Overrated talent

Wilder..no boxing IQ whatsoever. Had no idea what to do against the ancient southpaw Ortiz. The fact that Ortiz was stopped twice just goes to show how overrated and old he really was.
Usyk..no infighting skills whatsoever. That makes him an incomplete fighter. He's not a very hard puncher for an elite level HW. Doesn't like it at all to the body. I believe he would have gotten lost in the 70's HW scene.
I have Floyd Mayweather in my top 35 ATG boxers. He's clearly not overrated but the way he mapped out and cherry picked doesn't do it for me. The last straw was when he threatened to call off I believe the first Maidana fight at the last minute because Maidana was going to wear punchers gloves while Mayweather wears Grant's which are punchers gloves! How the he## does he get to dictate what gloves his opponent wears. Thats something the commision does isnt it? At the last minute to boot. Hypocrite! Come on.
Jack Johnson..On film I see good defense but offensively he liked to hold with the left and throw uppercuts with the rt. Slapped with his left hook I don't see why he's held in such high esteem. But perhaps I'm missing something or just haven't studied him enough which is absolutely possible since his style just made me disinterested.
I actually see so many boxers today who are considered very talanted yet they stand straight up lack an educated jab and neglect the rt hand to the body like it's illegal yet I hear over and over that boxing has evolved for the better lol. Yea I went off topic a bit but it is what it is.

 

Some of these responses aren’t objective at all.

 

I’ve never understood the fascination either. People overhype possible potential way too much.

 

Ron Lyle. People will practically FIGHT you that because he “had Ali beat” … which he didn’t, Ali was farting around and absolutely ruined the guy when he needed to get down to business … and because of the historical narrative and supposedly compelling story surrounding him (that has been called into question by at least one source, Jerry Quarry’s biographers) and because of this site’s affinity for big punchers, he was a historically elite heavyweight who could have taken Joe Louis.

 

I think Ken Norton's overrated to a degree. He made his rep off the 3 tough fights he gave Muhammad Ali. Take those away and honestly, the best items on his resume are wins against Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Young. Pretty "mediocre" IMHO!

 

I don't think that Leon was lost potential as much as he was just kinda in the wrong weight-class. He was very limited, but at the same time, very entertaining to watch. The kind of B level fighter who you'd root for because of his charisma and charm- His story kind of reads like the script for a movie.

People, especially boxing fans, love odd success stories like Leon, even if he didn't succeed for very long. Olympic Gold Medalist, Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, but yet a final record of 26 - 17 - 3, you see that and just KNOW that there's something really interesting to be seen.

 

Wilfred Benitez

 

I'd say for me the most overrated fighter is Dariusz Michalczewski.

His greatest achievement is not fighting Jones Jr.

 

Hi Buddy.
Having a hard time with your assertion that Benitez had no talent, and his successes came about because he apparently started fighting when he was a very young boy, and during that period was abused in sparring, I honestly didn't know about all the above, but I am taking your word, as I have lots of respect for your knowledge and of your standing as a learned and respected member, as for Benitez i rate him as a very talented fighter, going undefeated prior to his dethroning of Cervantes, who is surely in everyone's top ten at 140, or maybe even top 5, he outboxed a great boxer/puncher, who had turned back many a good contender, despite he being 19, if indeed he was, he then sets his sights on the 147 belt, being held at the time by the very capable Palomino, a good strong experienced full blown welter, who was known for his body punching, stamina, and all round boxing ability, after winning over such a adversary as Palomino, he then steps' again and defeats Hope, via a spectacular knockout, fights Leonard to almost the final bell, he went the full 15 with the murderous punching Hearns, a feat not many could accomplish, all this because he had lots of experience ! has I have said from my first post, I value everybody's opinion in the forum, and no poster is right all the time, and not wrong all the time, we all have different views and thoughts, and its nice and refreshing that we exchange them for the benefit of all.
stay safe buddy, chat soon.

 

Ali: Beat a bunch of small, overrated fighters who wouldn't even be considered heavyweights today or old men during his "prime," lost his only fight against a prime ATG who was fighting with one eye, lost three times to a mediocre fighter, beat another overrated ATG who was young, inexperienced and gassed himself out, then avoided a rematch once that fighter gained more experience. Barely scraped by the same ATG who had already beaten him, but only once that ATG was past his prime. He also lost to a decent but not very good contender in a dreadful fight and eventually got beaten by a light heavyweight. The Greatest, everyone!

 

Hey, hope you’re well friend, I made no such assertion that he was without talent, he had to have it to get where he did. I just don’t think he was this magically gifted wunderkind like people frame him as he was extremely seasoned for his age is all I’m saying, talent to me is someone who is a “natural” how much of a natural can we say he was with the above mentioned? I would call it hard work, Witherspoon is easier to demonstrate as more as more of a talented guy he started much older with very little experience going on to hang with Holmes who started a decade or more sooner. If someone bench pressed 100kgs first time they touched a bar that’s talent, if he got there after years or months then you’d say it was work a lot of the guys we call talented also happened to put in MANY years of work before they made things look easy, we can’t know how talented someone truly is without seeing the beginning otherwise it’s guess work.

 

This is all technically true.

 

The best kind of true

 

That is one of the few fighters that simply amazes me.

Gods gift.

 

Let's not talk about Sweet Pea and gifts.