Tony Tucker vs Michael Spinks in 1987 who wins?

So why is beating James Broad on points worthy of a mandatory title defence? I said what on Earth had Tucker done...and it stands up! What HAD he done?? There were literally no names on his record. “Nobody knew who he was or who he had beaten” is a fair statement. You don’t like it but it stands up.

Tangstad had at least won European title, he’d beaten Joe Bugner, Drew with Buster Douglas and beat two of Larry Holmes’ title challengers. Ok that’s not much. But it is more than Tucker. You don’t like it. But it stands up. Tell me that’s not true?

Holmes had knocked out David Bey right after he beat Greg Page who in turn beat Coetzee who was the equal of Pinklon Thomas - as proven by their draw. As ridiculous as it sounds, Somebody beating David Bey inside the distance, in light of his win over Greg Page, was the best win recorded win that year by any heavyweight. Can anybody dispute this?

Holmes was not dominant but the other champions all lost to guys Larry beat! Thomas to Berbick. Page to Bey.

yes Thomas looked tops beating Witherspoon more convincingly than Larry did but look at the time line. The same year Larry Pursued a unification with Gerrie Coetzee that would not come off and was forced to defend against Bonecrusher Smith before being stripped. On the same evening Mike Weaver was knocked out in the first round by a guy called Tony Anthony who was somehow disqualified because the bell rang at the same moment the punch landed. This unusual win granted Weaver a shot at WBC champ Thomas who also knocked him out. I kind of think Holmes becoming the first man to stop Bonecrusher is a better win than Thomas knocking out the guy who Tony Anthony just knocked out months previously.

why must it be spin? Can’t it just be that I can have an opinion different to you

Do you realise how that makes you look?

“I don’t like that theory so it must be somebody spinning a devious agenda” WTF!

 

I used to think Spinks-Tucker would be closer.

But after we saw Tucker lose by stoppage a number of times later in his career, if Michael Spinks had fought Tony Tucker in 1987, I think Spinks stops Tucker like Spinks stopped Cooney.

Tucker was a good heavyweight but he wasn't anything special. Tucker fought a Mike Tyson who was so overwhelmed with celebrity at the ripe old age of 22 that he (Tyson) was going bald from stress. And Tyson still won easily.

People say Tucker wasn't the same when he returned to the ring in 1989 after rehabbing ... as if Tony Tucker was SO MUCH BETTER when he was a coke addict in the 1980s than he was in the early 90s when he was clean.

If the coked up Tucker had fought Spinks in 1987 in the HBO tourney, Spinks outboxes Tucker and stops him late.

The only reason Spinks and Tucker didn't fight is Spinks got like $8 million to fight Cooney, and he was supposed to get $1 million for Tucker. Had Cooney agreed to participate in the tourney if he beat Spinks, Tucker wouldn't even have been in the HBO tournament.

As choklab pointed out earlier, Tucker's big win to that point was a decision over James Broad, which was no big deal. Tucker was coked up throughtout the 80s. Most of the guys from the Muhammad Ali Boxing Club were, thanks to Harold Smith getting them all on the drug in the late 70s.

Spinks would've confused Tucker and stopped him.

 

You are correct.

Tucker was invisible throughout the 80s. He was part of the original Tomorrow's Champions (some top amateurs NBC signed to a deal in 1980), but he never really impressed, suffered a leg injury in one fight, and was largely forgotten until 1987 when a spot opened in the HBO tournament, thanks to Cooney declining to participate if he beat Spinks.

And I don't get people saying Cooney was an addict, so that win doesn't count.

What the hell was Tony Tucker in the 1980s? A coke ADDICT.

Cooney beat better guys up to that point (the Spinks fight) in the 80s than Tony Tucker did.

 

Exactly. People crucify Marvis Frazier for being a lousy challenger but he beat Broad before Tucker had which actually makes Frazier even more credible than Tucker.

What were the IBF playing at installing so much faith in Tucker?

Tucker did not have better credentials than Gerry Cooney had that year. And that’s a fact.

 

Tucker beat Norris in 1991. He beat Douglas in 87. I never mentioned the rematch. Many think Tucker lost in 91.

 

I would be surprised if the majority thought Tucker ever beat Norris.

