Leon Spinks, Jim Braddock & Tyson Fury - rank the worst lineal HW champs in order.

Okay

I won't take late 1800's - early 1900's (Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzimmons, Burns rtc) because there's lack of video. We can't judge them.

Since Jack Johnson my H2H list of HW champions would look like. From worst to best

1.Leon Spinks
2.James Braddock
3.Shannon Briggs
4-6.Hasim Rahman or Tyson Fury or Carnera

Douglas was better than all of the above for sure.

 

Leon was great :-(

 

The #1 spot undoubtedly belongs to Leon Spinks. For all of the other contenders, you can point to some sort of high quality win, outside of the inevitable title winning performance. Spinks really doesn’t have anything else. Sorry Leon!

Fury theoretically holds the #2 spot, based on his current credentials, but he is bound to get some other decent wins, so I withhold him from the list for now.

Douglas, Briggs, and Ramhan are what I call “two hit wonders”. They won the lineal title, but they also managed one other significant career defining win. I get the idea that Fury might just turn out to be a two hit wonder. I would be minded to put Briggs in the #2 spot.

Braddock for his spotty record is a three or four hit wonder. Amidst his myriad of losses he got quality wins occasionally.

Carnera does not belong in the company.

Given the three fighters you have limited me to, I would have to say:
1. Spinks
2. Fury (for now)
3. Braddock

 

I don't rate Briggs because of his very weak resume.

He looks good on tape, hard hitter, fast, athletic etc.

But his resume was pretty bad:

48 y.o. Foreman (robbery), 44 y.o. Mercer and come-from-behind last second KO win over Lyakhovic are easily his 3 best wins.

His losses aren't good, too.

Tua's KO1 victim Wilson KO'd him in 3, Botha beat him but was robbed, McCline easily beat him and even Cedrick Fields got a W against Briggs.

Yes, I know, Fury got a gift against John F*cking McDermott, who is worse than any of the mentioned above, but it was years ago, and he improved since that fight.

 

Who is Valdes and how to was he any good?

 

Cunningham was a cruiser champ. Chisora beat Helenius. And Mansour was at about the same level as Tubbs.

 

So you have Tyson Fury as one of the worst 3 lineal HW champs when he has never lost a professional fight and just beat someone who has been champion for 9 years?

At least give Fury a chance to see how long his reign lasts before coming to such a definitive conclusion - I seem to remember in the late 70s some people ( including boxing journalists) saying that Larry Holmes was one of the worst HW champions of all time - obviously Fury is no Holmes but the point stands.

For the record I think Fury is already above Braddock - he just beat Wlad who many have as a top 10 ATG

 

It is obviously a premature conclusion. If he retired tomorrow, then perhaps. Muhammad Ali wouldn’t look all that great, if he retired after beating Liston. With the other candidates, we are dealing with complete careers.

 

But he doesn't like Fury so he needs to make up something like this for him to feel better..

 

To be totally honest I don't see Fury as in this group at all.

He was an undefeated prospect and the reigning British, Commonwealth and European champion. He won the fight clearly against the man who was clearly the best.

I don't see this as a fluke, I expect him to rack up about 5 defences or so which will be totally decent.

Spinks beat a fading Ali but never did anything else.

Braddock beat a prime but injured Baer and was arguably the best LHW in the world as well.

Fury is an unknown so we will have to see how his career plays out.

 

I don't see Fury in this group either.

He has, after all, been a consistent winner, and is still undefeated.

Braddock was 14-20-1 with 2 NC in the 37 fights leading into the Baer fight, even with his 1934 & 1935 push.

Spinks hadn't beaten anyone of note and had a draw with LeDoux, the best he had fought.

Fury might turn out to be one of the worst, but we should at least give the guy a chance to earn such a low rating with bad performances.