What is Michael Spinks' legacy if he retires after beating Larry Holmes twice?

I don't want to derail thread but interested to know how fans would have thought Spinks would have done against Tyson if Spinks had retired after Holmes? Do you think most people would pick Spinks to fold as he did or would people predict a more competitive fight?

 

He still is top 5 as a LHW no? He really didn't do much as a HW IMO and I would say he doesn't rank at all

 

I actually have Michael at #3 light heavyweight, after Moore and Foster.

I don't even rank him above Weaver at heavyweight. Spinks never stopped a prime Tate or Coetzee.

 

I personally think Ezzard was better than him at LHW as well, but I think we're close to the same page

 

I actually rank him higher bcuz of staying as long as he did. He had heart to get in their w arguably a peak Tyson no sane person holds that loss against him. With the money he should've(and hopefully) got I dont blame him.


Losing at hvy does not take away his reign at lt hvy and he gets plenty credit at least here for it so I wouldn't say he's underrated. If anything u could say he overachieved at hvy bcuz imho I really don't rate him high at that weight H2H but that's my opinion.

 

I don't see there being much of difference to Spinks' legacy, had he retired after Holmes II. He would still be regarded as a superb Light Heavyweight and, at the same time, still seen as a bit of a Heavyweight oddity.

I think the Holmes rematch would have come under much greater scrutiny and, while this would be perhaps less impactful than his demolition, at the hands of Tyson, he'd still divide opinion in terms of his credibility in the division.

Putting aside any perspectives on his sporting legacy, this^ would have been the bigger impact on Spinks.

I wouldn't describe him as a "shell" either, but Larry was definitely well past his best, extremely jaded by the time he met Spinks and the decision in their rematch remains dubious. Moreover, I would wager that there were a number of Heavyweights around at the time, who could have beaten Holmes in 1985/6.

 

I don’t even factor in the Tyson fight when classifying his place in history. He’s without doubt one of the greatest light heavyweights in history, certainly in the top four or five and he’s one of only two men to ever be lineal at light heavy and heavy.

 

"beat".

 

Would he have beaten a prime John Conteh at Light Heavyweight?

 

Absolutely.

 

A good number of fans and pundits gave him a solid chance of befuddling and outboxing Tyson with his awkward style. That, along with his unbeaten record (and never being knocked down) all factored into the hype and money that went into the actual fight. There was definitely a mystique about Spinks at the time, so to your point, I think plenty of fans would have him doing well in a mythical matchup.

 

Without doubt.

 

I thought Michael was a live underdog vs Mike. I felt at the time he'd give him a really good fight...obviously not one of my better predictions.

 

I rate him the same. Spinks looked terrified against Tyson. He had to be talked into leaving his dressing room. I was talking to a friend of mine who never saw Spinks fight before his bout with Tyson. He was telling me how much Spinks blows. He even tried to tell me Pinklon Thomas and Tyrell Biggs were better since they both lasted five more rounds against Tyson