Vitali Klitschko vs Floyd Patterson

Cut N Shoot Harris was a fair fighter. Definitely undersold in this thread. He outboxed a very good boxer in willie pastrano. Harris was a worthy top 10 guy, and was one of the few who deserved a title shot vs patterson. I certainly like Harris over Danny Williams. Also that fat mammoth of a whale they call kirk johnson at 260lb might have lost to harris too.

He came from the same area Cleveland Williams came from. It's a shame those two never fought.

 

By Poor time line, do you mean "poor" quality? I personally think the late 1950s was a good era for heavyweights.

During this time period you had Floyd Patterson, Ingemar Johansson, Eddie Machen, Zora Folley, Nino Valdes, Mike DeJohn, Archie Moore, Harold Johnson, Cleveland Williams, Willie Pastrano.

Charles, Walcott, Patterson were all forces.

 

I don't see how Danny Williams has a better resume than roy harris. Harris defeated Two Ring Magazine top 10 contenders Willie Pastrano and Bob Baker. How many did Williams beat that was ring magazine top 10?

Sprott? Harrison? Skeleton? these guys are journeyman. No better than Joe Bygraves.

 

It's such a different era over the past 30 years. Pastrano, at his size, would never sniff the division. He wasn't the one-off like Jones, Jr. or possessed over the same skill set as Byrd. Harris was not a world class heavy by today's standards... or even perhaps by yesterday's.

Next I expect to hear an impassioned defense of the great Tom McNeely.

 

Danny Williams is not a world class heavy by todays standards.

 

I say this with a heavy heart but Vitali wins early. Floyd was a bit of a slow starter and most of his knockdowns,if not all, came before he was truly warmed up in a fight. I like floyd but its a real bad matchup IMO

 

As a fight fan based in Britain I have followed the career of Danny Williams and have a certain afection for him as a spoiler but I have never been under any illusion that he was world class.

It seems ironic that American fight fans today buy into the hype around fighters like Frank Bruno and Danny Williams more than their British counterparts.

 

Janitor,

I happened to think highly of David Haye. do you consider him world class? His punching skills. speed and accuracy are the best ive seen in years.

 

Absolutely.

Haye is probably the best heavyweight outside the Klitschko family at present. His combination of power and refelxes are perhaps the best in the heavyweight division and he is a verry cerebral fighter.

Of course there might yet be a flaw in his makeup that could be exploited. I think he still has stamina issues for example.

 

Much of what you say is true, but you're either uninformed of full of **** about Willie Pastrano not having "the same skill set of Chris Byrd" ..he was as or more skilled than Byrd...what you contend there is highly debateable..just watch the Johnson-Pastrano bout, as it's the most readily available video on YouTube that you'll find...true, he would he completely undersized as a heavyweight today, but leave the skill deficit **** out of your argument.

 

I got the johnson fight on tape. They are both highly skilled but its one light heavy countering another. Byrd could play toreodor against some of the better superheavies. I honestly don't see Pastrano doing that as successfully.

 

Of coruse Roy Harris would not sniff a modern heavyweight divisions. Harris had some skills, but like you said did was not as good as Jones or Byrd.

In fact I believe Adamek, and Chambers were much better than Harris ever was.

 

Just Curious Mendoza,

What film of Roy Harris have you ever seen besides him against Liston? How can you possibly make an accurate depiction of his style/skill level when you have never seen him on film in some of his best performances?