How Good Was Tony Tucker? Is he a HOF

If their paths hadn't crossed as early as they did it could have been a super-fight in the early 90's. Who knows? Maybe the prospect of facing a worthy foe in Tucker (still undefeated and having culled some of the major late 80's contenders en route to build up his name) would have motivated a straying Tyson, caused him to redouble his training efforts, maybe he doesn't reach the state he did in Tokyo, maybe the Douglas fight never happens...maybe in '91 two prime heavyweights square off in what might now be considered the most important HW fight since Manila...

Of course, maybe if a butterfly had flapped its wings, I'd be the first female president of the United States, so who knows..

 

This. Drugs and injuries ruined what could've been a great career. After the Tyson fight he took a long layoff and indulged in drugs and was never the same fighter.

 

Bermane Stiverne and Charles Martin?

 

Stiverne and Martin aren't average fighters, just lazy and undisciplined.

 

Stiverne is an okay (I'll even concede above-average) HW puncher but I'd say even a svelte, fit & conditioned Stiverne, if you waved a magic wand at him to zap away his biggest flaws, is still just a poor man's Sam Peter. Even if you squeezed every drop you could from him, Stiverne is a weak HW champ.

Martin did indeed have talent (I said as much when he was a largely unknown prospect) but even a laser-focused and properly guided Martin with a Dundee or D'Amato in his corner, if you waved a magic wand at him to zap away his biggest flaws, is still just a poor man's southpaw Calvin Brock. Even if you squeezed every drop you could from him, Martin is a weak HW champ.

Not average on the whole no, factoring in the full spectrum and including the likes of Butterbean and Dustin Nichols (and the even worse blobs that populate dark matches on deep undercards and small hall shows on a near weekly basis), but through a lens of "heavyweight championship" standards, they come in well below par.

 

No, ffs. HOF are for legends/incredible fighters.

Tony Tucker did not have a HOF lvl career, not matter how many of his fanboys want to spin it.

It's not called Hall of Very Good.

 

Yeah, the Hall isn't the place for the "what could have been" types.

 

No his resume is lacking. He had size and talent but didn't fight the ppl he needed to and drugs already ruined him by time Lewis fight came around.

 

At least rating him higher than a prime Holmes.

 

????

 

He fought better against Tyson.

 

...you think prime Holmes fought Tyson?

 

With Gatti being inducted the argument for people like Tucker isn't that outlandish of a topic. I've long campaigned for Moorer to be inducted, feel like his accomplishments have been underrated by some.

 

Below average fighters win HW titles all the time.

Nice try, Herol.

 

No version of Holmes beats a prime Tyson.