Prime Tua KO2 Prime Frazier. Discuss.

Right, because "peak" Frazier has a much better chin than the 29 year old, undefeated, 18 months removed from beating Ali version of Joe Frazier, right? The one who was a 3-1 favourite over Foreman?

Forget about the Foreman fight? Why? Because he lost? If you take that Foreman and put him against an 18 month younger Frazier, does Joe's chin all of a sudden hold up to Foreman's punches now? atsch

Could be. Or maybe Tua lands a monster bomb in the first round before Frazier gets into his groove, and drops Frazier hard. Foreman did that and annihilated him.

Yeah that may be so, but he is a smaller fighter who is known to be vulnerable early, facing a bigger, harder-hitting, better-chinned fighter who is known to be deadly in the first couple of rounds.

All of Tua's weaknesses involve plodding around, being unable to close distance, and being frustrated at not being able to land on his taller opponent. None of that will be an issue here. All of Frazier's weaknesses involve starting slowly and not having a granite chin in the early going.

Tua won't be frustrated that he can't find Frazier. Frazier will be right there for him to hit, that's the only way Frazier knew how to fight. He never minded taking two to land one. That's literally the worst possible fightplan against David Tua.

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And Ali had a lot of trouble with sub-200 pounders that Tua would splatter across the ring. Doug Jones and Henry Cooper, for two of them.

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Excuses, excuses. You know that at the time of the Byrd fight, Tua's entire life was in ruins thanks to his years-long court battle with his father figure, the man who had run his career since he was 15? I guess we can just pretend that loss never happened then eh? atsch

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I didn't really get the chance to study how he looked or if there was a HUGE difference. The first minute was even, then Foreman spent the rest of the life dribbling Frazier like a basketball. :good

A half-blind, arthritic, 29 year old potential stroke victim was also an undefeated heavyweight champion and a 3-1 favourite over an undefeated 24 year old Foreman?

After the Foreman fight, Frazier had enough left to KO Joe Bugner in 2 rounds, stop Jimmy Ellis and Jerry Quarry, and go 26 close rounds with Muhammed Ali. You talk about him like he was the current version of Joe Frazier.

This is a better argument.

I submit to you that the reason Frazier looked like **** against Foreman was because of Foreman. Specifically because Foreman was a bigger, stronger, harder punching guy who Frazier couldn't move backwards, but who could walk Frazier back. You see it plainly - multiple times Foreman puts both hands on Frazier's shoulders and shoves him backwards to reset him.

Foreman's greater physical strength allowed him to manhandle Frazier and push him around the ring. Frazier wasn't used to the other guy being clearly stronger. Tua would be able to hold his ground as well. That right there spells danger for Frazier.

If he makes it out of the first 2 rounds he should be fine. But he started slow and demonstrated on several occasions that he could be hurt early, before he warmed to his task. If Tua hurts him early, he is DONE.

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Right, knocked down twice in the first 2 minutes of round 2, with the three-knockdown rule in effect, that's no trouble at all. atsch

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Throw Chris Byrd in that ring instead of Doug Jones, and the Ali fans may get an unhappy surprise.

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I don't even think Tua beats Frazier more often than not. You see peak Frazier winning 3-0. But do you see him winning 10-0? :think :good

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