Tua vs Tunney

There I would have to disagree with you.

This is not a bodybuilding contest.

It is a boxing match.

Now Tua was indeed a powerhouse, but we can't overlook the fact that he either lost or drew, in every important fight of his career.

He lost to men who were not particularly big.

He lost to men who were not particularly durable.

He lost to men who were not particularly hard hitting.

He lost to men who were not particularly hard to hit.

When you put it all together, teh only attribute that guaranteed a loss against Tua, was not being quite up with the best.

 

He lost to ONE MAN who was not particularly big. But who was still bigger than Tunney. And certainly bigger than the Greb that Tunney lost to.

Like who? Ike, Lennox, Byrd? If it's Byrd he only really got stopped once in his prime and that to a monster heavy.

He lost to ONE MAN, ONE TIME who was not particularly hard hitting. A guy who had slicks and lateral game that Tunney could only have dreamed of.

He only lost to Ike, Lenny and Byrd in his prime. They all had good defense.

The best of Tua's era look like a different species than the best of Tunney's... if we even saw the best of Tunney, if they weren't blocked by their pigment from entering the ring.

 

He iced Ruiz, Izon, Maskaev, gave Ike the toughest fight of his career in a fight that he easily could have won the decision, he stopped Rahman and Moorer. Your statementent does not hold. The only guy to clearly beat him ins prime was a prime Lennox Lewis, possibly the greatest heavyweight ever ..

 

And apart from a faded Dempsey, who did Tunney beat at heavyweight?

 

And beat Dempsey once on a rainsoaked ring over 10 rounds, circumstances that certainly favored the Punch & Judy mover, and in a second 10 rounder where he was KO'd before taking the decision.

 

Tua could very well be outboxed by a guy with Tunney's skillset. The guys saying Tua in a few rounds have never really watched Tua against a guy who was looking to hit and not be hit. If Tunney decided to mix it up then yeah, they'd have to have guys at ringside with nets to catch his head. But I think Tunney would be smart enough not to try slug with Tua and would be as skittish as a cat on a hot tin roof. Could he do it for a long fight? That's another question entirely. Tua had a knack for eventually catching up to guys and crunching them. I'd put money on Tunney over 6. Longer than that its a crapshoot.

 

But at heavyweight, such as heavyweight was in his day, Tunney didn't achieve much at all. He beat some name fighters on their last legs under circumstances that heavily favored him. He both intentionally (essentially drawing the color line) and unintentionally (short stay during a weak era) never faced a true athletic heavy, one with speed and power. So, we have this footage that makes him look magical because it's against beaten down, stale fighters who were never of proper size, or that one no-hoper in his final fight. Everything stands in contrast to its surroundings. It's like the lead actor never wanting a taller co-star. Don't be blown away by what you see.

 

I see a case for both men,but Tua is the more proven heavyweight ,imo.
Beating washed up versions of Gibbons 179lbs and Carpentier 173 lbs,doesn't set me alight!

 

Tunney was actually slated to fight Virgil Hill on this card but John Ruiz strained his calf in warm-ups and Tunney volunteered to step in against Tua for a $1,500 pay increase, knowing the fight will be shown on ESPN2. The whole thing was a debacle from the jump.

Tua KO but if Tunney somehow is able to find a rhythm and not get KOed by the first solid punches he takes, I think he could make Tua look bad for spells. Tua doesn't have fast feet and Tunney does.

 

I'm going more by Tua's shortcomings than Tunney's strengths. Tua's feet were always kind of slow and he needed a guy to engage with him for best results. Consider this fight for instance

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As I've said before, Tua often managed to catch up to his man sooner or later with bug-on-a-windscreen results. He might well do so with Tunney, but I think he'd need a while first.

 

The Hart fight was an 8 rounder,Tua would have another 4 rds to catch Tunney in.

 

...Leave it to you. To think of a fight in terms of whacking.

 

Tunney kept his hands low which worked well with the small gloves but i don't think it works vs Tua.

If they are fighting with small gloves, Tua's power amplifies. And Tunney will find it impossible to block the left hook with such small gloves.

If they are fighting with bigger gloves, then Tunney might have a better chance BUT his fundemental habits of keeping his hands low would likely mean he would get tagged at some point.

I am a huge fan of old timers but Tunney is way too unproven vs big hitters for me to pick him.

Tua tko 6.