I like Byrd big time in this match-up. Johansson had that big right and that was about it. He wasn't the slickest boxer around. I just don't think he'd land that big right on Byrd. I also can't see him just walking Byrd down like Wlad and Ike did. Byrd would outbox Ingemar handily.
Ingo was a guy who really beat the **** out of prime versions of Machen and Patterson. Byrd had some good moments too, but probably none quite as defining. Chris would have to box his ass off to beat Johansen, and avoid ingo's bingo like nothing else. I don't know who takes this one, but only a fool would bet their life savings on either.
If it goes to the score cards then I think that Byrd would in all probability win. I also think Johansen has a verry good chance of getting a stopage. That short fight hand of his was like a death ray if you didnt see it coming. His main weakness is that he is verry reliant on his primary weapon. If Byrd understands how dangerous it is and is carefull not to leave himself open to it then his chances of winning become a lot better.
Would anyone else favor Byrd here? Johansson wasn't nearly as rangy as Wladimir, which is what really troubled Byrd. Not to mention Byrd was literally impossible to spark out. Guy got up from anything.
I know, against Ike he took an uppercut that would take out an elephant. He got up and would of survived the round had the ref made a quick stoppage, his recovery skills were up there with anyone. He was sort of like Ruddock in that he would drop like he was dead, but then get up and be able to fight fine :huh I rank Ingo very highly, but I don't see him beating Byrd honestly. Assuming Byrd knows the right is coming (unlike Machen) I see him able to win via wide UD. Ingo's jab is his best weapon apart from his right but wasn't good enough to let him outbox Byrd. Ingos right is ATG, but even if it connected which is far from a definite against a slickster like Byrd, Byrd was a master of surviving.
Byrd by wide decision. Too skilled and tricky for ingo, who would end up hitting air for most of the fight.
Byrd was very, very hard to finish. Ingo wasn't a Dempsey, or Tyson when it came to finishing ability either, I think Byrd could win even if he did take a right hand or two.
Johannson sandbags byrd into thinking hes ordinary the first two rounds pawing with his jab and using it as a range fighter to set up his right. In the 4th round Bryd gets a little careless....BOOOM the right lands! byrds down! Byrd gets up but several vollies of johannson rights and left puts byrd down again and the ref stops it. Similiar to the way ike setup byrd for the big uppercut, johannson lays the right hand trap on him