Tim Witherspoon (2nd Smith fight) vs Michael Moorer (Foreman fight)

Smith drilled both Witherspoon and Bruno. Witherspoon beat Tubbs and Bruno while in roughly the same shape as he was for the second Bonecrusher fight. Maybe Smith could fight a little bit, especially in 1986, and that's the main reason why Witherspoon got his ass kicked.

 

Ok. This is what I mean. Since Spoon beat Tubbs and Bruno in his poor condition, it was probably assumed that he could beat Smith in the same condition.

 

Right, and he'd already beaten Smith. 1986 was Bonecrusher's peak though.

 

I agree. He also stopped Weaver that year, and didn't he decision Ferguson, Bey, and Ribalta that year as well?

 

Something like that.

 

Smith/Ribalta was the year before - a close bout, other than the 1st-round KD.

Stopping Weaver was a solid win, but prime Weaver was long gone, by then.
Smith scraped by Ferguson, with a disputed MD.
Who didn't beat Bey?

Smith was a competitor and a chancer, with a big punch. But, he was really quite a poor boxer.

 

Countless heavyweights would have beaten Spoon that night.

 

Ok, I thought one or two of those happened the year before.

Yeah, I don't put very much stock at all in Smith's wins. Witherspoon and Weaver were two of his three best wins, and Weaver was pretty old and Spoon, as we have established, was in terrible shape. Ferguson and Bey were okay, but I sympathize w/ your sentiments on them. They were just good back-up material on a resume. Ferguson was a pretty tough character though. Despite all this, 1986 is undoubtedly Smith's peak, although Bruno is by far his best win, since Bruno was one of the best heavyweights at that time.

 

Like Old Foreman.

 

Agreed. '86 was the year for Smith. He made no meaningful impression, beyond that point.
Ribalta was unlucky not to get the decision in '85, in my opinion. Ferguson could fight and, even in a truly lackluster affair, I think he deserved the nod against Smith, as well.

Bruno is perhaps his best win (if one ignores the Witherspoon saga) but, Bruno had mugged Smith for nine and a half rounds, until Smith landed the game-changer. I think it was a learning fight for Bruno and a close escape for Smith. Bruno became a better boxer after that. I don't think Smith did, but still had the punch to make a difference.

Like I say, Smith was game and carried power, but he was easily out-boxed by those who were mindful of his wild punching and power - see Smith/Rodrigues.

 

I don't think you like Old Foreman, at all.

 

I entirely agree. Smith was powerful and tough, but I rarely enjoyed watching him. Not a very good fighter really, and really he was at best a B-level fighter, even though he gets talked about like he was A-level at one time.

 

I’m being gracious in classing him next to a guy who beat Witherspoon and Bruno.

 

I honestly don't think there's anything wrong w/ that. 90s Foreman is about the same as Smith. I would favor Foreman slightly cuz he did slightly better in his 2nd career I think, and he was older, but little separates those two careers.

 

Exactly. And McCall did better than both.