Where would Tunney be ranked as a heavyweight in the 70s?

I think Foreman would smash him personally.

 

Listing Schultz as a win when most people consider that a robbery I scored it 8-4 Schultz is not a great argument there.

Qawi was a 5'6 former Light Heavyweight who was overweight and past his best.

Cooney was coming off a 3 year lay off and was 8 years past his prime.

Foreman got his face turned into roswell by Stewart.

 

If Peralta a former Light Heavyweight for most of his career made the top 10 then I don't see why Tunney wouldn't.

Peralta was 6'0 just like Tunney was and their reach was almost identical.

 

6'0 former Light Heavyweight Peralta went 20 combined rounds with Foreman who was pretty much equal to Tunney in height and reach not to mention Peralta weighed under 200 pounds in both fights with Foreman.

Tunney was also a far greater Light Heavyweight than Peralta was.

So yes stylistically I think Tunney would give Foreman a run for his money.

 

Feel free to substitute him for Briggs then.

 

Extremely competitive but Ali and Frazier early in the decade and Holmes late in the decade are a bridge too far. Foreman should be but I can see Tunney getting inside young George’s head like Ali did. I think he takes Norton, Quarry, Lyle, etc.

 

unrated

 

My thoughts as well, I think Tunney out points Quarry , Shavers and maybe Lyle. Mid top 10 probably 5-7. He'd give anyone trouble with his skills

 

And none were boxers ... it's styles.

 

Gene would have done well but I can't see him beating Ali,Foreman,Norton,Frazier and Holmes.

 

It's fine to disagree. Forget Ali, he really couldn't do much with Young .. He did not fight and defeat one boxer in his second career .. I happen to think Tunney was for real, had the skill and was a bad match up. Not saying George would not be dangerous early or that the ring size and ref wouldn't matter but style wise Foreman had huge holes ..

 

Jimmy Young fight was n't the most accurate gauge of Ali's seventies best. The Muhammad of 1972-74,providing he was in top shape,would have beaten Young more convincingly than he did in '76.

 

I think Tunney would do well, but I don’t see him being a dominant heavyweight in the 70s. That era was ridiculously deep with Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Norton, Lyle, Shavers, Quarry, and Holmes coming up. There were no easy nights.

Tunney was a brilliant boxer for his time. Great footwork, smart defense, and he fought with discipline and a real understanding of timing and distance. But he was around 190 pounds in his prime, and even if you give him modern training and nutrition, he’d probably still only be around 205 or so. Against the big, powerful heavyweights of the 70s, that’s a tough ask.

I think his style could give certain guys trouble. Someone like Lyle or Shavers might struggle to track him down, and he could probably outbox Norton or Quarry. But against Foreman or a prime Frazier, the physicality and pressure would be hard for him to handle. Against Ali, I think he could hang in there and make it competitive, but I’d still favor Ali to win on points.

So for me, he’s probably a Top 10 heavyweight of that decade, maybe Top 5 if the matchups go right. Definitely not a “Gene who?” situation, but I don’t think he’s ruling the division either.

 

This was about a Formn - Tunney match up , not Ali