How good do you think Moorer could have been?

I don't know about that...

His chin was only occasionally tested at the weight, and I remember Frankie Swindell having him in some rocky moments in their first fight. I'd say his punch resistance at 175 is a bit of an unsolved mystery.

 

Agreed.

He was being pounded by Bert Cooper until he whacked him out with a desperation combo, he got a very questionable (IMO) decision over Holyfield to become champ, he avoided Lennox Lewis like the plague, he was KO'd by Foreman in what was supposed to be a very winnable title defense, and he was destroyed by a Holyfield who was now well past his prime. In all, he was a decent but unspectacular HW contender/titlist at best.

His biggest problem at heavy is that he didn't really gain anything from the jump up in weight. He was basically just a slower, less fierce, less powerful, and possibly more fragile version of what he had been at LHW.

As a LHW, we'll never know how good he really was or could've been because he didn't get any of the big fights that were available at the time. It would've been nice to see him in a unification fight with either Virgil Hill or Prince Williams.

 

Moorer fought a bunch of nobodies and has-beens at 175. He didn't fight Hill, Harding, Andries, or Williams.

Moorer was a very good fighter, but an average heavyweight champion.

 

Moorer was just coming off a serious surgery before Holyfield II, and still managed to rock Holyfield. Not too bad considering the circumstances, and the heart he showed picking his ass off the canvas 5 or 6 times.

 

I am sorry, but he was never the World Light heavyweight title.

He held the WBO title when it was about as highly regarded as todays WBF title. He was one of the very limited exceptions and WBO champions who were actually considered good fighters, but he never beat a World light heavyweight Champion or anyone close to it, unless of course you consider Ramzi hassan as close to it. Ramzi really earned his right to challenge with Michael for the vacant title. He was coming of a loss on points to world champion virgil Hill, and also a tko loss Tony willis who had won the NABF light heavyweight title. I wonder if the NABF was considered more prestigous than the WBO title. From memory, i think it would ahve been considered quite a bit higher and certainly around for a lot longer. The title was created and given to michael moorer, but it was not a World title, just because it had a W in its name.

Again, this IBF title was not a world championship. The IBF stripped George Foreman of the world title when he refused to face his mandatory. They gave the title to the winner of the fight between Axel Shulz and Frans Botha. Well Sort of, they actually gave it to the loser of the fight, because Frans Botha tested positive to drugs. Shulz then fought Moorer and again lost. This title adds zero to Moorers legacy.

Saying that, his win over Holyfield was a good win, and he deserves a solid legacy just as much as guys like Braddock. While i think he did well to win his world heavyweight title, i also think he underachieved as a light heavy. It is a shame he didnt rule the world before he went up. All in all, i think that he did have a lot of unfulfilled potential and could have done better than he did, although i think his heavyweight career was about all it could have been.

 

Moorer did a bit of a chicken dance in that fight but other than that he took punches well and he was really eating them also. His defense wasn't anything spectacular, he always took punishment.

Leslie Stewart won nearly every round until getting caught:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpkLeZ8Kj14[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPoqK83n09o[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkmyZhVXd_M[/ame]

 

I think his mental fragilities were a serious downfall.

Pretty much what My2Sense said - added to the above point, sum up my views.

There isn't a lot on his 175lb resume, didn't fight Hill and others.

The decision against Holyfield was questionable, and he was lured into a trap by Foreman, falling hook, line and sinker. He let his ego dictate the way he fought, which was fatal - Atlas was telling him what to do and he kept ignoring him, to his downfall.

Stepping to the left vs Foreman = early night.

 

As for Tommy Morrison, you can overlook all the flashy, spectacular knockouts he ever scored and point to that victory over Foreman..where he did indeed OUTBOX him, and say that it was without a doubt, not only his finest performance, but it elevated his overall status as a fighter, and made him something other than a one dimensional type...a very solid performance especially taking in consideration how Foreman came back to ko Moorer and become champion again.

 

Morrison and his team actually watched the Jimmy Young fight extensively to train against Foreman during camp.

 

I think its fair to say he was comfortably ahead. Taylor in contrast was under some heavier sustained punishment. George was landing a shot here and there, but Moorer was cruising. Moorer was getting lazy and cocky about as much as George was carrying out this master plan.

 

The reason Morrison could box like that is because Foreman is about as slow as a land tortoise. Reason you never saw him do it again.