If you're already whippet thin and 6'3 then it isn't insignificant. Not saying he couldn't lose it, just saying losing it could have affected his performance.
Jones would have issues with Ward, not Foster. Foster doesn't have the style to beat him. Ward would outbox and maul Foster.
I haven't seen the Light heavy or Cruiser I would pick to beat Foster prime vs prime outside of Spinks , Moore, Charles ,Qawi or Holyfield. (And Holyfield may have been a little too green at this weight limit, too willing to get in a fire fight. as he did with Qawi 1st fight, that would turn out disastrous for him against Foster) I just don't believe many fighters from middle to cruiser could handle his jab and crushing power . Some with great feet Like Conn, Hill , Jones Jr, Calazghe and Ward may out maneuver him for a while. But I don't believe they would be capable of maintaining it for the entirety of a Championship fight. The fighters of the last 10 , 20 years would get nuked in my opinion.
Not sure about that I think a prime Jones is a level above Ward. I think Foster is more competitive against Ward, than Ward would be against Jones.
Ward has ring savvy. He can fight from any range and is quite strong, also has quite a mean streak. Does Foster have the ring smarts to outbox Ward? If so which fights exhibit them? I think Roy would be favored to beat Ward and Foster would lose to them both.
Foster was big, strong and could hit. Foster doesn’t have the world class ring IQ that Ward did, there isn’t any dispute there, and he doesn’t have the back catalogue of outsmarting fighters because that wasn’t his game. He has the back catalogue of making fighters fight his sort of fight, using the jab, and finishing fighters when he gets them hurt. In terms of outsmarting fighters in different areas Ward is an elite group. Ward had a knack of winning, and doing what was required and picking up the victory. He was a serious, talent who due to inactivity I don’t think we saw the very best of him. But I still see Foster having a live chance against Ward, Foster would be by far the hardest puncher and best fighter Ward would have ever encountered, he would have a size disadvantage, and pedigree of dominating his division, he would certainly have a live chance. Styles make fights and the last opponent who gave Ward trouble was bigger, could hit and had a good jab and certainly not as good as Foster gave him fits.
Yes, he could make 168lbs, and no, I wouldn't personally make anyone who fought for a SMW strap favourite over him.
Not sure about Kovalev's power shots but his jab was very heavy. Name the LHWs on Foster's record that you would favor to beat Kovalev.
I would probably pick Dick Tiger, good fighter. The same thing I don’t see anyone, on Kovalevs CV that I would favour over Foster, in Hopkins case at that stage of his career.
Not on the cards he didn’t, Ward was more of a super middleweight than a light heavyweight. Kovalev had trouble with a lot worst fighters than Tiger.
SMW did not even exist back then. Ward entered the ring in the mid 170s. Tiger has a worse record than Kovalev at LHW.
What has SMW not being around in the 70s got to do with anything? We are talking present day. I.e Foster fighting recently,