Michael Spinks vs Bob Foster At LHW

He seemed to have kind of a dry, old tough guy sense of humor.

Yes, I heard that regarding Frazier, I guess he felt he hurt him in the 1st round.
On the other hand, I heard a story about Foster waking up in his dressing, warming up to be told the fight was over.

I get the impression that Norton had a difficult persoality, even predating his injuries

 

Foster was being interviewed by British TV during the 94 world cup (I think ??) and he demonstrated to the interviewer how he KO'd Chris Finnegan.
Fosters fist looked fu%%ing HUGE !!!! It looked like it could have hit 2 heads at once.

 

I doubt many punks would smart off to him if they got pulled over on an isolated new mexico highway when he was a sheriff !

 

no way, those fists would do it for me.

 

Great matchup of arguably the two best LHW's in the 1968-1985 time period.

Two tall, rangy guys, one with a great Left Hook (Foster), the other with a great Right Hand (Spinks)

Interestingly, for Spinks to win, I think he has to fight a jab and move fight. He would utilize movement to keep a stalking Foster out of rythm.

I see Spinks winning a rather boring decision, with Bob never able to plant himself and land his power shots consistently.

 

A really tough one to call. I'll give Spinks the edge as he defeated better competition than Foster did. I reckon he'd frustrate Foster with that herky jerky style of his, plus he has the power to keep Foster honest and the chin to ride out any rough moments. Bob could still decapitate him at any moment though.

 

"He also said if he had been able to hold weight on he would have beaten Frazier."

Foster probably forgot that Joe hit him so hard that post-fight when he woke up in the dressing room....that he started putting on his boxing shoes asking his manager when his fight with Frazier was going to start. (Frazier & Foster were "friends" and he asked Joe why Frazier had to knock him out like that)

 

I have heard that story and always wondered if it was true!

 

Foster told that story himself....in some of the interviews before he passed on.

Frazier supposedly told Bob that he had to knock him out because Foster was trying to take away something Frazier had (The Hvywt Title...plus the Ali fight was only 3-1/2 months away)

Another version of the "story":
Post-fight Daze

After Frazier knocked him out, Foster went back to his dressing room in a daze. At one point, he began putting his boxing shoes back on.

"What are you doing?" trainer Billy Edwards asked.

"Getting ready to fight!" Foster said.

"Nah," Edwards said, "the fight's over, son."

 

The fight would go to a decision, and Spinks would win a close decision. Both would tag each other, and feel each other's power, and take it, barely. But Spinks' awkwardness sees him through.

 

I think it would be a great fight. Spinks being the more skilled and awkward finds a way to outclass Foster. But Bob was dangerous and score a knockout at any given time.

 

It's weird, but I really see Spinks winning a comfortable UD in this one. Possible late KO. He's just a better boxer than Bob Foster plain and simple. That would win the day.

 

I'll lean to Foster...that jab! That's gonna build up points. Mike had some really good wins at LH but IMHO much of his legacy is built around the Holmes fights. Plus a few of his big wins at LH were against fighters that had already been through protracted 'wars' over and over again.
And don't even bring up Eddie Gregory who, with his head demons and 'stupidity',****ed away his belt against Mike having to lose a ton of weight just prior to fighting Spinks. He looked like a shriveled pear when he stepped in the ring and still built a lead before wilting late. The Associated Press scored Gregory-Spinks a draw (a little trivia). IMO if Gregory's head is on straight and he's in shape, he could school Spinks anytime he wanted. How about a Foster vs. Gregory thread?

 

I would agree:good. I don't know of a decided advantage that Bob has over Mike except for a slight height and reach advantage. What does Bob do better again?

 

Spinks on points, after surviving some attempts early by Bob to establish domain in ring center. Spinks would gradually s**** his way back and outwork Foster down the stretch.