David Tua versus Jim Corbett

Repetition of Corbett-Sharkey, but of shorter duration.

 

Kind of cool old indignant newspaper story on the fight:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1898/11/24/page/12/article/the-corbett-sharkey-fake

 

This does not account for the successful unorthodox fighters who, on paper, should be cannon-fodder but, in reality, outfox the opponent.

It also does not account for lost techniques that have made many of today's fighter's inferior to older champions. Men like Bob Fitzsimmons and Jim Driscoll would be able to improve modern fighter's, particularly in parrying and feinting.

The evolution of boxing is more of a mixed bag as opposed to some strict, continuous improvement.

 

Nice post

 

Tua looked pretty good against the monster Ibeabuchi, was he a B tier fighter?

 

No he did not.

It is one of those fights, where you think they were better than the numbers back up, but you can’t quite prove it.

 

good point about Jones and the era's it is easy to devalue a fighter and the era based by your opinion of one era being superior over the other. The only division that has changed much is the heavyweight division because of the size and weight of the guys today but where were those big men back in the day from the early times until the 70's and HOW successful where they.

 

Tua tears Corbett's head off with the first left hook he throws, and the crowd becomes disturbed when a seemingly dead Gentleman Jim ****s his thong.

 

....

 

Corbett had a record of 11-4-3.

His claim to fame is beating a bloated alcoholic who was most likely drunk when they fought.

A prime Tua was arguably faster than anyone Corbett ever faced. He had a deceptive reach, which is how he was able to knock out so many guys who felt they were safely out of his punching range. And, at 180-something pounds, Corbett didn't have the size or strength to tie him up.

If it lasted 30 seconds, I'd be surprised. Terrible matchup.

 

I completely disagree .. that was a terrific fight, one of the best heavyweight fights of the 1990's .. I felt Tua deserved a very close decision and that he was never the same fighter again .. his weight started to balloon after that fight and he never wanted to go through the hurt Ike put him through .. as far as Corbett, I see this fight over in a round .. Jim has the speed but not the size and strength to hold off Tua ..

 

Sometimes a fighter is better in real terms, before the period where he peaks on paper, and this might be a candidate for being such a case.

Even so it is dangerous to make such inferences, and I tend to avoid doing so, even if my gut says that it is the case.