Least athletic world champion?

If you become a legit world champion, then you are athletic enough, and how do you define athleticism?

 

I find it hard to believe one of the greatest H2H fighters at 175 (maybe even the greatest) is the least athletic champion ever. He had stupendous power in both hands and was never ragdolled at 175, or heavyweight for that matter. Christ what long reigning ex 175 wouldn't be belted by Tyson.

 

I think it's a tie between

Spinks is slightly over rated. But I am impressed with his boxing career just not his build or athleticism. Plus he lacked knockout power. I'd place him in the top 50 of all time but nothing more.

 

What does it mean to be athletic in a boxing sense?

 

Jesus he is one of the greatest punchers in the history of 175. You should check out his career at 175 some time as you must not be aware of it - at all.

 

Ok will do

 

This guy's never seen a Spinks fight besides the Tyson loss, no use arguing with a dummy.

 

Rocky Marciano? There's a pretty loose definition of what being "athletic" means though. Onr guy could be super explosive but have poor coordination for most sports, another guy could be pretty average speed but have the brain and timing for sports. Who is more athletic?

 

Try again. Of the footage that exists of Willard the Dempsey fight is one of the shortest films. The battering you mention lasts nine minutes. On the other hand his best performance, his victory over Jack Johnson runs well over an hour. His victory over Frank Moran runs nearly 30 minutes. The extent footage of his victory over Floyd Johnson runs nearly six minutes. In addition to that we have footage of his loss to Firpo and tons of training footage. The guy was neither fast, nor coordinated, nor any semblance of "athletic". He was big, and strong, and particularly against a fat, dissipated, and aging Johnson he was able to use those "gifts" to his advantage. But he was one of the least athletic champions I can think of.

 

You are right about the footage, i miss spoke i ment most of what people have seen. And he was certainley uncoordinated but he wasn't slow (for such a big man). he wasn't super athletic or anything but, in my opinion at least, he wasn't among the least athletic of all time

 

Carlos baldomir would be my pick

 

Historically, Greg Page, Trevor Berbick, John Ruiz or Tony Tubbs.

We can also throw in Jorge Castro and Victor Galindez.

 

Eddie Gazo would be my first choice. Even looked clumsy when we won the title in Japan. If he was on American Ninja Warrior, I'm thinking he falls off those slanted lily pads at the start into the drink.

 

Carlos Maussa

 

Frank Bruno standing still looked like a million dollars with the kind of bodybuilder physique that could make Norton an Weaver look undertrained but when it came to moving his body he looked so stiff that he looked like he was fighting underwater. Movie zombies moved more athletically than bruno