Which Light-Heavyweight Legend...

[Barn]

I like Gene Tunney to have the best results.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

I think, by some distance in fact, Tunney is the best overall answer. In fifteen rounders...

He'd have a pretty even shot at Dempsey.

He'd probably fall at some point to Frazier.

He'd have a pretty even shot at Holyfield.

He'd certainly beat Johansson, I feel.

He'd have outpointed Marciano in a great, great fight.

He'd probably win a tight & disputed decision over Patterson.

[CarlosG815]

I think Roy Jones could beat Evander Holyfield.

No chance he is beating Joe Frazier.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

I think Roy Jones could beat Evander Holyfield.

No chance he is beating Joe Frazier.

I think Jones would ultimately be out-hustled & bullied by Holyfield into a decision loss, but it would take most of the fight for it to reach that point, & Jones would be competitive for most of the bout before unravelling fairly late. On his best night, he'd be a good shout to beat Johansson, though.

Dempsey & Frazier would've been too aggressive & found a way through him, for mine. Jones does not have enough to keep those two off him. He might get the best of Marciano for seven or eight rounds if he's on-song, but I can't see him winning that fight over fifteen. Patterson, I see as a surprisingly terrible match-up for Jones. Patterson's handspeed & strange peek-a-boo approach would throw Jones badly, IMO, & set him up for a KO loss.

[Kid McCoy]

I think, by some distance in fact, Tunney is the best overall answer. In fifteen rounders...

He'd have a pretty even shot at Dempsey.

He'd probably fall at some point to Frazier.

He'd have a pretty even shot at Holyfield.

He'd certainly beat Johansson, I feel.

He'd have outpointed Marciano in a great, great fight.

He'd probably win a tight & disputed decision over Patterson.

I wouldn't be that confident picking Tunney since his heavyweight resume is pretty limited. My picks would be Ezzard Charles or Sam Langford at their absolute best. Charles was teak tough with great skills and power when he used it (pre-Baroudi). Sam also had very underrated boxing ability and is a KO threat to anyone. Both beat enough good heavyweights to tell me they'd be competitive with any of those, though Frazier and Dempsey would be the biggest obstacles imo, perhaps too big even for them.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

True enough, Tunney's HW resume is not far-reaching, & certainly it is Charles with the best body of work of any former LHW titleist.

I'm just working off what I think Tunney could've done, & how I suspect he'd have fared best overall.

[paulsinghnl]

I wouldn't be that confident picking Tunney since his heavyweight resume is pretty limited. My picks would be Ezzard Charles or Sam Langford at their absolute best. Charles was teak tough with great skills and power when he used it (pre-Baroudi). Sam also had very underrated boxing ability and is a KO threat to anyone. Both beat enough good heavyweights to tell me they'd be competitive with any of those, though Frazier and Dempsey would be the biggest obstacles imo, perhaps too big even for them.

i was gonna say Ezzard Charles. i mean who better than the greatest light heavy of all time? dude was bad ass. but i don't see him beating the whole list, such as a Dempsey.

[NChristo]

Imo the best single answer to this would be Michael Spinks, wrote quite a piece to this thread yeserday, not sure what happened to it, I may of been kinda drunk (as I am now :s) and deleted it.

Michael Spinks shown that he was a very versatile boxer that could handle with all kinds of different kinds of styles, one of which was Joe Fraziers style but in the form of Dwight Qawi who had a much better dipping / weaving style/ rhythm and was much more effective then Frazier in different ways he just wasn't as strong as Frazier and didn't have as good a left hook, he topped Frazier in every different way though.

Gene Tunney would have a good chance as well.

[katsidis]

Roy jones, Michael Spinks

[SBleeder]

Archie Moore, had he been a heavyweight anywhere near his prime:


Jack Dempsey (1918-22): I'd pick Dempsey, but would give Moore a good chance

Joe Frazier (1968-71): Same as with Dempsey... I'd pick Frazier, but no reason Moore couldn't knock out Frazier

Evander Holyfield (1989-92): I'd go with Moore in this one for sure

Ingemar Johansson (1957-59): Archie by mid to late round KO

Rocky Marciano (1951-54): Close fight, I'd go with Moore by decision

Floyd Patterson (1957-61): I'd give Patterson a chance, but I'd pick Moore by mid round KO