Just how good was Tony Tucker

Not sure if there was room for improvement or not. The spells of inactivity that he had over the years probably didn’t help. He had some good physical tools and decent boxing skill but he didn’t seem to chance much.

 

The problem is we never know because after the Tyson fight he turned to drugs so he was never the same, I think he was better than guys like Tubbs, Page, Smith and Berbick but under Witherspoon and Thomas when it came to the 80's alphabet champs.

 

I think you can say any fighter who missed as much of their careers as Tony did didn't live up to their potential. After Tyson, Tony missed two and a bit years which is a shame.

He was a good fighter, among the better contenders in the mid to late 80s and gave a decent showing vs Tyson, especially given his hand injury. While not quite the fighter Holmes or Tyson were, he belongs in the second tier of 80s contenders with the likes of Tubbs, Thomas, Terrible Tim, Berbick and Page. I wouldn't have bet the house on Spinks beating him. He could move, fight tall, decent jab, reasonable pop in his punches, durable and he always looked like he was in shape, though that may have been deceiving. I wonder how much he was affected by losing so many friends in the 1980 Poland air crash.

The Douglas win was decent and he really looked the part vs Eddie Lopez. His post Tyson career, once he resumed, was okay and he gave Lewis a fight despite being 35 and all of the drug problems he had had. I think he could have held his own in most eras, never being dominant but a tough outing for any champion when he was on his A game. With a bit more focus and better management, he'd have had a decent career in any era.

 

I sensed he could have been better with solid discipline, but that applies to a whole lotta fighters

 

I think he had legit skill, but those early periods of inactivity really hurt him in terms of development. Guys who turned pro later and had lesser skill like James Broad, James Smith, and Carl Williams got to contendership before he did, IIRC. Plus, he caught guys like Eddie Lopez and Jimmy Young when they were no longer viable.

 

He was a very good boxer, but the drugs ruined him.

 

I never much cared for Tucker. His best win was against Douglas who was ahead until he ran out of gas. Tony lost every other big fight he was in. He also lacked that "finisher" mentality to get an opponent out of there.

 

Great Mullet. Better than Tommy Morrisons but merely a gatekeeper for Brian Sutherlands

 

Good enough for Mike Spinks to avoid him.

 

I remember reading that Tucker did a Dean Martin and sold so much of his contract that he barely saw his purses which explains the inactivity.
After the Tyson fight, in which he performed with great credit, he was so depressed at the money he had left, less that 100,000 Dollars, that he fell into a deep depression and turned to drink and drugs.
Don King bought his contract out and put Tony in the punch bag stable under Panama Lewis.
Tucker was a very good Fighter who was badly guided. Boxing history is littered with them.

 

He was a pretty good fighter, seemed to lack that "x factor" He likely could have beaten more quality fighters had he faced them, but was never gonna have anything for the best.

 

He wasn't anything special. He was big. The times I saw him step up he more or less was a negative fighter. Pretty tough. Not an easy guy to stop when he went to survival mode.

I do him some credit for having a good rally against Lennox Lewis. I was falling asleep watching that one. The Douglas fight had nothing to do with Tony Tucker. He was totally dominated. Buster's desire to lose and **** of his dad was too much.

 

I just see him as a big guy with good athletic ability and some skill. I don’t think he could’ve been a great or anything, but he was one of the better champs of the 80s

 

He was very good. And gave a peak Tyson a decent scrap. Drugs ruined him. Way past prime and ravaged by drugs he took Lewis the distance.