Which fighters were one big win away from being considered an ATG?

Toney is 100% a certified GREAT

 

@greynotsoold wasn't McGirt injured for one of the "Sweet Pea" bouts? both? I forget.

 

If Norton got the decision in Ali III and over Holmes he'd easily be an ATG. Some think he just makes the cut now while others think he fell just short, as i do.

 

He had the stuff to beat Holyfield I think, I believe it's overplayed how declined he was for there bout but none the less he really could've had a tear up and WON vs EH... I wish Marciano beat Valdez so bad we would stop having to listen to how everybody who weighs 200lbs destroys him lol.

 

Well, that’s a silly answer. Richard is an ATG, never mind this “one win away” business.

 

Norton is an interesting case in point in so far as how one treats official outcomes.

For mine he won 2/3 vs Ali which should’ve included him annexing the all important HW Title (there are those who believe Ken won 3/3) and some might argue that he at least deserved a draw vs Holmes.

If Norton had received the official nod over Ali in the rubber match, would or should that change existing perceptions of Norton and the deemed quality of performance therein?

I mean, official W or not, I believe that Norton was robbed outright in fight III - so that is my reality.

Norton should’ve been awarded the title in the ring - rather than be known as merely and unjustly as a “paper” Champ.

This also highlights the question of razor thin losses - even if you agree with a loss but acknowledge it to be razor thin - does that loss still not count proportionally - as opposed to the less analytical and default/wider difference applied between Ws and Ls?

 

His shoukder was injured for the rematch. Went the distance with one arm. Very underrated fighter.

 

Dubois was on fire for a couple years stringing together some good wins after being written off. Had he avenged the Usyk loss, he would've arguably become an ATG or a borderline one. The sky would've been the limit.

 

I mean, how plausible do they have to be, though?

Camacho beating Chavez?
Haye beating Klitschko?

 

My rule of thumb:
world champions are boxing greats Even Francisco Quiroz with his 11-15 record had that moment of greatness.

i admit this becomes muddy when it comes to greats who did not win world titles like Charley Burley, Jimmy Bivins, Earnie Shavers, Pedro Montanez, Kid Azteca, etc. They too can be arguably considered all time greats, specially if in the IBHOF already.

But inside that greatness, there are levels of greatness too.

Wilfredo Gomez and Wilfred Benitez are all time greats but can you imagine how their stature would have risen had the defeated Salvador Sanchez and Sugar Ray Leonard? They'd both been among the top 20.

If Esteban De Jesus had beaten Duran in one of their two subsequent fights, he'd be in the IBHOF.

 

McGirt is an animal, authentic skills straight from the source of science he got taught to fight from guys like Pep and Walcott.

 

Kovalev in his robbery loss to Ward in their first fight. If he has a trilogy with Ward he probably goes into the Hall of Fame.

 

Anyone who'd be an ATG with 1 flipped outcome is probably already an ATG.

 

Emphasis=Mine:

I imagine a Tyson Fury win over Oleksandr Usyk, in the rematch fight, would have improved Fury's legacy quite a bit.