Comparing Holmes and Wlad opposition in title fights

I didn't think Leapai was that bad but you may be right, I did not see much of him

Byrd -Norton may be closer but Norton also had seen better days and Byrd of fight 2 may have as well...Norton always did well against the boxer type but Byrd was a pest of a southpaw so may be tricky

Leroy Jones was Big and wide but I seen him get busted up by a middleweight in a gym war-lesson Leroy was fat and lazy and being a nice guy was his best talent

 

could be,but look what byrd said
[url]http://www.eastsideboxing.com/weblog/news.php?p=24043&more=1[/url]
On his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko which followed four successful defenses of his IBF championship:
“I can tell you one thing, this was the only time in my whole career my father chewed me out after a fight. I mean, I’ve done certain things in certain fights that I did wrong but not like this fight. I had a great, probably one of the best training camps a person could have for a fight. I guess emotions got the best of me. Thinking about the first fight, he beat me, he beat me in devastating fashion, and in this fight I’m like I’m going to take it to him. I’m going to prove to everybody that this man is not bigger or stronger than me and I don’t know what came over me. I ran down the catwalk they had for us. I usually just walk, take my time, I’m cool, calm, and relaxed. Emotions got the best of me. I mean, I blew it. That’s all I can say. I mean that fight, it really ruined me. It ruined me big time because after that I was never the same. It took everything out of me. I was so devastated and am still devastated to this day. It took a lot out of me and I lost my title. I could kick myself right now when I’m talking about it. I could kick myself because I didn’t fight like I should have.”

 

Witherspoon is a guy I am indifferent about. If he was in shape I could see him give Tyson a good fight, and I always thought he was the toughest fight for Tyson in Tyson's 86-88 prime, but he never fought him. There was that Bonecrusher incident where they told Bonecrusher to jump on Tim early in Dec. of 1986, and Tim was stopped in one round. Had Tim beaten Bonecrusher in that fight, he fights Mike in March. And Tim had the size and right hand and skills to really trouble the inexperienced Mike of March of 1987. At the same time, Tim's discipline was a lot like many guys in the 1980s. Not much. Great one fight and bad the next.

 

Size? Why? What's your opinion? Did Tyson beat only 5' fighters.
Smith was bigger fighter than Witherspoon.
Tyson beat 6'5 biggs,6'5 Tucker,6'4" Smith 6'3" Thomas,maybe 6'3" Tubbs 6'3" Holmes,
6'2".5 Spinks ,maybe 6'2" Berbick for example.They weren't short heavyweight fighters.
Tyson wasn't in trouble against these fighters.
He beat 6'5" ripped Tucker easier than Lewis beat the 6'1" slow,fat Mercer
Hmm... these Tyson haters are very busy nowadays.I think the "money" steward/
w.klitschko/lewis worshippers' mania this Tyson's size problem.
Tyson won more fights against tall fighters than Lewis or Holyfield in pro.Try two believe this!
Witherspoon had size problem because 6'4" James Smiith destroyed this featherfisted
dude easily .Tyson beat Smith easily with extreme wide difference by points.
Witherspoon never was impressive.
You see well only one thing.The 20-21 years old Tyson was inexperinced.
And Tyson deserves the respect because he was a very exciting and great fighter
in his prime considering he was very young in 1986/87/88.

 

I like most of the OP's calls in the comparative matchups. But I don't see Gerry Cooney - Tony Thompson II going the distance. It's a stoppage win to one of them IMO, perhaps Cooney?

 

Wladimir's top 10 :

Brewster
Sanders
McCline
Haye
Byrd*2
Peters*2
Ibragimov
Thompson*2
Shufford
Brock
Barrett

I wud hev kaunted Brewster #2 hed it bin e relevant fait, bat it woz far from relevant. Brewster woz aut of surgery, end Wladimir "won" over n anpreperd , demejd Brewster dyu 2 feishl/sait demej


wich terns aut 14 faits : Wladimir lost 2d top 2, Probably got e gift vs Peters in deir 1st fait, end klincht 4 dir laif in azzers

Holmes' top 10:

Witherspoon
Shavers #1
Norton
Williams
Berbick
Bey
Snipes
Spinks
Ocassio
Leon Spinks/ shot Ali

I would hev inkluded Smith, bat I du not kaunt kats.
Shavers #2 woz e chit wich ken not kaunt 2 Holmes' kredit.

Akshuali Wladimir holds hiz own in quality*quantity of opposishion , bat , Holmes woz el mas durisimo , wich givs him d ej .


in terms of der overol ranking i wud hev dem laik dis :

Witherspoon ~ McCline , Brewster
Berbick ~ Puritty
every1 els from hir dawnwards =< Sanders
Williams ~ Thompson
Bey > Peters
Snipes > Haye

Shavers ~ Shufford
Norton ~ Brock
Ocassio < Byrd

 

An interesting thread, and Larry Holmes is probably the best frame of comparison for Wlad, among the great heavyweigth champions.

There resumes share the same strengths and weaknesses.