Jimmy Young Vs the Heavyweight Champs

[The Old LefHook]

Each and every one of them all 83 of them I will leave the list blank. Just cut and paste and fill in with your opinions. An L or a a W will do, meaning Mr. Young wins or loses.

1 Young vs Sullivan
2 Young vs Corbett
3 Young vs Fitzsimmons
4 Young vs Jefferies
5 Young vs Hart
6 Young vs Burns
7 Young vs Johnson
8 Young vs Willard
9 Young vs Dempsey
10 Young vs Tunney
11 Young vs Sharkey
12 Young vs Schmeling
13 Young vs Carnera
14 Young vs Braddock
15 Young vs Baeuioywr
16 Young vs Louis
17 Young vs Charles
18 Young vs Savold
19 Young vs Walcott
20 Young vs Marciano
21 Young vs Patterson
22 Young vs Johannson
23 Young vs Liston
24 Young vs Ali
25 Young vs Frazier
26 Young vs Terrell
27 Young vs Ellis
28 Young vs Foreman
29 Young Vs Leon Spinks
30 Young vs Holmes
31 Young vs Tate
32 Young vs Weaver
33 Young vs Dokes
34 Young vs Norton
35 Young vs Coetzee
36 Young vs Witherspoon
37 Young vs Thomas
38 Young vs Page
39 Young vs Tubbs
40 Young vs Michael Spinks
41 Young vs Berbick
42 Young vs Tyson
43 Young vs Smith (BC)
44 Young vs Tucker
45 Young vs Damiani
46 Young vs Douglas
47 Young vs Holyfield
48 Young vs Mercer
49 Young vs Moorer
50 Young vs Bowe
51 Young vs Lewis
52 Young vs Morrison
53 Young vs Bentt
54 Young vs Hyde
55 Young vs McCall
56 Young vs Seldon
57 Young vs Bruno
58 Young vs Akinwande
59 Young vs Vlad Klitchko
60 Young vs Ruiz
61 Young vs Rahman
62 Young vs Byrd
63 Young vs Jones
64 Young vs Sanders
65 Young vs Brewster
66 Young vs Vitaly Klitchko
67 Young vs Valuev
68 Young vs Liakhovich
69 Young vs Maskaev
70 Young vs Briggs
71 Young vs Chagaev
72 Young vs Ibrigamov
73 Young vs Peter
74 Young vs Haye
75 Young vs Povetkin
76 Young vs Stiverne
77 Young vs Wilder
78 Young vs Fury
79 Young vs Martin
80 Young vs Browne
81 Young vs Joshua
82 Young vs Parker
83 Young vs Charr

[The Old LefHook]

Of the 83 men who have claimed all or part of the heavyweight championship, I have Young whipping at least 65 of them. Young is a borderline ATG, if that low.


1 Young vs Sullivan W
2 Young vs Corbett W
3 Young vs Fitzsimmons W
4 Young vs Jefferies W
5 Young vs Hart W
6 Young vs Burns W
7 Young vs Johnson D
8 Young vs Willard W
9 Young vs Dempsey L
10 Young vs Tunney L
11 Young vs Sharkey W
12 Young vs Schmeling W
13 Young vs Carnera W
14 Young vs Braddock W
15 Young vs Baeuioywr W
16 Young vs Louis W
17 Young vs Charles W
18 Young vs Savold W
19 Young vs Walcott
20 Young vs Marciano L
21 Young vs Patterson W
22 Young vs Johannson W
23 Young vs Liston L
24 Young vs Ali L
25 Young vs Frazier L
26 Young vs Terrell W
27 Young vs Ellis W
28 Young vs Foreman L
29 Young Vs Leon Spinks W
30 Young vs Holmes L
31 Young vs Tate W
32 Young vs Weaver W
33 Young vs Dokes W
34 Young vs Norton L
35 Young vs Coetzee W
36 Young vs Witherspoon W
37 Young vs Thomas W
38 Young vs Page W
39 Young vs Tubbs W
40 Young vs Michael Spinks W
41 Young vs Berbick W
42 Young vs Tyson L
43 Young vs Smith (BC) W
44 Young vs Tucker W
45 Young vs Damiani W
46 Young vs Douglas L
47 Young vs Holyfield L
48 Young vs Mercer W
49 Young vs Moorer D
50 Young vs Bowe L
51 Young vs Lewis L
52 Young vs Morrison W
53 Young vs Bentt W
54 Young vs Hyde W
55 Young vs McCall W
56 Young vs Seldon W
57 Young vs Bruno W
58 Young vs Akinwande W
59 Young vs Vlad Klitchko W
60 Young vs Ruiz W
61 Young vs Rahman W
62 Young vs Byrd W
63 Young vs Jones D
64 Young vs Sanders W
65 Young vs Brewster W
66 Young vs Vitaly Klitchko W
67 Young vs Valuev W
68 Young vs Liakhovich W
69 Young vs Maskaev W
70 Young vs Briggs W
71 Young vs Chagaev W
72 Young vs Ibrigamov W
73 Young vs Peter W
74 Young vs Haye W
75 Young vs Povetkin W
76 Young vs Stiverne W
77 Young vs Wilder L
78 Young vs Fury L
79 Young vs Martin W
80 Young vs Browne W
81 Young vs Joshua L
82 Young vs Parker W
83 Young vs Charr W

[HOUDINI563]

Young was one of my favorite fighters back in the 70's. Watched all his televised bouts. However he was no ATG......not close. Excellent hwt contender. He is more than likely losing more bouts than he is winning against top opposition due to his low output safety first style.

