Just How Great Was Bob Foster?

[IronDanHamza]

Honestly, I find him too be over rated.

He was an extremely talented boxer and he'd be even with any LHW greats but I find his resume somewhat lacking any significant names, if I were to make a list I'd probably have him in the latter half of the top 10 or just outside it

Ezzard Charles
Archie Moore
Harry Greb
Sam Langford
Maxie Rosenbloom
Michael Spinks
Billy Conn
Gene Tunney
Tommy Loughran

All could rate above him imo.

Although, maybe I don't know enough about his career ?, Tiger (Biggest height disparity for a title fight until Haye - Valuev, bit of trivia), Rondon and Finnegan are all good wins but imo the others have better, can't see him in the top 5 as I see so many people that do rate him there. Depends on your criteria I guess.

What about Harold Johnson?

I agree he's a tad overrated. Mainly due to his incredible H2H ability.

People who would beat most in their weight class H2H get overrated most of the time.

I mean, Bob Foster's reign was good. He has a lot of solid defences against good fighters.

Not like it's a Calzaghe or Calderon type reign or anything like that.

But, it's not all that.

I mean, I can't see how he could be ranked higher than Harold Johnson at LHW.

Let alone Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Micheal Spinks etc etc etc etc etc.

[StarshipTrooper]

The only fighters I'd be comfortable picking to beat Foster at Light-Heavy are Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, and Gene Tunney. Against the likes of Roy Jones, Michael Spinks, or Billy Conn I see as 50/50 matchups. I think Foster beats Maxie Rosenbloom and Tommy Loughran. Joe Calzaghe? Doesn't belong in the same ring as Foster.

Poet

[Kid McCoy]

Foster is harder to rate than many light-heavies. His opposition wasn't as great as say Charles, Moore, or Spinks' (though he did beat some very good fighters, usually in one-sided fashion), yet at the same time I give him a good shot at beating any light-heavy in history.

[Scott9945]

What about Harold Johnson?

I agree he's a tad overrated. Mainly due to his incredible H2H ability.

People who would beat most in their weight class H2H get overrated most of the time.

I mean, Bob Foster's reign was good. He has a lot of solid defences against good fighters.

Not like it's a Calzaghe or Calderon type reign or anything like that.

But, it's not all that.

I mean, I can't see how he could be ranked higher than Harold Johnson at LHW.

Let alone Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Micheal Spinks etc etc etc etc etc.

Good point about the H2H matchups. That is the main trigger point for many debates concerning the Klitschko's all time status.

[BennyST]

I have a top 5 LHW. near impossible to beat at his prime.

In terms of getting leverage on punches, Foster makes Hearns look feather fisted.

He was brutal. But, no one in history could make Hearns look featherfisted. I know you're being extreme and all but Hearns' punch still beats Foster's for me as great a puncher as he was. Not only did he (Hearns) brutalise everyone in his natural weight division (20-30 pounds below Foster) like Foster but he was doing the same thing against very good fighters and champions in Foster's division too, not to mention CW. Now that's power!

Foster wasn't able to translate his power up a division well at all like Hearns did. Obviously, it's more than just power but no one, and I mean no one, makes Hearns look anything less than a monstrous, killer punching machine Foster included. He's one of the only guys in history who had crushing, one punch KO power in every division he's been in. He has produced brutal single punch KOs from WW to CW. Nasty.

[joseph5620]

He was brutal. But, no one in history could make Hearns look featherfisted. I know you're being extreme and all but Hearns' punch still beats Foster's for me as great a puncher as he was. Not only did he (Hearns) brutalise everyone in his natural weight division (20-30 pounds below Foster) like Foster but he was doing the same thing against very good fighters and champions in Foster's division too, not to mention CW. Now that's power!

Foster wasn't able to translate his power up a division well at all like Hearns did. Obviously, it's more than just power but no one, and I mean no one, makes Hearns look anything less than a monstrous, killer punching machine Foster included. He's one of the only guys in history who had crushing, one punch KO power in every division he's been in. He has produced brutal single punch KOs from WW to CW. Nasty.

Excellent post and impossible to argue.

[Perfect Plex]

The only fighters I'd be comfortable picking to beat Foster at Light-Heavy are Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, and Gene Tunney. Against the likes of Roy Jones, Michael Spinks, or Billy Conn I see as 50/50 matchups. I think Foster beats Maxie Rosenbloom and Tommy Loughran. Joe Calzaghe? Doesn't belong in the same ring as Foster.

Poet

WTF A two weight LINEAL champion dosent deserve to be in the ring with Foster yet Andy Kendall, Hal Carroll, Brian Kelly & Pierre Fourie were worthy of being in the ring with him?

Am no big Calzaghe fan, but to say he dosen't deserve to be in the ring with Foster is laughable. He was lineal champ at 175lb and the man who he beat (Hopkins) is still number #1 in the division today.

Come on man saying stuff like this is just pure silly.

[McGoorty]

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BRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrOB FRRRRrrrrrrrrrOSTER was the greatest fighter to ever come out of The Continent Of ANTARCTICA. ..... and Bob Foster (not Brrrrob) totally dominated all comers as champ... can't do more than that,.. he's great, where to rank him is another thing,.... Incidentally, what do ya'll think about that great Antarctican prospect, Kid Penguin ???-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think young penguin is gonna be legendary, if he could just get some bend in those elbows.