweight fighter is between 200-225lbs. Anything larger than this is usually an issue for athleticism unless you are an extreme outlier. You've got the likes of prime Holmes, Prime Foreman, Ali, Liston(though he doesn't punch as hard as Marciano), Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Michael Spinks, Michael Moorer, most of the time Usyk, David Haye Even fighters like Corrie Sanders weighed 225lbs when he crushed Klitschko in two rounds.

 

Too small. I could be very wrong. That's why he's not one of my head to head monsters. He was a genius in his era though.

 

It looks awfully tough for Joe.
I love the Man but damn.. he's gonna lose a few there.

 

Hrgovic: I think Frazier can snatch a UD here. Hrgovic is a big, tough dude but he got frustrated and gassed badly against Dubois' pressure and he doesn't hit THAT hard in all honesty. I think Frazier can wear him out late with his work-rate, though he gets busted up pretty badly.

Joyce: Joyce quite literally towers over him with a healthy 50-60 lbs weight advantage and his jab-heavy pressure style would be hell for the much smaller Frazier to brawl against. He just walks him down with the jab and bullies him until Frazier goes out.

Ortiz: Frazier late TKO, too much cardio and Ortiz just isn't tough enough.

Andy Ruiz: Would be interesting to see, Ruiz's handspeed would really bother Frazier up close. I'd say Frazier UD or late TKO after a fun slugfest where he hits the deck a few times.

Parker & Whyte: No clue.

Wilder: Torn on this tbh. On one hand Frazier-type pressure boxing consistently caused issues for Deontay. On the other hand Wilder might geniunely hospitalize him if he lands a clean right hand from afar, which may very well happen over 12 rounds especially with his ridiculous range advantage. Flip a coin I guess.

Anthony Joshua: AJ has a huge advantage at long range and can actually fight in the pocket as well with his quick combos. Plus he hits extremely hard. Frazier frustrates him with his pressure for a while, then eventually gets caught by a massive uppercut or a left hook that puts him out cold.

Usyk: Another confusing one. Usyk's toughest fights were against explosive, shorter pressure fighters that stalked and countered him on the front-foot. Frazier fits the archetype perfectly. He never fought anyone that moved and boxed like Usyk but Usyk never fought anyone with that excellent of a pressure either. I may favour Frazier in a messy decision, Usyk definitely wins the rematch and the rubber match though.

Fury: Yeah Frazier at 5'11 and 205 lbs is just too small to handle a 6'8 265 lbs boxer that moves like Ali and knows his way in the clinch. I'd be surprised if Frazier lands a single clean left hook, Fury would just box him up at range and catch / uppercut him to death in the clinch if Frazier somehow got past the 12 inch reach disadvantage. It'd be a stinker with Fury just manhandling the poor fella until either the bell rings or Frazier can no longer take uppercuts from a 60 lbs heavier man.

 

I think he'd beat the crap out of Hrgovic, but then he'd have to deal with Joyce. We can't just pretend that Joyce couldn't fight because Zhang kicked his ass. Joyce was tough for a couple of years and might be too much for Frazier.

If Frazier got by Joyce, he'd beat Ortiz because Ortiz had no legs by that point. He'd then have to fight a decent version of Andy "Brown Fat" Ruiz who was basically an immovable object with superior technical skill and size. Ruiz probably beats him.

Let's say Ruiz comes in way out of shape and Frazier outworks him, he'd then breeze though Whyte, because he sucked, and Passive Parker.

Doesn't do well from that point on.

 

I would guess he wins some loses some.

 

205 was his ideal weight. Even cruisers are bigger with day before weigh ins. I could see him doing well as a cruiserweight, but in the modern day heavyweight division, maybe he beats many of them in one off fights, but dominating the division with his style and physical attributes is a tall order.

 

Great as Frazier was, that is a bold prediction, given the number of big/hard hitting heavyweights who were around.

 

I think Fury is a nightmare matchup for him, he measures, then times that uppercut very well against bobbing and weaving opponents, he then has like 60lbs of more on Frazier, so when Frazier gets close, what exactly can he do? Fury would just tie him up.

Shrink Fury down to 6’3 215, then Frazier beats him, as Fury can no longer just tie up.

 

He succeeds.

 

Exactly