Who is the single most underrated Heavyweight of all time?

Tony Tubbs

One of the slickest & most fundementally sound Heavyweights of all time. Had crazy handspeed & reflexes for a man his size.

He was like a big, giant Jersey Joe Walcott with an 80 in. reach... to go along with an apparent eating disorder as well as a coke habit.

Tony Tubbs on his best day and in shape (under 235lbs) i would favor to beat approximately 90% of Heavyweights from 90's-present. And would school the living **** out of every single Heavyweight today outside of MAYBE Wlad.

 

Tommy Morrison was my first choice, criminally underrated by most. His chin and stamina aren't even as bad as most make it out to be.

Tony Galento, Ray Mercer and of course Kennie Norton who NEVER gets favoured over any puncher.

 

What about Williams, Ruddock and Foreman?

Morrison beat some quality opponents and would take out ALOT of heavyweight champs of the past IMO. More people underrating him. Also the Joe Hipp bout showed he had incredible heart and determination taking him out despite a broken jaw and hand in the 9th...also goes to show his stamina wasn't as bad as most make it out.

 

Nightmare style for come-forward sluggers with a limited gas tank. He showed a lot of heart and balls in the Foreman bout, despite nearly hopping out the ring in the Ali bout. A bit of an enigma.

 

Coming across the Chuvalo thread I'd say he's another contender.

Diamond chin, good stamina, awesome heart, very game and a pretty hard puncher with decent skills. Be hell for a lot of guys.

 

Tim Witherspoon

 

I vote for Riddick Bowe.

His very best performances on film showed he was a fighter who had absolutely everything.

Head to head it is quite possible that he was capable of beating every single fighter that ever lived (on his very best night and possibly with them below their best). He is one of only a handful of world class modern super heavyweights. He has wins over all time great (often top 10) Evander Holyfield in a series.

Yet he rarely makes most top 10s much less top 20.

 

Just to throw a couple of names out there:

Bob Fitzsimmons, if a 190lb heavyweight had beaten the guys he did the way he did, we would be seeing him on a lot of top 20 lists.

Luther McCarty, probably showed more potential in his breif career than Ike Ibeabuchi. He literaly only needed more years.

Harry Greb, see the Bob Fitzsimmons comment.

Tommy Loughran, see the Bob Fitzsimmons comment.

Elmer Ray, like Walcott he did not get the opportunities he needed untill late in his career, but unlike Walcott his style was not suited to longevity.

Clarence Henry, a lot of people thought that he was going to be the next big thing and he might have been a lot more ic circumstances had panned out differently.

Ray Mercer, took both Lewis and Holyfield to the brink of disaster, who knows in another era.

 

What I like about Morisson is that he could box and run if he really wanted to (Foreman), but he chose to give exciting performances even if it did cost him the head sometimes.

 

But John Ruiz should get the award.

People even favour Dempsey on the classic forum over him, that says it all.

 

Sonny Liston .

When people talk about him , all they remember him for is his brute strength .

Theres a whole lot more to Sonny Liston then just power .

 

John Sullivan and Jack Sharkey.

 

Oscar Bonavena.

He came really close to changing history in the Frazier fights.

What is if Ali had not caught him with that big left hook in the 15th round.

 

I surely didnt just see liston mentioned?

 

too many people listing fighters who are well noted and considered great even, therefore STILL neglecting forgotten and underated fighters.