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'Rapid fire' could slip and counter-punch with GREAT effectiveness ( Put byrd in any era and he would be effective) The man was a defensive whizz!! One of only a very few SOUTHPAW heavyweight champions...byrd was known as the HW 'no one wanted to face'! Slick as they come...
A smallish heavyweight by modern standards but boy o boy...what a boxer!!
I am a huge byrd fan (the guy only lost to the very best in his prime). He was ranked in the ring mag top five for 5 years (2 of those at #1). A fighter admired by his contemporaries and the boxing purists. He did not run his mouth...lived clean and was a gentleman in & out of the ring.
Byrd also had an iron chin. He could take a good shot and still be standing. His resume is underrated as well, as he fought the following:
Ike Ibeabuchi: Who knocked an over confident Byrd out in five rounds. Ike had the potential to be an ATG though..
Jose Ribalta: Who had fought Mike Tyson, Tim Witherspoon, Bruce Seldon, Donovan Ruddock, Leon Spinks, Tony Tubbs, and Frank Bruno; Byrd stopped him in the fourth round
Vitali Klitschko: Who Byrd won via TKO when Vitali had injured himself and couldn't go on (probably due to straining to reach him,byrd was a defensive wizard) probably the biggest 'win' of Byrd's career when you see how dominant Vitali has been since coming back.
Wladimir Klitschko: Who beat Byrd twice, first fight, twelve round decision, second fight 7th round TKO stoppage
David Tua: (Who was a stone lighter than in his lewis fight) Byrd made tua miss for 12 rounds in an absolute masterclass (tua had previously stopped michael moorer, ruiz, rahman, maskaev etc)
Evander Holyfield: (2 years after the lewis fights, holy had just stopped hasim rahman in an WBA eliminator to fight lewis for a third time!) Byrd easily outpointed him over 12 rounds.
Andrew Golota: Whom Byrd fought to a draw (one of my all time favorite heavyweight fights) He actually hurt golota in this fight too (u gotta watch this fight folks)!
Jameel McCline: Whom Byrd took to a split decision (mcline was 28-3-3 at the time) People forget that mcline was actually a big threat back then! He had dominated (and floored) shannon briggs, beat up big lance whitaker and blew michael grant away in 1 round!
Jimmy Thunder: Thunder was a former gold medallist and IBO champion (byrd stopped him in the 9th round) thunder holds wins over trevor berbick, tony tubbs and tim witherspoon and he also lost a very close SD to john ruiz.
Ross Purrity: A very tough journeyman who had KO'd a young Wladimir Klitschko, Joe Hipp, and fought to a draw with Tommy Morrison; Byrd beat him via ten round decision
Davarryl williamson: Who had just defeated oliver mcall. Byrd won a comfortable UD.
Also throw in mames like hard hitting bert cooper who put both holyfield and michael moorer on the seat of there pants (and had them out on there feet in fact!). Phil jackson (who had only lost to lennox and donovan ruddock at the time) Byrd schooled him! etc etc.
Byrd was the holder of the WBO and IBF World Heavyweight Title belts he made 5 defenses of the latter title.
41 wins-5 losses (most of those coming towards the latter part of his career) I feel he was one of the best American heavyweight of the 2000's, by far.
A smallish heavyweight by modern standards but boy o boy...what a boxer!!
I am a huge byrd fan (the guy only lost to the very best in his prime). He was ranked in the ring mag top five for 5 years (2 of those at #1). A fighter admired by his contemporaries and the boxing purists. He did not run his mouth...lived clean and was a gentleman in & out of the ring.
Byrd also had an iron chin. He could take a good shot and still be standing. His resume is underrated as well, as he fought the following:
Ike Ibeabuchi: Who knocked an over confident Byrd out in five rounds. Ike had the potential to be an ATG though..
Jose Ribalta: Who had fought Mike Tyson, Tim Witherspoon, Bruce Seldon, Donovan Ruddock, Leon Spinks, Tony Tubbs, and Frank Bruno; Byrd stopped him in the fourth round
Vitali Klitschko: Who Byrd won via TKO when Vitali had injured himself and couldn't go on (probably due to straining to reach him,byrd was a defensive wizard) probably the biggest 'win' of Byrd's career when you see how dominant Vitali has been since coming back.
Wladimir Klitschko: Who beat Byrd twice, first fight, twelve round decision, second fight 7th round TKO stoppage
David Tua: (Who was a stone lighter than in his lewis fight) Byrd made tua miss for 12 rounds in an absolute masterclass (tua had previously stopped michael moorer, ruiz, rahman, maskaev etc)
Evander Holyfield: (2 years after the lewis fights, holy had just stopped hasim rahman in an WBA eliminator to fight lewis for a third time!) Byrd easily outpointed him over 12 rounds.
Andrew Golota: Whom Byrd fought to a draw (one of my all time favorite heavyweight fights) He actually hurt golota in this fight too (u gotta watch this fight folks)!
Jameel McCline: Whom Byrd took to a split decision (mcline was 28-3-3 at the time) People forget that mcline was actually a big threat back then! He had dominated (and floored) shannon briggs, beat up big lance whitaker and blew michael grant away in 1 round!
Jimmy Thunder: Thunder was a former gold medallist and IBO champion (byrd stopped him in the 9th round) thunder holds wins over trevor berbick, tony tubbs and tim witherspoon and he also lost a very close SD to john ruiz.
Ross Purrity: A very tough journeyman who had KO'd a young Wladimir Klitschko, Joe Hipp, and fought to a draw with Tommy Morrison; Byrd beat him via ten round decision
Davarryl williamson: Who had just defeated oliver mcall. Byrd won a comfortable UD.
Also throw in mames like hard hitting bert cooper who put both holyfield and michael moorer on the seat of there pants (and had them out on there feet in fact!). Phil jackson (who had only lost to lennox and donovan ruddock at the time) Byrd schooled him! etc etc.
Byrd was the holder of the WBO and IBF World Heavyweight Title belts he made 5 defenses of the latter title.
41 wins-5 losses (most of those coming towards the latter part of his career) I feel he was one of the best American heavyweight of the 2000's, by far.
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