worst heavyweight champion of the last 50 years?

There have been a few bad ones in the past 50 years. Some feel the divsion is weak today, buts its really not. It just lacks somone as good as the Klitschko's. For my money Povetkin, Pulev, Haye, and Adamek all would defeat the likes of Bentt, Seldon, and Leon Spinks.

 

many people use that argument or observation or whatever as a mean to stop criticism

every single fighter on this planet has achieved more in boxing than I have

I've never had an amateur fight, I think I can criticize a fighter nevertheless

with that said, I agree that we should show some respect, but threads like these are created for that purpose of bringing down a fighter

 

CS - thank you for taking time to reply to me :good

Line by line:

That is true, but I personally didn't use the line to stop criticism; just disrespect of brave men.

Fair enough.

We are all entitled to comment/criticise, but in a way, the fact that you've never box does somewhat prove my point; once you've been in the ring, taken punches and dealt with all that comes with boxing competitively, you are less inclined to disrespect any boxer's efforts.

Exactly - it is utterly disrespectful to "bring down" a champion (no less) by creating a thread like this.

Cheers:good

 

Then the same thing should apply to politicians.

None of us have ever ran a country so we should not speak disrespectful of those who do.

We have no business trying to trash Stalin, Hitler, Obama, Pol Pot, Castro or any other leader. Right?

 

L. Spinks ... not on talent but inexperience and ultimately wasted talent ...

 

If this discussion includes all beltholders, it's John Ruiz, hands down.

Why? Because he gained his belt through completely fraudulent means, through cheating rather than ability. From the moment he was picked off the scrap heap by Don KIng after getting destroyed by Tua, his "career" was a total fraud. His connections with Don King got him title shots he didn't deserve, and "victories" he shouldn't have "won."

Once Ruiz discovered his mediocre boxing abilities wouldn't be competitive with top level fighters, he then resorted to blatantly and repeatedly violating the rules against excessive holding. And his connections with King allowed him to get away with it!

Not only this, but Ruiz's overacted when hit with borderline body shots to force bogus, and decisive, "low blow" calls in at least three fights (Thunder, Holyfield II, Johnson).

Ruiz also regularly ripped off the fans of seeing the boxing matches they PAID to see with his illegal and disgraceful tactics, and he cheated his opponents of their opportunity to win WITHIN the rules!!

John Ruiz is a disgrace to the sport of boxing. Exhibit A of the corruption that is ruining this sport. A glorified clubfighter who wouldn't have sniffed a title without Don King

 

not even close

 

Ah, but BillB, that's the point, I wasn't talking about politicians...and I don't necessarily think it's a valid comparison either...but I'm sure you know that:good, after all, what politicians do does impact on our daily lives.

Anyway, I'm sure an astute poster like yourself knows the point I was trying to make.

"We have no business trying to trash Stalin, Hitler, Obama, Pol Pot, Castro or any other leader. Right?" Wrong, imo!!! I think you are taking things to extremes here:good

 

Valuev. By far.

 

Sonny Liston is like the Vitali of the past.

Nobody wants him as champ.
Both quit against a bloated up LHW (Cassius his gold medal was LHW) because their shoulders hurt.
Both are cheaters. (Roids for Quitali, and blinding Ali by Liston)
And both quit against the best man they ever faced.
:deal



(This post is made for humerous intentions)

 

Botha, Tate, Valuez were never hwt champion. Lean Spinks, Rahman or Briggs were the worst hwt champions we have had in the last 50 years.

 

Mission accomplished :good

 

Patterson was the youngest champ at his time, and he still is technically the youngest universal heavyweight champion, he beat lots of opponents had incredible hand speed and was the first heavyweight champ to regain the title, he made marciano take early retirement because marciano never wanted to fight him because he was past prime. Patterson set alot of first and people tend to underrate him because they only usually know Patterson as the guy who Liston ate alive and ali played with. But I can't think of any swarmer boxer who would beat Liston because I can't think of many people who can take a liston punch and not go down. and you have to remember floyd was a small guy fighting above his weight class, he was really a light heavy.

Further patterson was one of the few fighters that even having lost the title was still a contender for years down the road, ended up fighting ali twice, liston twice, I believe ellis all for title bouts. With the exception of ali, holyfield and foreman, I can't think of anyone else who had lingered around for as long as he did

 

Among the lineals, I would have to say Leon Spinks is a clear cut choice.

With all the others you can point to some major win, outside of the obligatory fight where they won the lineal title.

 

I've never seen how being the youngest HW champion adds to anyone's greatness. So what?

I've never understood how being the first to regain the title means a lot.
How did he lose it to begin with?
He lost it by being knocked down 7 times in one round by a mediocre boxer who isn't on anyone's top ten list.

Marciano certainly did not retire because of Patterson. Patterson wasn't even on the radar when Marciano retired.
He came out of nowhere to win a tournament to replace Marciano.
Cus D'Amato said that if Marciano had not retired it would have been at least two years before he would have tried to match him with Patterson.
If Marciano had fought Patterson anytime in the 1950s, he would have given him a worse beating than Liston gave him.

Patterson ducked the competition while he was champion. In six years being champion he fought top ranked contenders only three times, losing two of those fights.

He was knocked down 20 times as champion, in his 8 fights.
There's you another record Patterson set.

He was knocked out as champion twice. That's another record.

The fights he had after losing the championship have nothing to do with his behavior as champion. Even so I don't see how losing twice to Ali, twice to Liston and once to Ellis and Quarry is anything to brag about.