Each HW Champ Combined With Himself

[The Old LefHook]

It is possible, for instance, to imagine a better Foreman than ever existed. You simply imagine a younger George as foxy as the older one.

You could do the same thing with Clay. He never had the layoff and got his complete wisdom a few years earlier.

You could perform this same process with every heavyweight champion. When you do that, who is the best heavyweight of all time?

[OctoberRed]

It is possible, for instance, to imagine a better Foreman than ever existed. You simply imagine a younger George as foxy as the older one.

You could do the same thing with Clay. He never had the layoff and got his complete wisdom a few years earlier.

You could perform this same process with every heavyweight champion. When you do that, who is the best heavyweight of all time?

Tyson? Vitali Klitschko? Fury?

[The Old LefHook]

Those boys of yours gained little with their whiskers, Red. I believe they better fill the opposite category--those who actually DID combine the energy of youth with the wisdom of age at an intermediate stage.

Now the fighter who combined best was of course Marciano--his mature self being almost identical to his younger fighting form. That is why he remains competitive with any heavyweight in history to this day.

Young self and older self fully combined, who would make the greater fighter is the question? The answer is still Clay and Foreman. They have the most disparity in their careers to combine into one fighter. In many ways both were visibly better as older fighters than they had been as youngsters.

[Rusty Tromboni]

It is possible, for instance, to imagine a better Foreman than ever existed. You simply imagine a younger George as foxy as the older one.

You could do the same thing with Clay. He never had the layoff and got his complete wisdom a few years earlier.

You could perform this same process with every heavyweight champion. When you do that, who is the best heavyweight of all time?

If Ali didn't take hiatus his career would've concluded in the early 70's - the time when he returned to the ring in reality.

The guy who couldn't put away Mildenberger away in less than 12 doesn't last 12 with a prime Frazier. Even an old Frazier was almost too much for Ali. If he had kept Clancy around, he would've won the rematch, too.

Speaking of Clancy: Foreman lacked it between the ears, and that's why he didn't rebound from the loss to Ali. The stuff he utilized in his return to the ring years later was what Gil had imparted him with decades before.

[Rusty Tromboni]

I am sure if Dempsey and Tunney had ran into each other sooner (or if Dempsey had faced Greb) Dempsey would have been better.

Same with Sullivan and Corbett.

Sometimes champions are victims of their own greatness. Look at McGregor.

[Rusty Tromboni]

If Louis had met Schmeling before reaching his prime that loss might've ruined him, but he's another candidate.

[billeau2]

Those boys of yours gained little with their whiskers, Red. I believe they better fill the opposite category--those who actually DID combine the energy of youth with the wisdom of age at an intermediate stage.

Now the fighter who combined best was of course Marciano--his mature self being almost identical to his younger fighting form. That is why he remains competitive with any heavyweight in history to this day.

Young self and older self fully combined, who would make the greater fighter is the question? The answer is still Clay and Foreman. They have the most disparity in their careers to combine into one fighter. In many ways both were visibly better as older fighters than they had been as youngsters.

Im tempted to say Ibuechi lol. If the older one has wisdom not to berzerker out!

I can't think of any, maybe Tyson? the younger raw and powerful with the mid, just before prison Tyson who was starting to put it together more.

[ShoulderRoll]

Jersey Joe Walcott.

[BKM-]

You put Evander's iron, fully matured version of 96-98 into his late 80s-early 90s youthful athletic body and you got a HW who is extremely difficult to beat. I mean early on he when he was younger/lighter he was extremely athletic, super fast hands and feet. But he couldn't deal with Bowe's massive size. Fast forwards years later and he's completely man handling boxing's bad boy Tyson and is even formidable in the clinch against giant Lennox Lewis. What was missing obviously was his youth, he was a lot slower. Combine Evander's best versions and he can't be beat. He won't be beat.

[The Old LefHook]

Im tempted to say Ibuechi lol. If the older one has wisdom not to berzerker out!

I can't think of any, maybe Tyson? the younger raw and powerful with the mid, just before prison Tyson who was starting to put it together more.

Absolutely not on Tyson. The boxer's new self has to be able to put some successful fights together under a different scheme. Tyson was never able to do that whatsoever. Once he was gone--HE WAS GONE, never to return, though people kept hoping and paying.

One of the biggest charades in the history of boxing was a prime Lewis against a shot Tyson. Who cares? Yet that dog was a ticket selling marvel.