Greg Page - An overhyped bum or a lost potential?

Uh, Holmes?

 

He knocked out Tillis in an exciting fight, something Tyson nor Shavers could do. The man could punch alright and had a loose style, not consistent enough to be a great.

 

Holmes was an ATG so he stands by himself as a unique talent. Page mimicked the best he could Ali without great distinction.

 

I was impressed by Greg Page when seeing him fight as an amateur in at least one televised bout. But when watching him fight in person and stop Oliver Philipps in a professional bout at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, I was concerned about his announced weight of 237 pounds, which was far too high for him at such an early stage of his career. As a result, I wondered about his dedication, which eventually proved to be wanting during his much of his career as a professional boxer. That being said, Page was a capable professional boxer even when not coming close to fulfilling his potential.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Everyone is saying "underachiever", "lost potential", "wasted talent", but I don't see it myself.

Greg Page achieved a lot, was rated among the top 5 heavyweights in the world or thereabouts for about 4 years, fought several of the other top fighters and did pretty well.

Truth is, he just wasn't the next Muhammad Ali, never was going to be. His showboating style didn't cut it against the best fighters, and his skills and power were not on a higher level to the rest of the field. He beat some top men in the amateurs and went on to beat some top men in the pros, potential fulfilled.

 

He also had underrated power in his left, and could switch from orthodox to southpaw fluidly. I honestly feel Greg's heart wasn't in the sport, his first love was basketball, and his father pushed him into boxing. Once his father died, probably didn't have the drive to make it much further than he could have. It's a shame, because if he wanted it, and in addition, stayed with Butch Lewis, he could have been champ for mannny years. He definitely had more skills than Dokes, and in my mind, could have beaten ****ey, if his head was on straight.

 

Definitely had talent but underachieved like quite a few of his contemporaries. On Greg's best night he could have given a post 1983 Larry Holmes problems.

 

Cheers Mc!

 

He coulda been somebody!

 

It's funny how the whole generation of heavyweights "underachieved". Imagine if they'd all achieved ... they would have all fought each other and won some and lost some .... which is pretty what they did. :huh

 

I don't think he's overrated at all.. To be overrated you have to at least be "heard" of by the casual non-avid boxing fan.. Most people don't even know who the hell Greg page was.. Do avid boxing fans overrate him? not really. Most of us only "rightfully" point out that he was denied a title shot at the lineal champion which is true. Is he a bum? Not at all. You don't breach the top 10 and beat several notable opponents by being a tomato can..

 

I think the question was whether he was overhyped in his day, not whether he's overrated now.

 

Well said, Unforgiven, but Greg could have been better. Just like Young, Baer, Douglas, Pavlik, Siki, and a host of others could have been even better than they were. Self-discipline is a huge factor in boxing: empowering good fighters to be better and empowering very good fighters to be great, even all time greats.

 

Stevenson never fought Page, and maybe it was best for him that they never matched up.