Bob Foster VS Nikolay Effin' Valuev - 2008 - WBA Heavyweight Title - Take That

I guess your comment includes Spinks. I'd have to strongly disagree.

 

That 21 -20 fighter went the distance with Bonavena,Foreman ,and Williams x2

 

No, Ellis would've whupped him.

 

Some things need to be kept in mind when discussing Bob Foster, IMO.

For one thing, he did not seem to be particularly fast, either with his feet or in punching speed. He also did not seem to be particularly strong. But he usually had a height and reach advantage over his opponents and he could leverage a terrific wallop out of his tall and lanky frame. A stiff left jab added to the discomfiture of his opponents. He also knew how to cut off the ring. And he was a great finisher.

Bob had great difficulty putting on functional weight and could not gain much above 180 pounds.

A very peculiar thing about Foster was that it seemed as if his punching power was rationed. Quite devastating as a LHW but average, at best, as a HW.

Now Ellis. Jimmy started as a MW. But unlike Foster he didn't seem to have difficulty putting on functional weight and could weigh a very in shape 195. He was not that bad at even 205.

Jimmy Ellis, IMO, is often underrated. He had very good skills and speed. Though he is not known for his punching power, we should not forget that he could really blitz his opponent with combination punching that was delivered with great speed and reasonable power. Plus, Ellis seemed to have stood up to the punches of other Hws much better than Foster.

Now, if the two had fought at HW, Ellis would be my pick to beat Foster. At LHW, though, it might be another story.

 

Foster didn't punch hard enough to bother Ellis.
I know Foster has a reputation as a puncher, but only against middleweights and second-rate light-heavies was that power effective. Against good heavyweights he didn't display any sort of sock to really worry them.

 

The five stoppages were to Mathis ,unbeaten at the time and 2 fights away from facing Frazier.for a version of the title.
Bugner a tko.
Amos Lincoln a big puncher .,with whom he subsequently went the distance.
Tony Longoria a big puncher,also unbeaten, he only ever lost one fight ,his last ,to Al Jones,and was considered a good young prospect.
The unknown you talk about is Wilfredo Avellar, a loss early in Davila's career.
Foster never beat a ranked heavyweight ,he never beat a reasonably good one, and he never dropped one either
Davila went the 8rd distance with Foreman ,how many rounds would Foster go?
Maybe half of the first?

 

Foster seemed to stun Doug Jones and Terrell held on after tasting Foster's power in the first. I disagree that he couldn't punch at heavyweight. His punch just wasn't enough to beat far bigger opponents.

Foster would have beaten the middleweight Ellis but by 1970 Ellis was nearly 200 pounds and looked solid at the weight. Foster was never able to carry much more than 175 pounds. Ellis would have been too much.