 

Tucker was 115-6 as an amateur and 33-0 (with 28 KOs) in the pros at that time. To say he was not worthy of title contention is ridiculous. His credentials are as good if not better than 90% of all heavyweight title contenders. And, his drug problems did not start until AFTER the Tyson fight. Up until that point he was a tall, fit, skilled fighter with decent power and an excellent chin. He went the distance with prime Lennox Lewis at age 35. Tucker is by no means Hall of Fame material. But, he was a very good fighter. Buster Douglas' second best fight ever was likely his losing effort to Tucker. I would have no problem picking the Tucker of the Tyson or Douglas fight over Wilder, Ruiz, Joshua, Cooney, or in this instance: Spinks.

 

So you´re saying Tucker survived due to Tyson having a bad night (and survived Douglas for 10 rounds, beating him), but Spinks would finish the job? Was Tyson more stressed than against others prior to Bruno?

 

Not true. I think some of you guys are blinded by Tucker's looks. He looked like he should've been a great heavyweight. He wasn't.

Tucker was a coke user going back to the late 70s when he was on the Muhammad Ali Boxing Club. That's how Harold Smith was able to recruit guys like Tucker, Tubbs, etc. ... by feeding them coke and buying them cars and clothes (with the money he was embezzling). It's in the book about Harold Smith.

The only person who was remotely ranked by a sanctioning body in his first 34 wins before Tucker fought for the vacant IBF belt was James Broad for the USBA belt in 1986. The USBA belt was the IBF's domestic title. Beating Broad was how Tucker got his IBF ranking.

90 percent of the guys who fight for a title (vacant title in Tucker's case) do more than outpoint just one alphabet contender first.

After the Broad win, Tucker sat on the sidelines and didn't fight for almost a year as the guys rated above him and nearly the entire division turned over (Larry Holmes, Mike Weaver (who'd beaten Carl Williams), Tim Witherspoon, Bonecrusher Smith, Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs, Greg Page, Frank Bruno ... all lost) and Tucker rose up the ratings while inactive.

Spinks didn't become IBF champ because everyone else lost. Spinks beat Larry Holmes to win the title and knocked out Gerry Cooney in a wildly impressive defense. Tucker never beat anyone as good. And if Tucker had fought Spinks the night Spinks beat Cooney, Tucker would've been in a lot of trouble.

In 1987, Spinks baffles Tucker and stops him.

 

THIS

 

No stoppage, but he'd win.

 

Spinks befuddles Tucker over 15 rounds and walks away with a fairly easy UD.

Tucker’s best claim to fame is losing over the distance to an uninspired, punch-punch-grab version of Tyson. He landed like one uppercut and nothing else of consequence. He was not competitive.

At the time this fantasy bout is proposed, he’d done nothing of note. James Broad’s nickname per Ring Magazine was “Broadass,” a play on his “Broadaxe” nickname. If that’s all that TNT can claim at this point, he’s not in the discussion for beating Spinks.

 

And in doing so the IBF basically cheapened their “world” title to USBA title Level. Tucker vs Douglas was a USBA Level fight.

You could say Tyson only defeated a USBA champion to retrieve the IBF belt.

Spinks had been the real world champion. He beat Larry Holmes the same year Holmes knocked out David Bey right after Bey beat Page who in turn then beat Coetzee who had drew with Thomas. Tucker had not fought any of those guys, or proven himself at that level.

When Berbick and Smith became the other two champions, Spinks had even beat the man they had both lost to.

 

Yes, it is unbelievable to me that Tuckers entire credentials in 1987 hinge on a close fight over somebody called “Broad-ass”. A guy Tim Witherspoon knocked out in two rounds and Marvis Frazier already beat before he fought Larry Holmes.

 

Tangstad was a terrible challenger he beat
A fat Bugner by split dec .
Drew with novice Douglas.
Beat poor Evangelista never more than cannon fodder in an 8 rounder.
Had just won a split dec over 5th rater John Westgarth 7-3-2,
Had been ko'd by Anders Eklund 10-2-1 in 4 rds a year earlier.
Do stop with this building up of a no hoper 3rd rater ,it's nonsense!
Do you realise how it makes you look?