Prime Frans Botha - where does he rank among ATG Heavies?

ATG? Do you mean 1995?

 

Better than you jokers think.

 

50

 

H2h or overall greatness?

 

Better than top 10 to 20 ??

 

I kinda liked Botha but he was far from an all-time great. He was 47-4-3 going into his fight vs. Holyfield. He should have fought once more then retired IMO. 48-5-3 (29) sounds better than 48-9-3 (29).

SD over Axel Schulz for the vacant IBF HW title, stripped (banned substance) and the result was changed to a NC... technically he is not considered a former champ.

 

Not too high, I should imagine. He was rough, tough and had a good chin and a decent punch, but was otherwise unexceptional. He still gave a sliding Tyson a good fight (I had him slightly ahead) before getting KTFO.

Sanders, Coetzee and probably Du Plooy were a step above him in the SA heavy scene.

 

Why he's NOT? I'm pretty sure that this forum could come up with 20 candidates that were better ATG HW's than Frans Botha. No disrespect to him, I like him and think he's a very solid boxer. But I don't see a top 20 rank for him.

 

Tyson
Ali
Holyfield
V Klitschko
W Klitschko
Lewis
Louis
Marciano
Dempsey
Schmeling
Liston
Damiani
Sanders
Tua
Rahman
Frazier
Norton
Bowe
Foreman
Jeffries
Johnson

... off the top of my head in completely random order. Boxers who had a better resume and were probably better H2H than Botha.

 

Naming 20 greats who were better is easy. Name 20 who never held a HW world title who were better...

Tua
McCline
Grant
Savarese
Williams "The Truth"

Oquendo
Machen
Folley
Young
Lyle

Bonavena
Chuvalo
Quarry
Bugner
Shavers

Langford
Wills
Jeanette
McVea
Bob Baker

Moore
Elmer Ray
O. Norris
Cunningham
Tarver

 

I assume this is meant to be a joke. Botha wasn't even one of the top 20 best of his own era.

 

Top 20 in his own era you could definitely make a case for. Let's be fair for a moment.

 

Broke Moorer's jaw and a couple of his ribs. At his best, he was a tough night for most anyone.