Post your Top 5 most Underrated Heavyweights

[Fury4daWIN]

If we're talking underrated rather than just didn't live up to their potential then I'd nominate Chris Byrd: one of the trickiest and most cerebral heavyweights of the modern age and a man who consistently gave much bigger fighters absolute fits. During his heyday he nicked some excellent wins yet never seems to be mentioned or, worse, marginalised over his victories. I'd love to have seen how Chris would have done in the 70s, especially against the likes of Foreman and Lyle. Personally, I think he'd have had a good chance to have beaten both.

[Suckmedry]

Rid**** Bowe without a doubt.

On his best night I believe he's capable of beating any heavyweight in history.

[joe strong]

1. Oliver McCall - On his best night this man would have gave any Heavyweight in History absolute nightmares. Sadly the influence of Don King and mental problems proved to be his downfall.

2. Jimmy Young - Beat Foreman & Lyle, got robbed vs Ali, drew with Earnie Shavers, Lost a close SD to Norton. Even fighting well past his best in the 80s went the distance with the likes of Tubbs, Tucker and Page who were all Top 10 Heavyweights and unbeaten at the time.

3. George Chuvalo - Easily the best chin in boxing I've ever witnessed, I've never seen a man before or since with a beard like his. Gave Ali two tough fights that went the distance (Had Ali pissing blood in hospital while he went dancing with his wife) K.Od Quarry and Yvon Durrell.

4. Tommy Morrison - Alot of people might disagree with me here but the guy is criminally underrated and fought in a tough era of Heavyweight boxing. Beat a lot of top 10 guys, had possibly one of the best left hooks of all time, his chin was his big downfall.

5. Tim Witherspoon - Probably the best boxer on this list head to head, the things this man could have accomplished but wasn't allowed to due to Don King is just sickening, amazing fighter, he had everything to be one of the best HWs of all time but sadly never lived up to it, not due to a lack of skills in the ring but due to politics outside of it.

There's a few honourable mentions I'd put out there too like Patterson, Mercer, Sharkey, Damiani etc.

Who you guys got?

this is a good list. You could add chris byrd, golota & john ruiz... damiani didn't do anything other then win the vacant WBO title when they just decided to make a belt while Tyson owned all 3 world titles. The WBO was not recognized as world title staus until around 2003 or 2004. look at it's history. It was more of a regional belt like the USBA or NABF. Many guys vacated it to get a world title shot.

[joe strong]

If we're talking underrated rather than just didn't live up to their potential then I'd nominate Chris Byrd: one of the trickiest and most cerebral heavyweights of the modern age and a man who consistently gave much bigger fighters absolute fits. During his heyday he nicked some excellent wins yet never seems to be mentioned or, worse, marginalised over his victories. I'd love to have seen how Chris would have done in the 70s, especially against the likes of Foreman and Lyle. Personally, I think he'd have had a good chance to have beaten both.

yeah I had chris byrd too... he beat some good HWs. I also added John Ruiz.

[joe strong]

Lots of good guys mentioned. I been a HW fan since the late 80s so my choices are John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, David Tua , Hasim Rahman.

1) John Ruiz (44-9-1) 2 time WBA Champion
- 12 World Title Fights (5-5-1-1)
- Wins over Jimmy Thunder, Tony Tucker, Evander Holyfield, Kirk Johnson, Hasim Rahman, Fres Oquendo, Andrew Golota & Jameel McCline

2) Chris Byrd (41-5-1) IBF Champion (WBO wasn't recognized as a World Title before 2003-2004)
- 6 World Title Fights (4-1-1)
- Wins over Phil Jackson, Bert Cooper, Jimmy Thunder, Vitali Klitschko,
Maurice Harris, David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Fres Oquendo, Jameel McCline, DaVarryl Williamson & a draw with Andrew Golota

3) David Tua (52-5-2) No World Titles (KO'd 4 former champions)
- 1 World Title Fight (0-1)
- Wins over John Ruiz (19 seconds), Darroll Wilson, David Izon, Oleg Maskaev
, Hasim Rahman, Obed Sullivan, Danell Nicholson, Fres Oquendo, Michael Moorer (30 seconds), Shane Cameron & Friday Ahunanya.

4) Hasim Rahman (50-9-2) 1 IBF Title & 2 Time WBC Champion
- 7 Title fights (2-4-1) ( I don't count the WBA fight with Povetkin as a title shot because Klitschko is champion)
- Beat Trevor Berbick, Obed Sullivan, Corrie Sanders, Lennox Lewis, Kali Meehan, Monte Barrett & had draws with David Tua & James Toney

5) Francois Botha (48-11-3)
- 3 Title fights (0-2-1) Stripped of title after steroids & WBO shot was before belt became World title)
- Never beat anyone of note but fought many solid HWs but he had draws with Shannon Briggs & Clifford Etienne. He fought everyone & always gave a good account of himself. He was beating Tyson & Michael Grant until he got caught with the knockout blow. A tough guy with a marginal skillset. Gatekeeper for many years before passing that torch to Monte Barrett.

[Fury4daWIN]

yeah I had chris byrd too... he beat some good HWs. I also added John Ruiz.

Was thinking of mentioning Ruiz myself. He made you want to gouge your eyes out, but there was no doubt that he was a very effective fighter. Someone who made the very most of his limited abilities.

[Fury4daWIN]

Of recent years I think Ruslan Chagaev is fast becoming the most underrated heavy. Even years past his best and having turned into a hair beach ball he's still able to give anyone in the world a good fight. In his prime he was an excellent fighter, highly skilled, sharp, tough, with bags of amateur experience to counteract his small size and often fluctuating physical state. He never set the world alight, but he was definitely one of the better heavies of the last ten years and a man who deserves to be seen in a better light than he is.

[rightsideup]

tim witherspoon and pinklon thomas come to mind. they had tremendous talent but didnt live up to there potential. I still always thought the spoon won that holmes fight. quite remarkable considering it was only his 15th fight and he didnt have a big amateur background

Tim seemed to be cagey way beyond his experience level

[billeau2]

Im glad people see the atomic bull as praise worthy, its actually not a general sentiment and frankly I agree with the OP that when Mccall could be shanghied off the street, put through an adequate training camp, he was quite good, very explosive! him and Tyson had some legendary sparring dust ups.

I will move right on to one of my favorites, Terrible tim Witherspoon. Just a rock solid Philly heavyweight through and through...when people were calling Jenkins a Philly heavyweight...a guy who couldn't knock out a rock em sock em robot....I had to laugh. Terrible Tim represented! This guy had the body attack, the presence, and the power, chalk up another victory for Don the criminal King for stopping yet another talented fighter.

I might add to the list toney thompson. Good fighter, very good technical skills, could have been would have been if circumstances had been just a little better.

Ray mercer might be on a list like this. Great chin good skills. Lennox lewis didn't depend a lot of gift decisions but his win against mercer was iffy.

Odinair Solis is a guy who has world class skills but cannot rule his flesh, still a great fighter capable, when serious, of being quite good.

[Fury4daWIN]

Solis has been consistently overrated if anything. He never had a single standout performance in his entire pro career.

Tony Thompson's a good shout, though that guy's fairly well known for being cagey and tough. Would have been interesting to see how he would've performed in an earlier era. He has those sorts of transitional skills that I reckon would have held him in good stead whatever the landscape. Very tough cat as well.