Which heavyweight champion hurt his legacy the most by retiring in his prime or near

Interesting topic.

I'll go with Tunney. I think he defeats Risko, Sharkey. Tough call with Schmeling I would make Tunney 60-40 favorite. He would outbox Baer and Braddock.

Tunney I think could of had a very dominant reign at HW he was peaking right when he called it quits and there was no great challenger on the horizon until Louis. (Although Schmeling was very good)

I'm not sure Jeffries would ever face a black contender as champion. His legacy would improve had he fought Hart and dominated him on good quality film footage. But not the same level of improvement Tunney would have made had he continued fighting

 

Anubis & The Long Count

Where I differ with your takes is that I see Tunney going back pretty far as he goes through his thirties. Braddock has been mentioned. Tunney would be 38 in 1935.

Plus being a millionaire himself and married to a heiress. Hard to imagine him staying hungry. Even putting that aside and assuming he keeps focus,

Loughran is probably a pretty good comp to what would happen to Tunney. He began losing quite often as he moved through his thirties.

And I just don't see the huge gap between Schmeling and Tunney that you fellows do which would allow Tunney to be better through the years while being eight years older and past his physical prime.

 

I guess that if he had beaten Hart then retired, you would be able to argue that he beat the guy who beat Johnson.

We might be able to back him more strongly in fantasy fights against larger opponents, if he had put away Sandy Ferguson in impressive fashion.

 

I think Spinks and Marciano retired at the right time.

Marciano preserved his undefeated status and Spinks was always going to be remembered for the Tyson blowout. It was smart for him to cut and run after that huge payday.