Joe Frazier v. 8 recent big men back-to-back-to-back...

I'd like to think he could handle fringe contenders like Browne, Hammer and Brazaele, but he'd be giving away more size than he ever faced in his career. I'll say he beats those three, but I don't see it working out for him with the others.

 

The issue is Ortiz is not Foreman nor does he have the skill level of Foreman. Your equating two fighters just because they are big and that is as simplistic an analysis as it could possibly be.

 

I've watched Ortiz. Nothing special. Very predictable. I am left unimpressed with skills. Add to this he has never had a fight where his will to win, heart was tested. Thus am completely unimpressed. He is a contender and nothing more.

 

Ortiz isn't as physical as Foreman, not even close. Foreman will control guys just through brute strength. Ortiz doesn't and it is easy to walk in on him. Foreman manages distance much better.

If Foreman didn't posses those qualities above (along with what he already had) then he wouldn't have beaten Frazier.

 

Only you insist upon trying to compare the skills of an amateur level fighter vs an ATG.

 

Frazier was not at his peak vs George Foreman.

Joe smokes all 8, unless you are suggesting that he fights all in the same night.

 

Correct. Frazier was a machine in his prime.

 

I think it all depends on the Wilder fight.

Shoot me, but I think Wilder is very underrated.
And it's always a risk rating a current fighter who hasn't met their biggest tests yet.

Frazier would be all over him, and would bring major pressure to Deontay, whose height and balance will make it difficult for him to deal with. But if Deotnay lands a big punch in the mix, with a certain flushness, it could be over for Frazier.

So the way the Wilder fight plays out determines the rest.
If Frazier beats Wilder unscathed, he will rip through the rest.
If he takes big shots in the Wilder fight, I think he will still defeat the other guys, but it won't look pretty, and Povetkin could possibly catch him at the end of that streak. His motor might be rusted by that time.

Frazier, on one night, was one of the greatest boxers ever.
But big battles seemed to take more out of him than other fighters.
And when proposing this scenario, that has to be considered.

 

Frazier beats all these guys...there isn't a Foreman among them IMO.

 

A one-off vs any of those 8 is one thing, but I don't think he runs the gamut unbeaten if we're talking about a real-life career scenario.

Joe primarily fought Cruiserweight-sized fighters in his own career (no shame, as he was CW sized himself when he was in shape), which lasted a relatively short 37 fights. Of those 37, only 13 of his 37 opponents weighed in at 210 or more, and he was 8-4-1 against them.

Here's where you'll say "but it was Ali and Foreman!!1!". And I get that. But it hardly gives me confidence that a smaller fighter who relied on physicality, as Joe did, would sweep 8 big heavyweights in a row when 2/3 of his fights were against Cruisers. Accumulated punishment and mileage exists, and facing juiced up guys like Ortiz and Povetkin as it goes on wouldn't do him any favors.

It's been almost 15 years since Jones managed to pluck a title up by beating John Ruiz. That was the last champ under 210 lbs, and the lighter champs had superior defense to what Frazier offered. There hasn't been a title challenger at Joe's best weight, let alone a champion, since then.

He's a hell of a fighter, so I do think he'll win more than he loses, but I wouldn't bet a nickel on him going 8-0. 6-2? Much more attractive proposition. I'll give him the benefit there from 5-3 (or worse), which I was waffling between.

 

Fighting on a individual basis Frazier would win . However going on the OP question and
facing them in this order Frazier would not go undefeated. These are modern day HW
with big advantages in size and Frazier would absorb some heavy punishment in
fights which would burn him out.
By the time he got to Povektin this would be his 3rd opponent in a row who had tested
positive to a banned substance. If somehow he beat Povektin Parker would have beaten
a worn out Joe on pts.

 

The man beat Muhammad Ali and people are questioning whether he could get past Luis Ortiz .....

Ortiz is no monster power punching brute like Foreman. He's a good all rounder but doesn't live up to his King Kong moniker.

 

Hard to imagine little Frazier backing Ortiz up.

 

IMO that we don't see champs/good contenders in the low 200s has more to do with the existence of the cruiserweight division than with the big guys being too big/good.