Who is the single most underrated Heavyweight of all time?

You can always tell when Floyd wants to throw this shot, because he hangs around in the position, like a track runner. Right foot clearly positioned for explosive shots.

Something I saw Miguel Cotto doing that I really like, actually, was watching Floyd's feet, which allowed him to catch him leaning.

Roy kept a perfect base. Very rarely telegraphs shots, beyond his big leaping hooks. I think that kind of fast, sharp punching would be hard for smaller heavyweights to defend.

I'd have loved to see heavyweight Roy vs. heavyweight Holyfield, and vs. Moorer. Two great fights that I think are possibly winnable for Jones, but that would show off some great stuff: How he dealt with Holyfields pressure and combination punching, and how he dealt with Moorer's excellent southpaw boxing behind an ATG jab. I'd love to see fights like that with Roy at heavy.

I do think schooling John Ruiz is an underrated victory. It just wasn't easy to do.

 

I agree. A close win over Tua is worth a good shout, as is the Byrd victory, but he isn't being underrated because he isn't called a great, he hadn't done or shown much yet beyond toughness, power, and potential.

 

Moorer has a hard ****ing jab though. But I do think Roy could actually hurt him back.

 

I think it's a great fight. Risk of a big, sudden knockdown on either side. Jab and base vs. mobility, speed, and unorthodox leads. Really a great contrast in styles. Moorer was no slouch in the speed and reflexes department, either, so I don't think he'd be overwhelmed from bell one like Ruiz seemed to be.

 

Head to head I think Lennox is a nightmare for most champs. Larry Holmes is in my top 5. Larry Gains never got the credit he was due.

 

Yeah, it's a great fight. Considering how his career turned out, I wonder if Roy ever regrets not sticking around at heavyweight. He could absolutely pick cherries and call the shots, everyone would want to fight him, I'd guess.

 

One of Jones' uglier but ultimately extremely effective techniques was jumping off to the right as he jabbed and then coming back in with his right hand. This he did extremely well against southpaws as you can see below.

This content is protected

Jumping off to the right with a jab against an opponent who is not acting the aggressor is actually pretty difficult to do and you don't see it all that often. Muhammad Ali used it against Cleveland Williams and Sonny Liston liked to do it a lot, but it often involves crossing one's feet over to move enough distance to the side to have any effect. Jones' footwork was both explosive and sublime.

 

Where's the film of Ezz Charles at Middleweight you said you have???

 

The man in my avatar for sure.

 

I heard he's 56-0

Sometimes he'd hit you, sometimes he wouldn't

I don't know, he was great

 

Thank you Boxed Ears, uh, I mean dyna..:verysad

 

I couldn't find the picture in my folder...

 

Ezzard Charles and Floyd Patterson, but thankfully thats been corrected somewhat in recent years. Michael Moorer's pretty underrated, quite possibly a HOF'er imo, underrated ability and record. But he's still an afterthought compared to the rest of his era, Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis and Tyson.

 

Sonny Liston.

He'd be in everyone's top 3 if it weren't for the Clay fights- both of which had an odor to them.

 

A bit leftfield but Larry Gains is never mentioned in HW talk