Could Mike Weaver have been better?

Given how he started his career as a pure journeyman and sustained that level for some time before the breakthrough fight against Holmes, any suggestion that he somehow fell short of expectation seems odd.

 

He made it to a world title. Can't really go higher than that.

 

Just about everyone can be a little better. Mike could be lackadaisical at times and one wonders how a motivator like Dundee would have gone with him. He was also allowed for some unknown reason to come into the ring pretty cold at times as was the case in his quickie controversial loss to Dokes. That mistake was not made in the return.

 

Perfect. Yes, Mike got quasi-somnabulistic at times. It just seemed his attention span could wander, even during the most important fights. That said, I assert he had Tyson level power and a shamefully underrated and underused jab. And I personally had him winning Dokes 2 by 3 points.

 

I had him winning by similar.

 

Sal, I was thinking the same thing. Weaver arguably overachieved. He wasn’t the most talented fighter of his era but he was the one of those early 80s contenders who made the most of what he had.

 

I agree.

 

Weaver gave up his job and put everything into Boxing. What we saw was the beast of Mike Weaver. I'm grateful for it. Thought he was terrific and always rooted for him.

 

Considering that he started his pro career with a 6-6 record and went on to win WBA title I think of him as an overachiever.

 

One thing that hurt Mike was inactivity and politics too. From memory he injured his shoulder training for Cobb which cost him some time.

He was absolutely set to fight Cooney before the dodgy WBA rules he had to fight Tillis and by the time that took place Cooney's peeps had been chasing huge money for a Holmes fight and it was being sorted.

A Cooney fight would have been HUGE for him and he wouldn't have been without chance.

 

Old management Put in the work, did the best I think he could. A real natural athlete though. Hard working isn’t what he’d always be described as, he had periods of laziness early in his career and he didn’t like boxing as a passion. Weaver liked painting and piano.

He did the best he could’ve without too much room for being called a “wasted talent” he was a steady pro who outlasted the other “talented” guys who struck out quick and succumbed to poison.

 

I think the politics hurt him. If he had been left alone, I think he could have held the title until Page or Dokes got to him.

 

Mike Weaver started out as a second-hand trade-in station wagon and kept tinkering with the engine until he could run it in the Indy 500. He may not have won all of the big races, but he was in them and he got every ounce out of every spare part.

Weaver wasn’t an A+ talent but he made himself a solid A fighter in a pretty crowded heavyweight scene.

I’d say ol’ Hercules did pretty well for himself.

 

Cooney vs Weaver would of been good for both men, Weaver for the pay day. And Cooney getting battle tested and extended rounds, which is what he needed.

Going into the Holmes fight Cooney had not been tested, obviously I don't think Cooney would of ever of beaten Holmes. But a fight with Weaver would of been a very good test for him, and it would of gave him some much needed experience, it certainly would of been an intriguing match up.

Weaver was a slow starter though, and may of been taken out early by Cooney. But if Weaver can survive the early onslaught, I think he can get to Cooney late like he did with Coetzee.