Michael Spinks at heavyweight: Great?

I believe the latter to have been true. Spinks performed excellently against Holmes and Cooney, but neither of those two were the forces they had been previously. Spinks never looked solid at this weight. He was boxing nervously in both fights with Holmes.

Tony Tucker, a young fighter who could punch, that would have caused big problems for Mike. Instead, he was given a champion on the slide, a depressed drunk, and some bloke named Tangstad.

I'm a big Spinks fan, all credit to him, but he was matched well.

 

No.

Undoubtedly an ATG LHW, but not a great Heavy.


Arguably 1-1 with a past prime Holmes.

A win over a booze-shot Cooney, and a win over a journeyman Tangstad.

A noteworthy (for the wrong reasons) bout with Tyson.

And that's it, at HW.


Hardly the resume of a great.

 

No, but I think he would've matched up well enough with some other very good to great reigning heavies and possibly taken home the W. I think he was still a very good heavyweight, anyway.

 

Well, I think he would have beaten Jimmy Young

 

This kind of blasphemous heresy ought to merit a Permanent Ban.

Or worse !

:fire

 

No. His greatness was displayed in the 175 lb division. He was in the right place at the right time,as a heavyweight. A faded Larry Holmes was suitable for Michael's style.

 

Yes he was, for one night against larry he fought like a great heavyweight. At the final bell he was the best out there for me. Yes he lost his very next fight but he spent a while as the number 1 contender to iron as well.

He's a great heavyweight, not the best but not the worst of the greats neither.

 

No. Great light heavyweight, good heavyweight, that's about it. He beat a faded version of a great heavyweight but this does not automatically make him a great fighter at that weight.

 

great is entirely subjective. How do you define great?

For me it's a man who at any given time is the best in the world. The night of the first Holmes-Spinks fight I think Mike became the best in the world.

 

Some people think Tunney bypasses this rule.

 

Great Lt.Heavy...

 

Buster Douglas?
Hasim Rahman?
Jim Braddock?

I think you have to be great for more than just a single night in order to be called a true great. Longevity, dominance, record against quality opponents and proven ability are factors. While Spinks was given the decision in the rematch, about everyone who has scored the contest cannot make a compelling case for him to have truly won it. Afterwards he was inactive until being blown out by Tyson in a round.

 

Yes those 3 all fit the bill. All great for one night.


I'm not talking all time great, but at a given point these guys were great. What more can we ask eh?