Best five wins thread. Lineal / Ring Magazine heavyweight champions.

Do we really have to go to Wednesday for neon Leon lol

Ali
Mercado
Evangelista
Isaac
Righetti

burnett was prob better than last two names but was cruiser - I really don’t know much about few of these guys

 

Leon Spinks

1------Muhammad Ali
2------Bernardo Mercado
3------Alfio Righetti
4------Alfredo Evangelista
5------Jesse Burnett

Evaluation #2 to #5
Bernardo Mercado--a strong scalp. Mercado was 34-5 with 28 KO's for his career. He was on his best run going into the Spinks fight with six straight victories, including KO's of Trevor Berbick, Earnie Shavers, and Tom Prater, and a decision over Henry Clark. Boxrec mentions Mercado being rated the #1 contender, but I don't know by whom exactly as the NBA ratings are not up for the most part for the late 1970's. At 6' 4" and between 215 to 220, Mercado would, in my judgment, make several top five lists of other champions. He would rate #2 on Tunney's list, and #3 on Johansson's.
Alfio Righetti--had a career record of 36-2-1 and rose at one point to at least the #6 contender position in the NBA ratings. Came into the Spinks fight 27-0. No big names on resume. Best wins were Guiseppe Ros, Dante Cane, Jose Roman and Tom Prater. Another big heavy at 6' 4" and over 210 lbs.
Alfredo Evangelista--had a career record of 61-13-4 and challenged both Ali and Holmes for the title. Wins included Giuseppe Ros, Jose Manuel Urtain, Renaldo Snipes, and Tom Prater. Highest listed rating is #7 in the NBA ratings.
Jesse Burnett--had an unimposing record of 23-18-2, but had wins over Victor Galindez, Tony Mundine, and Yaqui Lopez, and a draw with John Conteh. On May 15, 1977, was rated the #3 light-heavyweight by the NBA. Weighed 179 for Spinks.

Not making the Cut
Kevin Isaac--can't say he did anything much except score a knockdown over a green Holmes. That is not enough for me to put him on this list.

 

While I think in sum Spinks is easily the worst champion we have had so far, with an overall record of 26-17-3 with 9 KO defeats, and losses to ordinary fighters, his top five is by no means the worst. Ali after all was coming in on an unbeaten run of five years during which he defeated Foreman, Frazier, Norton, Young, Lyle, and Shavers. Mercado was a big, hard hitting heavyweight on a roll. Both could make a lot of lists. The others are reasonable contenders. I think Spinks' list rates ahead of Burns and Willard, and also arguably ahead of Tunney. And would get at least two positions against probably a majority of the prior champions.

 

Depends on how the comparison is made. Is it #1 to #1, #2 to #2, or is it this five against that five, and how how many of each to make a combined best five? I think if the latter process is used, Ali and Mercado will make quite a few top five lists. A third Spinks guy breaking in will be much more iffy. Spinks' 3 to 5 men are weak. And anyone beyond #5 is nonexistent.

 

Ali
Mercado
Evangelista
Righetti
Burnett
Yeah. a weak enough bunch. Needed the Lopez or LeDoux draws as wins.

 

Leon Spinks 5 best wins

1 Ali - Easy pick
2 Mercado - Good win. Mercado was on a strong run entering the fight
3 Evangelista - Top 10 contender at the time
4 Righetti - Nice record with a couple very minor wins
5 Agosto - Weak for a top 5 win

Not a lot to choose from. I’m sure there’s a win or two that could possibly slide into the top 5 instead of Agosto.

 

Witherspoon
Norton
Cooney
Mercer
Shavers
Holmes top five

 

Holmes:

1. Norton
2. Shavers
3. Mercer
4. Witherspoon
5. Weaver

 

I suspect that this thread will help to explain why he struggled to get respect as a champion.

There will be weakness in all of his top five lists.