[LITTLE JOE]

Great thread. Jimmy was a defensive genius. Fights with Tunney,Corbett and Johnson would have been scientific masterpieces if you are into that.



1 Young vs Sullivan W
2 Young vs Corbett DRAW
3 Young vs Fitzsimmons W
4 Young vs Jefferies L
5 Young vs Hart W
6 Young vs Burns W
7 Young vs Johnson L
8 Young vs Willard W
9 Young vs Dempsey L
10 Young vs Tunney L
11 Young vs Sharkey W
12 Young vs Schmeling W
13 Young vs Carnera W
14 Young vs Braddock W
15 Young vs Baeuioywr W
16 Young vs Louis L
17 Young vs Charles W
18 Young vs Savold W
19 Young vs Walcott L
20 Young vs Marciano L
21 Young vs Patterson W
22 Young vs Johannson W
23 Young vs Liston L
24 Young vs Ali L
25 Young vs Frazier L
26 Young vs Terrell W
27 Young vs Ellis W
28 Young vs Foreman L
29 Young Vs Leon Spinks W
30 Young vs Holmes L
31 Young vs Tate L
32 Young vs Weaver L
33 Young vs Dokes W
34 Young vs Norton L
35 Young vs Coetzee W
36 Young vs Witherspoon L
37 Young vs Thomas L
38 Young vs Page W
39 Young vs Tubbs W
40 Young vs Michael Spinks L
41 Young vs Berbick W
42 Young vs Tyson L
43 Young vs Smith (BC) W
44 Young vs Tucker W
45 Young vs Damiani W
46 Young vs Douglas W (depends on which Douglas shows up)
47 Young vs Holyfield L
48 Young vs Mercer W
49 Young vs Moorer L
50 Young vs Bowe L
51 Young vs Lewis L
52 Young vs Morrison W
53 Young vs Bentt W
54 Young vs Hyde W
55 Young vs McCall W
56 Young vs Seldon W
57 Young vs Bruno W
58 Young vs Akinwande W
59 Young vs Vlad Klitchko L
60 Young vs Ruiz W
61 Young vs Rahman W
62 Young vs Byrd W
63 Young vs Jones L
64 Young vs Sanders W
65 Young vs Brewster W
66 Young vs Vitaly Klitchko L
67 Young vs Valuev W
68 Young vs Liakhovich W
69 Young vs Maskaev W
70 Young vs Briggs W
71 Young vs Chagaev W
72 Young vs Ibrigamov W
73 Young vs Peter W
74 Young vs Haye W
75 Young vs Povetkin W
76 Young vs Stiverne W
77 Young vs Wilder L
78 Young vs Fury W
79 Young vs Martin W
80 Young vs Browne W
81 Young vs Joshua L
82 Young vs Parker W
83 Young vs Charr W

[The Old LefHook]

You have too many scrubs beating Young for my taste, but that is what these opinion threads area bout. Thomas, Weaver and Tate et al would be outclassed by a mile IMO.

I found Young a frustrating fighter to watch back in the day with so many quality action fighters around. They were so good they even made Young fights halfway entertaining. Jimmy was one of those light-punching phenoms it seems a miracle could survive in the company he did, much like Chris Byrd, but among even better company.

[billeau2]

Ah revisionism, like the night Jasmine that perfumes the air here in san francisco... Sweet and fragrant and why? Well each forgotten fighter, has their own story to tell and like the ghosts in a christmas carole we can hear them make their case!

And some heady days here in this section we have had!! Tales of Ollie Mccall, the atomic bull that had a rep in all the boxing gyms...the man who would never be King, but could never be crowned so to speak... And how about Ibuchi, El Presidente, who found religion after finding himself in the right bedroom some years too early.... I said it then and will say it now....Has the heavyweight division, since Liston beheld such a perfect piece of fighting meat!!? Ibuchi was the perfect size, weight and dimensions for a fighting man...Not a pound too sparse, not a pound to large, with a solid chin, combos and an instinct to boot... What could have been with Ibuchi who makes Tyson look slightly small and short of the task...While Ibuchi looked built from the perfect specs designed by the great architect herself!

