I was just thinking that the larger cruisers that bother to train might be capable of keeping some of the fat bums such as Peter and Arreola out of the top 10, plus crap domestic level operators like Ustinov who is just outside.
They are still free to fight as heavies and come in under the current Cruiserweight limit if they choose. Seeing as thats where the money is I guess they don't fancy their chances against the big guys.
You can't crown a linear champion on the basis of a fight between 'the two best fighters who are actually willing to fight each other'. Did you consider Ottke linear SMW champion, because he was clearly not going to fight any of the other champions?
8th March 1971 - Joe Frazier W Un PTS 15 Muhammad Ali, New York, NY [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qMIquPzL3g[/ame]
22nd January 1973 - George Foreman KO 2 Joe Frazier, Kingston, Jamaica [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9q7mvc6bsY[/ame]
30th October 1974 - Muhammad Ali KO 8 George Foreman, Kinshasa, Zaire [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ZIxV9KWgY&feature=related[/ame]
Jeff I'm on me iPhone. Just search Fitzsimmons Corbett on yutbe, TheGreatA has all surviving footage of the fight, asolutely riveting stuff and the body shot that finshes it was DEADLY. Fitz was a truly damaging puncher in the from what I've read, his small shifts and caginess allowing him to walk fighters onto shots that laid them flat out for ten minutes. Search it, sorry I can't provide the vid myself :good
15th February 1978 - Leon Spinks W Sp PTS 15 Muhammad Ali, Las Vegas, NV [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_OEPOkkoew[/ame]
Same day weigh-INS and no Cruiser would save the Heavyweights. There'd be loads of big light heavies there too, everyone would have to fight more regularly and the little guys would have a better chance of success. One title would mean only one Klit could be champ. What a shame boxing has come to a point where only pure fantasy could make it's most glamorous division truly brilliant again
15th September 1978 - Muhammad Ali W Un PTS 15 Leon Spinks, New Orleans, LA [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNY6r1OtqtU[/ame]
:happy Don't know if it's in that clip but Corbett knocks Fitz around at one point and drops him. Fitz is badly hurt IMO, does well to come back being outweighed by a stone.
Man who beat the man- unfortunately..... like the louis fight I understand the title was vacant - Holmes beats ali having already beaten Norton for the vacant title. Holmes W15 Norton [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IupyEYB-27c[/ame] Close your eyes [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtlDvKku50[/ame]
I don't see that all sorry Flea, you'd still have 190lbers fighting 250lb+ guys. Not the odd freak here and there like in the past, these guys would be up against Top 10-15s packed with fighters who are 40-50 pounds heavier than they are. Far too many fights and careers would be decided purely on size. IMHO the one non-cardinal weight division that makes the most sense is Cruiser, it was just getting ridiculous with 180lbers trying to compete as soon as the "standard" size for a HW got over 220lbs. In any case same day weigh-ins are gone for ever, its seen as a safety issue and, even if there was the interest to bring them back, no organization is going to put themselves in the firing line and sign off bringing it back (the same as 15 rounders).
21st September 1985 - Michael Spinks W Un PTS 15 Larry Holmes, Las Vegas, NV [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX24gNtOqDM[/ame]