Kostya Tszyu HOF????

I usually disagree with you, but I have to say, this is an interesting point.....


Well, I think KT deserves, he was top 10 p4p, the best of his division (2000-2004)......It´s fine in my opinion.....

Not a deep resume, and with that I agree 100%.....

 

He had fame, and if Barry McGuigan's in there, then so should Kostya Tszyu.

Unless you put one person in a decade, the standards of the Hall of Fame will go down further and further every year. And that is not meant as a slur on anyone in there, just a fact...

 

So had holmes stayed retired would you feel he'd done enough to get in the hof?

Beating the best in your division and establishing yourself as the man to beat is literally every boxers goal. Tzyu achieved that hence is worthy in my eyes.

Is he a top x atg? I haven't personally got far enough down to rank him, but the same is true for holmes also.

 

Derp dee derp! I can't win an argument.Derp! atsch



Step up a level next time,laddie.You're pitiful.

 

Norwood maybe the toughest style really, Morales and Pacquaio are coming straight forward without the discipline of MABs tight guard, those styles suit him down to the ground

Just watched some early Hamed, incredible, incredible athlete. I actually think he slowed allot going upto 126 because at 118 he was ridiculous, 1 of the most naturally talented boxers of all times

 

Kostya was the greatest 140 pounder for years, and is one of the best 140 pounders of all time.

Of course he deserves it. I don't see how you could make a good case against him.

 

they might suit him, but coming off a loss to mab and a less than impressive victory over the euro champ i think he'd be an underdog against em or pac.

 

Triple LWW world champiion, undisputed world champion over many years aswell as first to unify the division in over 30 years. Resume includes consistant list of strong opposition. One of the best JWW of all time!

Achievements in the sport also include bringing a lot of class and integrity to the sport during the Tyson era, atleast bringing that to my country whose attitude on boxing is usually not very optimistic!

 

dan rafael:

It was only the irresistible desire of Ricky Hatton at his peak that stopped Kostya Tszyu from ending his career the way he would have wanted: as a winner.

Hatton had been chasing Tszyu for years, and finally got him in the ring June 5, 2005. It was a measure of Tszyu's standing that hardly anyone gave Hatton a chance, even though he had won 38 bouts in a row and was nine years younger.

Anything less than the extraordinary performance the Englishman produced (Hatton never reached the same heights again) would not have been enough to win, but Tszyu still hung in for 11 rounds in what turned out to be his last fight.

Unable to get to Manchester, I followed the action live on British radio in the middle of the night, and was stunned when Tszyu retired in his corner with just three minutes left in their IBF title fight. Hatton had simply knocked the fight out of him.

In the end, the second defeat of Tszyu's career didn't matter. His legacy as one of the great junior welterweight champions was already secure, and on Sunday he will deservedly join Aaron Pryor and Wilfred Benitez, two other modern legends of the division, in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.


Tszyu had chilling power and used it to beat almost everyone in his era. Names like Julio Cesar Chavez (a fellow 2011 HOF inductee), Roger Mayweather and Zab Judah all bowed as Tszyu won 15 out of 18 world title fights, finishing with a record of 31-2 (with 25 knockouts). American Vince Phillips was the only other fighter to beat him.


What struck me after the Hatton fight was Tszyu's magnanimity in defeat. Once Hatton had finished celebrating, the deposed champion took the ring microphone to congratulate his conqueror and offered to give him any advice he might need in the future. It was the gesture of a man who knew the torch had been passed, and guaranteed Tszyu the dignified exit he deserved.

A couple of months ago, British referee Dave Parris, who handled the fight, told me the bout was one of the best he had worked in his 31 years in the sport. That largely came down to Tszyu. Despite the excitement generated by Hatton's swarming rushes, Parris said there was always the possibility that Tszyu could pull out a big punch. Fortunately for Hatton, he didn't.

During regular conversations with Hatton's former trainer, Billy Graham, Tszyu's name always came up. For Hatton, getting a fight with Tszyu, who had established himself as the undisputed No. 1 at 140 pounds, became like a pursuit of the Holy Grail. Graham, while retaining the utmost respect for Tszyu, always maintained that Hatton could beat him -- and he was right.

But there is heavy irony there, in that Hatton probably will never make it to Canastota. He failed to build substantially on his momentous victory over Tszyu, losing his two biggest fights after that to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Tszyu, meanwhile, can rest easy in the knowledge that his place in history is safe forever.




i wouldn't be surprised if hatton himself does make it in the hof though, but rafael seems certain.

 

Great post.

Zab was seen as the Sweet Pea with power back then, was seen as the next big thing. Who knows what happens if he did not receive a loss at this time, and such a shame full ko, that would of had such a huge impact on him, he had been suspened for a while, due to his actions after the ko.

The JWW was a hot division during that time and Kostya was the king. He would have to be a top 5 JWW champ.

That was a brutal KO from Pea, watched it last week. For a carrer light hitter his punch changed at times when he planted his feet. Don't know what the ref'was waiting so long to stop it?

 

For me Kostya is all what boxing should be.

A gentleman, Fought top comp' very early and continued to do so until he retired, fought mostly overseas in the other guys backyard, stayed in on division, which he unified and cleaned house and did not duck anyone, but missed out so some of the top guys moving through his division but not fighting him.

Why does not everyone love him, if they love boxing?

 

there was another thread on classic which spoke about Virgil Hill, who deserves the HOF much more than Tsyzu. I don't think Tsyzu resume is that great.

 

Tzyu fought all the fellow belt holders in his division and cleaned it out. Something hill never did.

 

No way does Hill deserve to be in the hof over Kostya.

 

Hill fought better guys and had a more complete resume of the times of 175 from 1987 to 1998 than Tsyzu did. Hill did fight Czyz soon after Bobby lost his title from Williams. Moorer moved up in weight, but struggled with Stewart whom Hill beat to win the title.