Donovan "Razor" Ruddock: Unluckiest HW contender

[Brassangel]

Originally posted by SABBATH
Ruddock used to be more of a boxer with a great left jab. Check out his fight with Mike Weaver. He was a different fighter than the one that Tyson fought. After the Weaver fight Ruddock split with his trainer George Chuvalo and soon thereafter developed into a one shot power puncher and I never saw that great jab again.

In 1986 Ruddock was brought in to Larry Holmes training camp to help Holmes prepare for his rematch with Michael Spinks. Rudock was brought in because of his excellent jab which was Spinks' anticipated main weapon against Holmes. A press release at that time said Ruddock was fired because Holmes was having too much difficulty dealing with Ruddock's jab.

Here's a decent clip of a Holmes-Ruddock sparring session. Watch how good Ruddock's jab was.

Great info. Tyson was also a different fighter in 1986 than he was in the 90's. Nonetheless, both displayed decent skill, while eventually reverting to a slugfest, with the rematch probably being more entertaining than the first. Ruddock also showed some of that skill in the late rounds of their second meeting where he actually fended Tyson off pretty skillfully, a la Douglas. In return, Tyson showed rare form-of-heart and stamina by strategically taking the end of the fight. I think it was a good display for both men who had watched their best moments and greatest opportunities go by.

Nonetheless, Ruddock was definitely a sharper boxer early on, so I am agreeing wholly with your statement. He definitely would have been a welcome addition to an era of otherwise paltry collapse.

[Brassangel]

This is poor quality, but here's a clip of Ruddock sparring with Holmes. Ruddock looked really good, especially in the 2nd round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPIXnEuqNZA&NR

[jiopsi]

Probably the best non-champion resume there is:

vs former champions

Weaver won
Alexander KO
Broad KO
Smith KO
Dokes KO
Tyson loss
Tyson loss
Page won
Lewis loss
Morrison loss

He was unlucky to ran twice into angry Mike Tyson.

[beez721]

Probably the best non-champion resume there is:

vs former champions

Weaver won
Alexander KO
Broad KO
Smith KO
Dokes KO
Tyson loss
Tyson loss
Page won
Lewis loss
Morrison loss

He was unlucky to ran twice into angry Mike Tyson.

he was extremely powerful with that left hook but he was very one dimensional. he didnt have much of a jab and underused his right hand. weaver,,dokes and page were well past it when ruddock beat them. he was a dangerous guy but not world champion material imo. he was a gerrie cooney type guy

[sonnyboyx2]

His name: Razor Ruddock, A feared HW in the early 90s, 3rd.best behind Holyfield and Tyson, he was supposed to face Tyson late in 89' but the fight was called off, Douglas stepped in and scored the greatest upset in Heavyweight history, Ruddock did fought Tyson in 91' and went 19 hard rounds in 2 fights including a broken jaw, he could automatically wait for his turn to get a title shot yet he participate in an elimination bout and took on Lennox Lewis to show his willingness to take on the best, one could think how some undeserving challengers got a break after like Dokes (whom Razor already KO'd) Ferguson, Phil Jackson (another Ruddock victim) and the likes of Seldon, Hipp and Vaughn Bean (who even had 2 chances), just when an already past his best Ruddock will finally get a chance to fight for the HW belt (WBO title vs Vitali klitschko in 2000) he pulled out and in comes Chris Byrd who made Vitali quit! How unlucky Ruddock is, he would have beaten most of them, like schultz, Bruno and even John Ruiz, He's the best Heavyweight who never got a chance to fight for the title.

This is hilarious

[sonnyboyx2]

Probably the best non-champion resume there is:

vs former champions

Weaver won
Alexander KO
Broad KO
Smith KO
Dokes KO
Tyson loss
Tyson loss
Page won
Lewis loss
Morrison loss

He was unlucky to ran twice into angry Mike Tyson.

Weaver ~ Split-decision over 36yr old
Broad ~ who?
Smith ~ Shot`
Dokes ~ Junkie
Tyson ~ butchered Ruddock
Tyson ~ gave Ruddock terrible beating
Page ~ Shot`
Lewis ~ Ruddock was Damaged Goods
Morrison ~ terrible refereeing

[beez721]

Weaver ~ Split-decision over 36yr old
Broad ~ who?
Smith ~ Shot`
Dokes ~ Junkie
Tyson ~ butchered Ruddock
Tyson ~ gave Ruddock terrible beating
Page ~ Shot`
Lewis ~ Ruddock was Damaged Goods
Morrison ~ terrible refereeing

pretty much the way I see it. he also lost to the mighty david jaco by stoppage early in his career. ruddock was a dangerous guy but he was no match for a good two fisted fighter with a descent chin. he reminded me of gerry cooney so much. everything from the left side

[joseph5620]

he was extremely powerful with that left hook but he was very one dimensional. he didnt have much of a jab and underused his right hand. weaver,,dokes and page were well past it when ruddock beat them. he was a dangerous guy but not world champion material imo. he was a gerrie cooney type guy

Ruddock did abandon his jab at some point during his career and just loaded up with his left. The ironic thing about that is Ruddock got his nickname "razor" from having a razor sharp left jab lol. Here is some footage of Ruddock sparring with Larry Holmes sometime early in Ruddock's pro career. Just watching this shows he was a different type of fighter at that point who used the left jab quite a bit.

[The Old LefHook]

Ruddock seems to be overrated around here for private agendas. He did not have a triple AAA resume. He was a pretty good fighter with a pretty good resume.

[Bipolar Hero]

He had great potential for sure.