Heavyweight Underachievers?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Fergy, Mar 23, 2026.

  1. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    I think he watched the infomercial on the grill and he actually tried to cook fish on it. They said it was OK for fish. It wasn't.
     
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  2. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    Bert Cooper if he had the mentality of his mentor Joe Frazier would have not lost many of fights he did. Its not about being a Saint Joe could party with the best of them.
    Train hard, eat right most important party after the fight, not before the fight. There's a big difference.
     
  3. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    If he had turned pro at a young age he might have done alot.
     
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  4. META5

    META5 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    He would've had to have defected to America or something.

    We know that he was a brilliant amateur, but truth be told, he could've either gone really brilliantly or he could've struggled to adapt to the differences between amateur and pro.
     
  5. SteStevo66

    SteStevo66 New Member Full Member

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    Cant speak for earlier eras but i thought Ike Ibeabuchi was going to rule the HWs. His struggles got the best of him though, and he was lost to the sport and quite rightly jailed for his crimes. He is still fighting now in Nigeria and had a couple of fights last year at 52!
     
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  6. young griffo

    young griffo Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Hide might have had the weakest chin of any world level heavyweight I’ve seen. You’re correct he had good hand speed and good pop for a lighter heavyweight and actually boxed okay for the first 4-5 rounds against a lazy Riddick Bowe but that chin was always an accident waiting to happen.

    Harrison turned pro when he was nearly 30 and it was probably too late to make the amateur to pro transition for him. He wasn’t the first and won’t be the last to make that error.
     
  7. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Simply count out his record in title fights and compare it to other fighters who you ranks near him.
     
  8. META5

    META5 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    No lies told.

    I don't know if Hide's chin wasn't in part mentality as well as chin - he had a very strong chin shape lol but seemed to leave it in the air for someone so mindful of his own chin frailties.

    Audrey - we hyped him up and then laughed as he fell. You're right though, only the Eastern European man like Loma and Usyk can go pro so relatively late and have strong careers. I genuinely believe that the British amateur style, amateur style in general is so far removed from pro boxing that it's fundamentally different sports
     
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  9. Yorbals

    Yorbals Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I don’t see why title fights have to rank so highly. Duran never defended his title at welter, Hearns only did three times, but they’re top 4 or 5 welters for pretty much everyone
     
  10. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    In a h2h speculative sense, maybe. Foreman didn’t do much outside of title shots. He beat an aging Frazier in an unwarranted rematch, Lyle, and Chuvalo.

    Foreman is guy who was building his way up to a second title shot, lost to Jimmy Young, and didn’t take another meaningful fight for over a decade after that. His win over Moorer is due to his seeming ability to get unlimited title shots in the 90s without having to beat a contender and Moorer being among the worst modern champions.
     
  11. Yorbals

    Yorbals Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He was 27-2 in his comeback before he beat Moorer and had only had one shot at the WBC/WBA.
    You could say Holyfield only got so many titles because they gave him seemingly endless title shots. After he lost to Moorer of all people.
    If it’s so easy to win the title in your 40s after a ten year lay off why is it only Big George did it?
     
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  12. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    27-2 has limited meaning when there’s one significant win (nevermind Schultz and Stewart).

    George did it due to the endless opportunity at his disposal. Holyfield didn’t get undeserved shots until Valuev and Ibragimov. I’m sure if guys like Liston, McCall, either Klitschko, or Holmes were getting back to back shots against Morrison and Moorer without having to prove much beforehand, a title would change hands.
     
  13. Yorbals

    Yorbals Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He beat a few good contenders but ok.
    Well Holmes had more or less the same opportunity as George, beat one or two good contenders and some nobodies, Holy in his first go early 40s, and McCall in his mid 40s.
    Foreman managed to win that’s the difference, McCall had beaten Lennox but Moorer was unbeaten and had beaten Holyfield.
    Holmes just couldn’t do what Foreman did.

    The rest were all retired, Wlad couldn’t beat Joshua at 40, if he felt he could win a title at 45, where was he?
    Ali could barely talk at 45, Louis had health problems.
    Foreman did what nobody else could do at the end of the day.
    He only has uncle Jimmy as the one blip on his record, and nearly everyone has one somewhere in their career.
     
  14. Steve Fero

    Steve Fero Active Member Full Member

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    Anyone who could beat Holyfield can't be one of the worst champions.
     
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  15. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Holyfield wasn’t all there. Try watching the rematch.