Michael Moorer

I think he is rated accordingly. Perhaps overrated as a light heavyweight due to lack of accomplishments.

 

I don't think he's as underrated as much as he seems like an enigma.

I knew of him from the loss to Foreman for many years. Later, when I looked deeper I saw this former Kronk trained light-heavyweight who was a true dark horse. He held his LHW title when WBO recognition was slim to none and Moorer himself looked pretty damn sharp. I saw articles of him being praised as the "next big thing" and a true world beater in the making. His rise in the HW ranks also looks pretty damn sharp and he did a good job in out-hustling Holyfield despite the whole Teddy Atlas relationship at that time. That loss to Foreman wrecked him at the point he was already cracking at the seams. I've also heard rumblings of alcoholism. Either way, he was pretty solid and captured a couple pieces of the title. I see him as this enigma because he showed so much more potential starting out, and then he fizzled when he got close to the top. Kinda like Bowe except not as lazy or as self destructive.

 

Both guys came in with 100% KO ratio! That's nuts.

 

Moorer chose to fight many other fighters fights.

Cooper, Stewart, Holyfield.

I find it telling that he was able to out-do them at their own games, outbrawling two huge sluggers.

He would certainly be more fondly remembered as a good heavyweight if he had used his skills more, as opposed to a exciting one.

 

Moorer v's Toney?

 

Yes. I always feel he gets underrated. I think his durability is underrated, his skill is underrated, and his flaws get overrated. I think he was a great fighter at his best.

 

Moorer was a very skilled fighter, but I never felt he was a great heavyweight. He didnt really have the chin to fight in the style he fought in (flat footed in the pocket), but he had a good jab and good skills off his jab. He matched up nicely with smaller heavyweights, but the big guys would have always done a number on him because he was too easy to hit.

 

He stood in front of opponents. Thats why he was knocked out by Foreman, Holyfield, Tua and hurt by several others. He was just too flat footed and lacking defensively to be a heavy with his poor chin.

 

Cmon, he was hurt by just about everyone including Frans Botha. It didn't take much to move away from Foreman yet he still managed to get flattened. Moorer had the power and had good leverage behind his punches but his footwork and chin were ****

 

Actually, the guy had good legs as an early day heavyweight up thru the first Holyfield bout. He sure was turning Evander in there and had him walking into jabs.

But when he put on pounds and went up past 214 or so, it was at the expense of his legs. He became a flat footed guy in there and used literally zero mobility once he decided to skyrocket past 215 pounds.