Last middleweight who would have been a live underdog for the heavyweight title?

Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Saul Canelo Alvarez. Marvelous would have been an underdog against WBC champion Larry Holmes in 1982, Alvarez against WBC Champion Tyson Fury.

 

I'll go with Sugar Ray Robinson finding a way to beat Floyd Patterson in the late 1950s.

 

"Live underdog". Fury would just hug Canelo to death.

 

no way. Robinson would have been in over his head vs Moore let alone Patterson . Patterson flattens him

 

My vote is Freddie Steele has 50-50 shot vs Braddock in 1937

 

How has no one mentioned James Toney?

Is being old and fat really that much of a net advantage?

I think GGG would be a live underdog against Charles Martin but his lack of adventures above 160 gives me pause.

 

Toney has actually proven he can hang with heavyweights, its difficult to include fighters who have never fought near that weight

 

Isn’t it that the middleweights/light heavy’s need to weigh in at least 200lbs to fight there? That’d mean the vast majority would be obese/too big stripping them of there advantage totally. Could be why we don’t see LHWs an MWs like the ye old days venture up.

 

Yep I agree. Still against him obviously to beat Floyd but I'd give him a shot.

 

In my mind the last one was Greb who had a realistic chance against Tunney or Dempsey.

Some good shout outs though. Steele vs Braddock probably the best one. Braddock was underwhelming and Steele was really fast and powerful

 

I wouldn't give either the remotest chance,Just my opinion.

 

I thought of Les Darcy ,a strong middle ,and good puncher, but in1916 he would be giving away a foot in height to Willard.

 

I do not think either of these guys would be more than an

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"life support" underdog against those champs.
Barring corruption or their opponent's being ill, it would be very hard to see these guys beating these elite, much larger prime champions!

 

I could see Stanley Ketchel knocking a few Heavyweights out