Could a one hit wonder do it one more time?

If Buster Douglas had somehow managed to get himself into the same frame of mind and physical condition that had in the Tyson fight,he could have done it again in a rematch,methinks.

 

I think Leon Spinks could have beaten at least 2 or 3 champions in the 1980's, with that aggressive style of his.But he would definitely have to be in the right frame of mind and shape.

 

I have no doubt that the Spinks who upset Ali and stopped Mercado could have out hustled Smith, Witherspoon, Berbick and Tucker. If Max Baer screwed around with Leon like he did Braddock, he could also find himself on the short end of a decision.

Leon and Patterson would have been interesting. Floyd may have been better as a former champion than he was when he held the title. The Leon of Ali I might be thought of as sort of a Joe Frazier Lite. I like his chances against Terrell and Ellis. Jack Sharkey was past his peak when he became a champion. I don't see him keeping Leon off.

 

Hasim Rahman won a big fight against a formidable Corrie Sanders, then defeated Lennox Lewis.. I think under the right circumstances, he could have pulled off a few upsets against certain great fighters.

 

Lobotomy hit it right on the head.

 

wonder how igimar joohansonn would have done against the likes of greg page, pinklon thomas, gerry cotzee, john tate...

 

Ingo puts Tate to sleep. Johansson had championship round power, so unlike Coetzee, he'd remain dangerous from beginning to end. That Hammer of Thor is a wild card, making it hazardous to predict what he'd do. I figure he'd replicate what Coetzee did to Leon, and what Tyson and Mercado did to Berbick. Lennox would need to stay the hell away from Ingo, like he did Tua.

Johansson's a good name to bring up. With a right like his, anything could happen with a number of title claimants.

 

Maybe Schmeling on Baer. If he was that focused when he faced Joe Louis.

 

Max Schmeling was more than a one hit wonder though. His successful title defense stoppage against fellow HOFer Stribling alone should take him out of consideration here. He's also the only heavyweight to stop Walker, and he retired Hamas. (Even without Louis, I think Max is an HOFer, just as Frazier is without Ali.)

My interpretation of one hit wonder is a single title win with no successful defenses.

 

Hart had no successful defenses, but he did beat Jack Johnson once, before he was champion. He probably could of picked off some Linear Champions, on the day, if he'd been around at different times.

 

Maher, Root (for the title, avenging an earlier defeat), and Ruhlin are also respectable scalps on Hart's resume, in addition to Johnson. Root was admitted to the Ring HOF in 1961, and probably should have been in the IBHOF for a while now. (He'll get in eventually.) Hart also battled on even terms with Gardner, O'Brien and Choynski.

I don't think Hart belongs in any HOF though, any more than Leon Spinks does. Hart does have a slightly better professional resume, however.