What is the best run a guy's been on while looking the most vulnerable?

Marciano. Jermain Taylor

 

I think Larry Holmes has to rank up there.

Editing as I've gotten a chance to elaborate.

Holmes won the WBC title in 78 and lost to Spinks for the first time in 85, so I'll consider that his legendary run. In those years he -

Won said title in 78 by SD over Norton
A Whisker away from losing the title in 79 to Shavers
Knocked down by snipes in 81
SD Witherspoon in 83

Legendary run but cut it close a few times. However I've almost out thought myself by saying if he ONLY had four close calls in seven (or so) active years as a champion, and against largely quality opposition, then maybe he really wasn't doing that bad...hmmm. Look at me thinking and stuff.

 

I remember Jorge Maramero Paez in the early 90's looking like he was so vulnerable with his fighting style but he kept plugging away and making defense after defense.... always thought that someone was going to beat him and not let his fooling around tactics distract them .... took a while for that to happen

 

I love overachievers who continue to look vulnerable. Easier to root for them.

 

Gatti while still a champ

Ali in second reign

Waldo, always one good shot away.

 

I agree with the first two but with the exception of his last fight it had been nine years since he lost, and eight since he got dropped by Peter's clubbing shots ( I will say they are legit). I also for years thought he was vulnerable, but until last week it had been at least five years since I really thought Wlad would get KO'ed. I can see your point though, knowing his past (way past now) it's easy to see why you would feel this way and in that regard I don't totally disagree.

 

Although he occasionally looked spectacular, as against Kalambay and Roldan, Michael Nunn often looked vulnerable even as he was steadily inching up the pound for pound rankings.

The same goes for Terry Norris.

After Hector Camacho got busted up by Rosario, he got blamed for tepid performances and spotty results, but he still notched wins against Boza, Roach, Baltazar etc before he lost to Haugen.

But, Victor Galindez has to be the king of the last minute, photofinish, by the skin of his teeth title retaining wins with SDs against Burnett, Fourie, his death defying knockout of Kates, Lopez (twice), and Mustapha Muhammad.

 

Good posting. Along with your observations Larry's decline while still champion was highlighted against Carl Williams also. He had really slown down by then and changed his style to try and compensate but losing to Spinks in his next fight wasn't a suprise if you had seen that fight. Against Bey before the William's go he already looked like a shadow of how good he had been.

 

Would you include Danny Lopez? He had a history of getting knocked down and then roaring back.

 

I was going to include the Carl Williams fight too, but that was purely based on looking at boxrec because I hadn't seen the fight, so I had no idea about the scorecards being correct or not in the fight. Thanks for adding this.

Incidentally I didn't want to start a new thread just for this question - is the Oliver McCall-Larry Holmes fight worth watching. I also saw this was a one round scorecard.

Thanks.