Top 5, or top 10 heavyweights post-Ali era

Ugh, you kind of have to concede that he 'did more', because technically he did, but it kills me to imagine him rating above either because honestly both would shake him down. (that is, prime TNT w/o a detached retina, as the 40-year-old and not fully-sighted version nearly did the job)

 

I'm with you. Cooney's shine rests largely on his decent Holmes effort (at least among those who recognize that he was no bum and that it was competitive in spots), but it feels like that was still probably more one-sided than Tyson vs. Ruddock I or II? Slightly? :think

 

I probably rate Ruddock just a hair higher than Cooney as well, but agree that the difference isn't enough to place him in a higher category.. Smith was in a dreadful position when he fought Ruddock in 1989. He hadn't recorded a win since 1986 nor even fought in a full year. He took the fight on short notice with no time to train and came in at around 250 lbs. He was also 36 years old and nearly knocked ruddock out in the second.

 

I think Cooney arguably won about 4 rounds against Holmes and kept some of the losing rounds fairly close. Not sure if Ruddock won that many in either of his fights with Tyson, though probably did in both of them combined. And Holmes was probably better in 1982 than Tyson was in 1991. As for their wins, Ruddock beat aging versions of Smith, Dokes, Broad, Weaver, Page, and a prospect in Phil Jackson. Cooney beat aging versions of Norton, Lyle, Young, a prospect in Phillip Brown, fringe contender in Eddie Gregg, and decent journeyman in Lopez and Denis. Not too much separating their wins though some of the aging veterans Ruddock beat may have had a bit more in the tank than the ones Cooney defeated, but that's splitting hairs.. Cooney's only three defeats were against hall of famers in Spinks, Holmes and Foreman, all three of which following long layoffs. Ruddock lost to Tyson and Lewis at his pinacle. He got beat by Morrison after a layoff. He lost early to Dave Jaco and drew with some nobody... I think its looking pretty close to even.

 

Hell, even since SSS in '08 his run has been more than respectable for a guy in his late forties. He beat a couple of fellow old names in Goofi and Fast Fres, plus a smattering of decent C+ types in Wills, Hopoate, and Lawrence (until just a few months ago rated top 5 in the US, falling off due to inactivity) - and he just this year on fifty's doorstep popped that Polish lad's cherry, the one with the mostly padded KO record that included McCall's own son. All his losses were to ranked and/or unbeaten guys, never dominated (or down), all decisions.

 

I'll go with Bruno by a narrow margin.