Who were the top 10 heavies during the 80`s

Though I agree with No Neck that without Spinks this list is deficient, it's still interesting to say the least.

I must say, I don't think prime Tyson would have even beat the Holmes who beat Tex Cobb. Watch Holmes' command of the right during that fight, his still appreciable power in the right...Mike never had a chin like Tex Cobb, and Buster Douglass was never the level of even THAT Holmes imo. Cobb was no Tyson, sure....but the game isn't entirely different with Mike. Far from it. Mike would have done his one-trick pony thing, been outmaneuvered and jabbed to frustration, started slowing down, and been stopped in 13 at the latest.

It was only after the Cobb fight that Holmes began to decline. The Holmes that fought Witherspoon would have been stopped by prime Iron Mike.

 

The Holmes wins are just really important to me. Cooney was better than remembered.

 

He accomplished more than Thomas did. Thomas was on a good strong, and once defeated never recovered and never came back. Witherspoon had significant wins between many of his early losses. Michael Spinks, if that's the Spinks you're referring to, in my opinion cannot be on tier with Thomas; he had an extremely short heavyweight career that was not particularly fulfilling. Two wins (one quite tough and close) over an old Larry Holmes and one over old Gerry Cooney. Impressive wins for a guy who was a bit smaller than those he was facing, yes, but other than that, Spinks was a non-entity at heavyweight.

 

Thomas was pretty much “the man” for about a year and also beat Witherspoon.

Spinks was lineal.

Witherspoon didn’t reach those highs.

 

Titles man, not necessarily actual accomplishments. I don't give a damn about which title/ titles are the most legitimate. It's more important that a guy's fighting and beating the top contenders, something Witherspoon was always doing.

 

I’m not talking about titles. Michael and Thomas made it higher up the ladder than Witherspoon.

 

Not only 'fallacious' but 'fellatious', Rules, mate. It sucked.

Poor form from OP. I had a bit of a dig at the asinine nature of his many threads - all of which seemed to revolve around who hit harder or were digs at Mike Tyson - and it was @JohnThomas1 who stuck up for him, telling me to let him bed in. Bet he wishes he'd been a bit less charitable now. I realised the OP was new but you can't polish a turd. He was never going to bring much to the party. And the name-calling on top of the usual crap post has borne me out.

 

I did? Trying to find the thread. I actually liked your post in the Tyson thread about the poster hopefully disappearing. Hard to argue with your points tho

 

You did, ya big softie. The feisty man of 5-10 years ago is but a distant memory.

 

I bet he'd only been here about 15 days!!!! Gotta give 'em 20 or so man!!!!!

But yes looks like you picked "it" early

 

Some good names on there, John.
I tell you something, if those names were all around now, then AJ, Wilder and Fury all have it a lot tougher!

 

Surprised no one mentioned Bruno. 3 losses in the 80s to Smith, Spoon, Tyson. Destroyed everything else in his way

 

Trouble is he didn't beat anyone of note.

 

I didn’t include Spinks on the list because he beat a total of three heavyweights. I totally respect Michael and feel that the work he did against Holmes the first time around was pretty amazing. But I don’t think he did enough to earn a top ten spot.

As far as Tills, who’d he beat? Domingo D’Elia and an old Earnie Shavers. Had some losses where he put up good efforts. There are several months where I would argue like hell that he was a top ten contender. But for the entire decade? Nope.