Worst HW title challangers ever?

Akinwande clonked Lewis on the top of the head with a forearm (from a straight right thrown too high), Lewis was in the middle of ducking down at the time and his right glove dusted the canvas as he was coming up under with a punch.

I wasn't even ruled a slip, the fight just carried on and neither the ref, corners, or even Lewis and Akinwande themselves reacted or protested.

One of the judges noticed it though, and accredited it as an Akinwande knockdown on his scorecard. I remember Lederman was hollering about it as well.

Of course, if it was official, that would mean Lewis has come back from a knockdown to win a fight. But that would be a very inconvenient truth to certain critics, so best just to let it lie


I still say Damon Reed. Or Willie Fischer. Spot the connection.

 

I have trouble counting those as championship fights.

From 1989 until Lewis retired in 2004 the WBO heavyweight title has ZERO credibility, it seemed to shun world class fighters from its rankings.

May as well include the Bugner-Bonecrusher thing around 1999 as a title fight, some mickey mouse organization sanctioned it as world title anyway.

 

marvis frazier?

 

Brian London, Dave Zyglewicz and Lorenzo Zanon.

Scartissue

 

Timothy Tomasheck..............................

 

I don't think so. He was the 1979 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion, and the 1980 National AAU Heavyweight Champion. Marvis had an amateur record of 52-1 when he lost on a fluke punch to the late James "Broad Ass" Broad on a feeling out jab Broad pawed in the opening seconds of their 1980 Olympic trials semifinal bout, one that pinched a nerve in Frazier's neck, temporarily paralyzing him.

But as a professional, he became the first to stop 21-1 Steve Zouski in only his fourth outing, then avenged his fluke defeat against a well-conditioned (for the last time in his pro career) 6'4" and 228 pounds of 12-0 Broad Axe, hurting the big man early, and outjabbing the longer armed superheavyweight from long range, to win a clear cut unanimous decision. Joe Bugner was barely 33 years old, and had decision wins over Anders Eklund, Greg Page and Quick Tillis in his future. Despite Bugner's size and 67 bouts of experience, Marvis scored a ten round shutout on one scorecard. He had proved he could play with the superheavyweights.

After the loss to a declining but still prime Holmes, he decisoned the 6'5" 217 pound Jose Ribalta, and Tillis (recovering from a second round standing eight count against the Oklahoma Cowboy), then got up from a fifth round knockdown with a broken jaw to earn a ten round unanimous decision over 6'4", 234 pound Bonecrusher Smith. In Smith's next bout, he would stop Mike Weaver in a round, then decision Jesse Ferguson and David Bey, take Tim Witherspoon's WBA Heavyweight Title in a single round upset, then become the first to take Tyson the 12 round distance in a notorious non-effort. In the light of Bonecrusher's subsequent achievements, Marvis posted a very credible win over him, setting up his ill fated encounter with a peaking Iron Mike.

Marvis did not end his career with the Tyson ambush, like Mike Spinks did, but went out a winner, first retiring Tom Fischer in two rounds by dropping him a couple of times with bodyshots. Finally, he closed out his record by decisioning 32-2-2 Phillipp Brown over ten rounds, sending the once promising Brown into a career ending ten match losing streak.

While Marvis Frazier was in over his head against two of the most formidable heavyweights in history at their very best, so too was Floyd Patterson against Liston, Bob Foster against Frazier, and Smoke himself against Foreman. But Marvis also proved he could more than hold his own against much larger superheavyweights, like Broad, Ribalta, Bugner and Smith. In another era, or against a different defending champion in his own time (perhaps one of the WBA cheese champions), he may well have won a share of the heavyweight title.

Smokin' Joe's boy may not have been a competitive challenger for Holmes, but he was certainly not the worst ever produced by the division.

At the time Marvis finished up by dispatching Brown, I truly believed he could gain a measure of revenge for his old man by outboxing Foreman. Marvis was that good against much taller and heavier opposition, and the lumbering slowpoke that George had become seemed tailor made for the younger Frazier.

 

Great post, Duo.

I think I remember Joe hugging his kid on the ring apron seconds after the Holmes fight.

Eh... Sad.

 

Without Question Guys,,,,,Alfredo The Tomato Evangelista!

 

Bruce Seldon, for his cowardly falling from the breeze of punches that Mike Tyson threw, basically meaning that he quit and was as bad, if not worse than the worst of Joe Louis' "Bum of the Month Club".

 

Look at vitalis defences

 

Dangerous Duane Bobick.

 

If we're actually looking at true fighting ability, I'd say Coopman. There's a story about Jean Pierre in Hauser's Ali biography that an overweight and out of shape ex-middleweight who had been retired for some years was brought in to spar with him just to gauge his ability and everyone was shocked when he started slapping Coopman silly. The retired fighter was shocked himself and kind of embarrassed for Jean Pierre.

Can't go Richard Dunn because he gave a strong Knoetzee a good fight and beat Tiger Williams, but Lord did he look like a tippling drunk when he fought Ali.

 

Puedo usar una cabra para suprimir mi tendencia natural a la insulina con sabor a manzana monje, que está en peligro de extinción.

 

Yes. Tommy Morrison's WBO Title was on the line.

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No puedes mi amigo. Lol.