Tweet
I was thinking....Who does everybody here think are the most overated fighters of all time. I don't mean fighters who did not live up to their potential (ie Tyson, Toney, David Reid) I mean fighters that may have had or are having great careers are doing their best but you believe are given more credit than they deserve.
The first three that come to mind are:
1)Rocky Marciano- Something should be said for retiring undefeated, but his career was largely a case of being in the right place in the right time. He beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the title (already and old man) fought a past his prime Joe Louis and Archie Moore (who almost beat him) and there were no real good young up and coming heavyweights to challenge him. He was around 8-10 years prior to the rise of Ali. He also retired just in time to not have to fight Floyd Patterson. If he was boxing 5 years earlier or later, I doubt he would have been undefeated.
2)Lennox Lewis-May be the best SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT of all time. If there was a division for people of his size, but the fact of the matter was he was a good fighter beating other good people who he had 5-6 inches of height on (at least) and who were giving away 20 pounds or more in weight to. Good big man almost always beats good smaller dude. Yet he still managed to get knocked out by Oliver McCall, Hasim Rachman, and lose to Evander Holyfield on the downside of his career. (No not his first fight where he got screwed out of the decision, the second fight they said he won) He also arguably loss to Ray Mercer. Lennox is not even in my all time heavyweight top 15 maybe not even top 20. In a mediocre era of heavyweights he was only just good.
3)Oscar De La Hoya-Here's why. He has won titles in 5 weight classes true and he is an excellent boxer. But the media hype machine (and throngs of female fans) have made him out to be a better boxer than he is. Its also given him a host of questionable decisions from Whittaker to Ike Quartery, to Felix Sturm just recently. If Hop had let it go to the cards he might have set himself up for a screw job as well. He's a great fighter, but he's had a very carefully managed career that has allowed him to make the most of his oppurtunities and pad his record with impressive (on paper wins). When he's been put in front of someone of equal or better talent he's lost (Tito, Hop, Mosley) although if he hadn't run he would have beat Tito.
I'm sure there are more what do you guys think? Do you agree with my choices, who are your choices?
The first three that come to mind are:
1)Rocky Marciano- Something should be said for retiring undefeated, but his career was largely a case of being in the right place in the right time. He beat Jersey Joe Walcott for the title (already and old man) fought a past his prime Joe Louis and Archie Moore (who almost beat him) and there were no real good young up and coming heavyweights to challenge him. He was around 8-10 years prior to the rise of Ali. He also retired just in time to not have to fight Floyd Patterson. If he was boxing 5 years earlier or later, I doubt he would have been undefeated.
2)Lennox Lewis-May be the best SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT of all time. If there was a division for people of his size, but the fact of the matter was he was a good fighter beating other good people who he had 5-6 inches of height on (at least) and who were giving away 20 pounds or more in weight to. Good big man almost always beats good smaller dude. Yet he still managed to get knocked out by Oliver McCall, Hasim Rachman, and lose to Evander Holyfield on the downside of his career. (No not his first fight where he got screwed out of the decision, the second fight they said he won) He also arguably loss to Ray Mercer. Lennox is not even in my all time heavyweight top 15 maybe not even top 20. In a mediocre era of heavyweights he was only just good.
3)Oscar De La Hoya-Here's why. He has won titles in 5 weight classes true and he is an excellent boxer. But the media hype machine (and throngs of female fans) have made him out to be a better boxer than he is. Its also given him a host of questionable decisions from Whittaker to Ike Quartery, to Felix Sturm just recently. If Hop had let it go to the cards he might have set himself up for a screw job as well. He's a great fighter, but he's had a very carefully managed career that has allowed him to make the most of his oppurtunities and pad his record with impressive (on paper wins). When he's been put in front of someone of equal or better talent he's lost (Tito, Hop, Mosley) although if he hadn't run he would have beat Tito.
I'm sure there are more what do you guys think? Do you agree with my choices, who are your choices?
Comment