Most overrrated fighters ? (or, who do YOU "underrate"?)

You also under-rate the great Andrew Golota.

:yep




For me, it has to be Sonny Liston or Jack Dempsey.

 

I tend to think Joe Walcott is overrated both as a puncher and as a champion. Here is a guy who had an overly assorted mixed bag of wins and losses to fighters who ranged anywhere from good to terrible. His KO percentage against fighters under 200 Lbs is not terribly impressive. He fought Ezzard charles ( a former middleweight ) 4 times, losing the first two and winning the next two. In a total of 4 contests with Ezzard, he scores a single knockout against a pseudo heavyweight, and all of a sudden he's a "big puncher" I often think that Walcott's resume is given extra points, simply because he gave two icons ( Marciano and Louis), a great deal of trouble. In my opinion, Walcott's blown up credentials are an effort to preserve Louis and Marciano's legacy rather than Walcott's himself. It's probably the best example of the application of circular logic in the sport's history.....

 

Jack Dempsey.

 

I consider him to be verry much under rated head to head.

Honestly he could spank just about anybody on their best day.

 

Overrated:

Roy Jones jr. - Great ability but safety-first style. Seldom took risks and let some inferior opposition hang around too long in fights. Chin proved later on to be suspect. Was the Wladimir Klitschko of his time. Great fighter and effective but safety first all the way. I don't hear anyone calling Klitschko an all time great as they often do Jones.


Sugar Ray Robinson - People always show him kayoing Fullmer with one shot. They seldom mention that Fullmer beat beat Robinson twice and had one draw. He was the greatest welterweight ever but he is overrated at MW IMO.

Harry Wills - The revisionists frequently mention Wills being "ducked" by Dempsey. Complete nonsense. The fight was signed and fell through for financial reasons and the generally racist attitude of the day. If the fight was not going to be financially advantageous then why would Dempsey or Wills want it to happen? Wills was being handily beaten by Jack Sharkey before fouling out in 1926.

Muhammad Ali - Was probably the best HW ever based on his opposition and who he beat. But the greatest fighter of all-time? That mantra was not exactly correct.

Sugar Ray Leonard - Lost the second fight to Hearns, may have really lost to Hagler, was dropped by a journeyman named Donny LaLonde before coming back to win. Was thrashed by Terry Norris and knocked out by the light-hitting Hector Camacho in his final fight. Great fighter but too many blemishes and the Hagler fight was very contraversial.


Underrated:

Sam Langford - At just 5-7 and about 180lbs. frequently took down heavyweights. Was avoided by Dempsey's people early in Jack's career. May have very well been the real greatest of all-time.

Benny Leonard - The Ghetto wizard may have even been a better lightweight than the great Roberto Duran. He was the best PFP of his day in a time when boxing was the undisputed #1 sport in america.

Jimmy Wilde - The pint-sized Welshman was considered to be the greatest puncher of all-time for his size by many who watched him.

Eder Jofre - Brazillian great is still grossly overlooked. People tend to mention more Monzon, Chavez, Duran, etc, in the pantheon of South American greats. This man is right there with them IMO.

Charley Burly - Archie Moore claims he was the best he ever fought. Avoided like the plague during the time because of racial prejudice and because he just made great fighters look inept.

Rocky Marciano - Only undefeated HW champ is denigrated for being around during weak era. Walcott, Charles, Louis, Moore are ATG's and hall of famers. Rocky cleaned out division on the was up beating fine fighters like Vingo, LaStarza (twice), Savold, Layne, an the excellent LHWT Harry "kid" Mathews.

 

I completely agree on Lewis (except, for the note, actually the poll had about half having him in the top 5 and 80% having him in the top 10- I counted carefully because I was so surprised), and somewhat on Johnson/Jeffries.

 

I know the second Leonard-Hearns was called a draw. Leonard had Hearns in trouble at the end but still really deserved to lose IMO.

 

i don't think his punches were creampuffs either, but I steadfastly hold to my claim that he was not a big puncher. If John Ruiz had k'od Roy Jones would we be sitting here ranting and raving about what a huge puncher he was? I know I certainly wouldn't be. Jersey was a good fighter, but his name is brought up a bit too often when discussing all time greats in my opinion.

 

Gene Tunney deserves mention for being underrated as does the great Ezzard Charles.