worst heavyweight champion of the last 50 years?

I would say Bruce Seldon. A good puncher but his chin was not good.

 

briggs
spinks
povetkin
valuev

 

CS - it wasn't an argument, just an observation. I just think that boxers, brave men by definition, should be treated with more respect than by the tone of this thread.

I believe that anybody who has boxed would not want their efforts to be dis-respected in this way; mind you, on the other hand, why should it bother them if someone who has never had the gloves on is disrespectful of them?

Don't you agree that any of the names nominated in this thread has, in all likelihood, achieved more in boxing than most users of ESB have?

 

H2H Patterson is surely at the bottom with a few others.
p4p he's high.

I don't even think he could take Valuev h2h, too small and has to get close. (Though it is a very bad stylistic set up for Patterson)
If Patterson would get close Valuev would apply 300 pounds of Yeti on him.
This would tire Patterson very quickly and neither do I think he could take much of his punches. (Liston was very telegraphed and could hit Patterson rather easily)

 

Agreed and I think James Douglas also rates below Patterson as a lineal claimant as well.

 

John Ruiz

End of discussion.

 

Bruce Seldon. His fight against Tyson was shameful...:-(

 

The Quiet Man was a GREAT champion.

Victories over such stellar luminaries as Holyfield, Golota, Rahman, Tucker, Thunder, Oquendo and Johnson. Seven successful title fights! Twice faced the giant Valuev!

 

Briggs

 

My favourite

BRUCE 'SHELDON'

 

In fact he has not hold a title at all.

 

I'm so sick of Patterson being included in this list of miscreants!
I'm 59, yes he was my childhood hero, but he certainly doesn't belong in any
list of these alphabet champs of the last quarter century!
Youngest HW champ, first to regain title.
It was Cus, not him, that did all the 'protecting' during his first reign as champ.
Oh yes, he ducked Folley, he ducked Machen, he ducked Williams...
Can we say 'styles make fights'? Eddie M. could bob, move, and counter Sonny; their fight saw Machen fighting to last, not fighting to take the bout.
IMHO, a late 50's Patterson would have copped the same decision he did in July 64, tho perhaps not as one-sidedly.
Folley? Cooper banged with him in '59 and, despite what I've heard from some, this was hardly a robbery.
Big Cat? I love Williams but so much has been tossed in his favor due to the YouTube bouts with Liston. If anyone sees Williams walking right thru Floyd then let's start another thread.
Can anyone name another fighter that, after losing their title, may well have been a better fighter afterwards?
It was, quite simply, Floyd's inner demons that did him in, not his opponents.
You never saw him on the floor face down with the ref counting 8-9-10 you're out!
And finally, as I've said before, you simply cannot objectively compare fighters from different eras! A 2000 Patterson would have been a more bulky 200-205 pounder with the same speed and more power. In comparison, the Klit bros. in 1950 would have been 215-220-ish and a bit more lean.
Keep the thread going but stop with the Patterson trashing nonsense!
A great fighter, a more than capable HW champ in his era, and a decent, humble man in a brutal sport and, with all the crap surrounding professional athletes nowadays, a model of what pro athletes should emulate.

 

Sounds like a documentary with Donald Sutherland doing the naration.

Oh yes, and who could forget ole Jimmy Thunder from down undah!

Very good King Seamus!

The quiet man fought faded versions of most of those guys. He was wickedly painful to watch and get any type of meaningful heavyweight boxing enjoyment.

I honestly laughed till I cried sometimes when I watched this guy because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Maybe that's the blind enjoyment the boxing part of my brain couldn't absorb with Ruiz, who knows.

 

Ali beat him twice

He couldn't beat him even when he had the man blind

Second time his glass heart was broken

Get over it man

 

Francois Botha had a belt for a bit and although he was gutsy and always had a dip he'd have to be the least talented fighter (Valuev excepted) to ever hold a belt.

I wouldn't favour Botha against any of the guys listed (then again he was robbed in his draw with Shannon Briggs but even so I still couldn't make Botha a favourite).

He couldn't even throw a punch properly for ****s sake.