Which Heavyweight Champion benefited most from weak competition?

Since Tunney was on his keester for 14 seconds DURING the 7th round of their second fight - LOL

 

I came across this yesterday. It should add a little fuel to the Johnson title reign issue. Although not complaining, Tommy thought he could have still beaten Johnson and he wanted a rematch. It is often forgotten that Johnson never actually knocked Tommy out and Burns never quit. I dont think tommy had any chance of coming back, but you never know, and i think he may have deserved a rematch also, certainly considering who was actually selected for a title fight. I can see Mendoza and McVey going at each other again over this issue.

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The only thing Burns wanted was a nother big pay-check. He knew himself he would lose.

 

I agree with Johnson. His comp was weak and with his clowning in the ring grates on my nerves. With his physical advantages he gets knocked down by Tommy Burns?

All the footage I have seen of Johnson I just see a massive man with a bit of speed and bad balance. Seemed to clinch a lot - is the footage I have seen misleading?

 

lennox lewis the heavyweights at lewis peak late 90s early 2000s were either faded holyfield washed up tyson bowe or vastly overated tua grant etc

 

Well I don't consider Ali the best heavyweight ever - but I think he benefitted from weak competition in that all the names were a good foil for his claims to being the greatest - admittedly the names on his record suggest great depth but when you actually look at it properly it gets a bit sketchy for me - some beat him (Frazier, Norton, Spinks) some should've had the decisions (Norton in another fight, Young, Shavers) the rest were either old has-beens, coming in with injuries, or far too green. The guys Lennox Lewis defended against for instance were actually feared and were considered a threat insofar as you couldn't say for sure who was going to win - against Tua, Tyson, Klit etc I had my doubts - whereas probably most expected Ali to breeze it against all but a couple of his opponents

 

Tommy Burns

 

Burns told Hugh Mcintosh he didnt think he could beat Johnson ,this was before their fight.
Johnson could be included here, because his challengers were pretty weak.

 

See, I knew monkeys could type.

 

Very few expected him to breeze by Liston or beat Foreman. Terrell was also given a good chance by many and when you watch his other fights you see why. Patterson actually had his best period around the time Ali met him the first time. Folley was 33 or 34, but came off the best streak in his career. Chuvalo was certainly in his prime and a contender for a long time. Much the same can be said for Mildenberger.

Frazier, Lyle, Shavers, Young and Norton were all very capable opposition. If you believe Ali should have lost some of those defenses, fine; but that would fall under the category of "benefitting from bad decisions" rather than benefitting from bad opposition.

 

Patterson came in the first fight with a back injury, Mildenberger build his reputation on his loss to Ali.

 

You win! ****** :good

 

There is an issue of "benefited from weak competition" vs "ensured weak competition" here.

John L Sullivan benefited from weak competition because there was nobody in his prime who could give him a competitive fight.

Tommy Burns ensured weak competition by avoiding any dangerous challengers untill he was ready to cash out.

 

People are fogetting, Lewis actually had two reigns as undisputed Champion.

First Reign: Grant, Botha, Tua, and a loss to considerable underdog Rahman.

Second Reign: Tyson and Vitali.


And people are criticizing Ali?

 

Peter Jackson?