I could go on...Morrison, who knocked em down with perfect combos regularly...and if Bowe had stayed the course!!? But today it is Young's time in the spotlight and lets start by saying this shall we? A fighter who beat Ali and Foreman, even a slightly aged Ali, we would think highly of would we not? because the judges robbed Jimmy... In fact Young should have won those fights making him very very good indeed.

But what was it about Jimmy? I could tell you about many great fighters, Louis could punch pretty good, Dempsey was somewhat aggressive in the ring, and marciano was not lazy...But what stands out about Young? a man who beat two of the best fighters, regardless of what the judges say. When we see him he is too loose, too relaxed, not really fast to speak of... And power? none really. To say he was a defensive wizard undermines the basic premise that the only defensive wizards that got results are those that believe to some degree the best defense is an offense. Defensive guys never did real good against George and Ali would pick you apart with one punch if you let him. Jimmy could counter punch well, he knew his angles, But unlike many of the other men that could have been...its not so obvious with Young why he was so able... Its not obvious to me.

Most of the guys that fall in this category of wulda, culda, shulda did it once, Ibuchi beat Tua, McCall beat Lewis, for example... But Young, depending on how you slice it, did it twice, to two of the greatest, or did it to neither...and who here thinks that the gods of boxing do not have a sense of humor? So what did Jimmy have that carried him through to the very edge of goodness and almost into greatness?

When I think of Young I think of Archie Moore, vis a vis Charlie Burley. Like Moore, Young could put things together. With no obvious skills that stand out in relief, with Moore it was because he could do it all... the proo of which is that with all he could do in the ring most people are suprised to learn that he was the KO king as well! You mean that slick boxer puncher? With Young the suprise was perhaps in the way he set up his game, when to counter punch (George Foreman) when to lean away from Ali.... Young was seasoned and much like Burley, he never wasted a punch, or a movement, and he had an instinct that saved him more than it failed him.

I don't know if Young could beat the Tunney's, and the assorted others... He did not have the chops that the greats had... But he would always be a threat... and while Burley was fantastic, if one knows what they are seeing in the rare tape of him, I would credit Young with having that same kind of boxing mind... Another guy like that would be Toney of course. If one looks at Young, Toney and Burley, none had a great weapon to fall back on that extends from the body res extensia into time and space, but all had brilliant boxing minds.

Another way to think about it is when we look at Tyson for example, we can see him being a handful for any heavyweight in history. But can we really imagine Young beating a prime Liston? A prime Ali? Young was more like a better Leon Spinks than one who might have dominated most of the greats.

[HOUDINI563]

I was a huge Young fan in the 70's and watched his bouts with Ali, Norton and Foreman live. Ali was in his worst of shape yet forced Young to leave the ring twice resulting in two called knockdowns. Young COULD have won that bout yet he made it close by his safety first refuse to engage style. As much as I despised Ali at that time no way could I give the worlds hwt championship to such a fighter. Against Norton I walked away frustrated at Young. Again another bout he could have won but he refused to take a risk. Nortons aggression combined with Youngs refusal to be aggressive gave Ken the bout. Against Foreman he clearly won but he did so vs a Foreman who plodded slowly forward round after round giving them away in an effort to pace himself.

Bottom line......a fighting style based upon safety first refusal to engage is NOT defensive genius. Fighting top level opposition Young would lose more than he would win as his record would indicate.

[The Old LefHook]

I was a huge Young fan in the 70's and watched his bouts with Ali, Norton and Foreman live. Ali was in his worst of shape yet forced Young to leave the ring twice resulting in two called knockdowns. Young COULD have won that bout yet he made it close by his safety first refuse to engage style. As much as I despised Ali at that time no way could I give the worlds hwt championship to such a fighter. Against Norton I walked away frustrated at Young. Again another bout he could have won but he refused to take a risk. Nortons aggression combined with Youngs refusal to be aggressive gave Ken the bout. Against Foreman he clearly won but he did so vs a Foreman who plodded slowly forward round after round giving them away in an effort to pace himself.

Bottom line......a fighting style based upon safety first refusal to engage is NOT defensive genius. Fighting top level opposition Young would lose more than he would win as his record would indicate.

Is it your opinion as well, then, that Young is not the greatest heavyweight never to win a world title?

[HOUDINI563]

That's a very complex question. Many fighters would be on that list comprising every style under the sun.

[clemenza]

Left Hook , here is the problem, we have been debating this for weeks now, You say jimmy Young & I say Jerry Quarry. Here's the problem with your W/L
For Young vs certain opponents that where Champions as per
Young lost to Tubbs, Dokes, Tucker, Page and you have him beating all 3 of those Belt holders.
That's a big problem ok.
Another thing, Jimmy Young never beats Joe Louis, NEVER.
Young lost to RANDY NEUMANN!!!!!!
Oscar Occasio Twice!!!
Gerry Cooney was charged with manslaughter after the fight or what ever that was.
Shavers blew him out in 4.
Young has 1 great win vs a legend in Foreman. And that's a all time great win, but he has some bad losses too, see Randy Neumann