I find it ironic that there have been a significant number of WBA heavyweight "champions" who have been a huge underdog and virtually overmatched vs. the challenger to the title....

Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson was a brutal mismatch

Ruiz vs. Toney, f#@% the haters, this is a mismatch as well

Ruiz vs. Jones, Roy won every minute of every round

Bonecrusher vs. Mike Tyson, ouch what a lousy fight


does anybody know of any others that come to mind?

Riddick Bowe v michael dokes + jesse fergerson.
I'm a Bowe fan but these were bad mismatches.

Page vs Coetzee

Ruiz-Toney doesn't fall into the same category as the others, and that's not hatin'...it's just the truth. Toney looked like he might lose as the first half of the fight was dead even. Then Toney pulled away slowly as an out-of-shape Ruiz faded quickly at the end.

Toney is a good fighter but he needs to come in shape next time.

Ruiz-Toney doesn't fall into the same category as the others, and that's not hatin'...it's just the truth. Toney looked like he might lose as the first half of the fight was dead even. Then Toney pulled away slowly as an out-of-shape Ruiz faded quickly at the end.

Toney is a good fighter but he needs to come in shape next time.
why should he be in better shape? He won 8 outta 12 rounds, shoot he might as well be chubby, physique doesn't win fights, perfect counter-punching does...leave it up to a Jones fan to criticize a fighter's physique, not everyone can have bulging muscles in every area of their body, even Roy said himself that James shoulda gone up to heavyweight a decade ago

plus, a belly doesn't mean your outta shape, it just means you got a belly, nobody's calling Warren Sapp out-of-shape, he's jsut a big dude

Another Ruiz hater. Ruiz was ROBBED! He won 10 out of 12 rds.

why should he be in better shape? He won 8 outta 12 rounds, shoot he might as well be chubby, physique doesn't win fights, perfect counter-punching does...leave it up to a Jones fan to criticize a fighter's physique, not everyone can have bulging muscles in every area of their body, even Roy said himself that James shoulda gone up to heavyweight a decade ago

plus, a belly doesn't mean your outta shape, it just means you got a belly, nobody's calling Warren Sapp out-of-shape, he's jsut a big dude

You seriously need to calm down. Don't hate on me, we've agreed plenty in the past but you are just plain wrong here. You think Toney won 8 rounds, and that's fine, but that doesn't equate to domination. Toney was OBVIOUSLY not in the greatest shape. He was less active and fatter than usual. He looked better and stronger and more fit vs Holyfield and Booker even. He needs to be in that kind of shape to continue to have success in the heavyweight division. Jones can say whatever he wants about Toney fighting at heavyweight, that's his opinion. Toney added on muscle to become a bigger heavyweight, so no, he is not a natural heavyweight. If he ran, dieted, and trained like most people he would stay at cruiserweight.

I'm a FAN of Toney and was glad he won, but don't sit here and tell me he owned Ruiz or it was a total mismatch. He didn't KO him or even knock him down for real. He only began to outbox him after 6 or 7 rounds.

Toney only had 4.5 weeks to get ready, and that's a fair reason to not be in the best shape. It's legit in my eyes so I expect him to be in better shape when he fights a guy like Byrd or Klitschko.

Toney is in horrible shape and it's not genetic. The guy has an eating problem and everything in boxing knows it. If he had even a little bit of self control he'd be down at 210-215.

all the skinny boyz, hatin' on fat guys who kick a$$, sad stuff, I was taught 2 never judge a book by its cover, but hey my wife watches Roy and Oscar fights because she thinks they're gorgeous, so I guess I can't blame you guys for doin the same thing....

Toney just won his 4th title belt, closed the show with a vengeance, did everything he had to do, and you guys are commenting on his belly, cryin' shame man

No one is hatin' or talkin' trash but you, and that is all we are responding to. Save your little homo-erotic claims for middle school.

what about mike tyson versus trevor berbick or michael spinks

Page vs Coetzee ?

Are you serious ?

Coetzee had knocked out Dokes in a major upset....& Page had lost to David Bey.
Coetzee was favored to beat Page, actually.

George Foreman vs. Jose Roman
Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tubbs and Carl Williams

George Foreman vs. Jose Roman
Mike Tyson vs. Tony Tubbs and Carl Williams
i was referring to when the CHAMPION is the big underdog....

I saw FOREMAN-JOSE ROMAN on tape. It ended in KO a few minutes after the start of the bell in Round One. It was the worst, the most miserable mismatch I have ever seen in HW boxing!!! :eek:

all the skinny boyz, hatin' on fat guys who kick a$$, sad stuff, I was taught 2 never judge a book by its cover, but hey my wife watches Roy and Oscar fights because she thinks they're gorgeous, so I guess I can't blame you guys for doin the same thing....

Don't hate on fit guys because you're a fattie. Look at Ruiz, he's ripped and also can kick ass.

I think one should adjust rematch to bad match. The WBA have produced an array of terrible heavyweight fights over the years. I remember one of the worst being Tubbs Vs Witherspoon, two fat guys fighting should hve been the tag line!

Maybe, but it was said that Gerrie didn't want no part of Greg,due to styles.

I find it ironic that there have been a significant number of WBA heavyweight "champions" who have been a huge underdog and virtually overmatched vs. the challenger to the title....

Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson was a brutal mismatch

Ruiz vs. Toney, f#@% the haters, this is a mismatch as well

Ruiz vs. Jones, Roy won every minute of every round

Bonecrusher vs. Mike Tyson, ouch what a lousy fight


does anybody know of any others that come to mind?

The problem with some of the mismatches you here refer to the champion is the overmatched person. In those cases you cannot blame the WBA for taking the strongest challenger there is. It is in those cases just unfortunate that the champ is so weak you cannot just strip the champ of the belt just because the challenger is much better.