Great Fighters in Recent History that get overlooked

**edgarg** · 07-30-2013, 01:06 AM

Originally posted by Sugar Adam Ali

WHat are some great fighters that get overlooked now...
Not trying to make this a history thread so keep it from ALi's era to the present..

One that comes to mind for me is Micheal Spinks...

IMO he was the best lightheavyweight ever,,, def top 3...

He was gold medalist,

lightheavy champ,, pretty much ko'ing everybody

beat holmes for the heavyweight championship, and yes it was controversial but it wasnt a straight robbery...

and the only thing people remember about him is being ko'd by tyson...

Yes he was very awkward and good, but I think that Roy Jones would have beaten him. And nobody who would enter a ring as petrified as he seemed to be against Tyson, could be depended on. He really wasn't big enough to succeed at heavyweight. he was very lucky to get Larry Holmes at the near-end of his historic run. I know he had considerable success later but that was a different Holmes, completely changed style, older, much heavier, and concentrating more on a heavy punch, fighting the way a guy fights who has nothing to lose.

My memory is a little longer than yours, so how about we go back a little further..... to Nicholino Locche.......look him up you'll be surprised. And Sandro Lopopulo.

**Cloud** · 07-30-2013, 02:16 AM

Ricardo Lopez

http://********/RgLW2PK2cuI

I agree with the above poster and Nicholino Locche. He used to smoke in between rounds lol. Absolute wizard when it came to dodging shots.

**LacedUp** · 07-30-2013, 03:17 AM

Originally posted by edgarg

Yes he was very awkward and good, but I think that Roy Jones would have beaten him. And nobody who would enter a ring as petrified as he seemed to be against Tyson, could be depended on. He really wasn't big enough to succeed at heavyweight. he was very lucky to get Larry Holmes at the near-end of his historic run. I know he had considerable success later but that was a different Holmes, completely changed style, older, much heavier, and concentrating more on a heavy punch, fighting the way a guy fights who has nothing to lose.

My memory is a little longer than yours, so how about we go back a little further..... to Nicholino Locche.......look him up you'll be surprised. And Sandro Lopopulo.

Locche does get mentioned a lot though in terms of best of all times though, doesn't he? But I seem to remember a lack of exposure for him until the end of his career because he was mainly fighting at home.

But he was amazing, there are quite a few good films on his fights around.
With regards to Spinks, his light heavyweight career was really good and he's definitely being respected for that. Unfortunately most fans nowadays remember him for his outing vs Tyson and forgetting that he's probably one of the best light heavyweights of the past 30 years.

Most overlooked boxers in my opinion, I'd go back to Bob Fitzsimmons. He's rarely being mentioned anymore but was the first guy to win titles in Middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Also Joe Gans is never looked at despite having a long reign at lightweight where he fought Sam Langford (yes that Langford who later was a heavyweight) just a day after he fought a guy called Dave Holly.

Which leads me to Sam Langford, "the greatest fighter nobody knows". This guy went from lightweight to heavyweight and whilst he does get credit, I don't think he gets as much as he should.

NOTE: Didn't see you asked for recent history. My apologies.

**Steven Adams** · 07-30-2013, 03:19 AM

Joe Calzaghe

tsk tsk

**statosteve** · 07-30-2013, 03:34 AM

Alex leapai vs travis walker.....that was a really good heavyweight fight....I was there to watch fight...could here the punch"s landing big time and I was pretty far bak

**MotorCityJaguar** · 07-30-2013, 03:51 AM

Originally posted by Sugar Adam Ali

One that comes to mind for me is Micheal Spinks...

IMO he was the best lightheavyweight ever,,, def top 3...

Sue he is top ten, butta no top 3. Ezzard Charles, Gene Tunney, Archie Moore and Bob Foster were better light heavyweights

Posted from Boxingscene.com App for Android

**MotorCityJaguar** · 07-30-2013, 03:53 AM

Originally Posted by Sugar Adam Ali

One that comes to mind for me is Micheal Spinks...

IMO he was the best lightheavyweight ever,,, def top 3...

Sure he is top ten, but no top 3. Ezzard Charles, Gene Tunney, Archie Moore and Bob Foster
were better light heavyweights

Posted from Boxingscene.com App for Android

**MotorCityJaguar** · 07-30-2013, 03:53 AM

Originally posted by MotorCityJaguar

Originally Posted by Sugar Adam Ali

One that comes to mind for me is Micheal Spinks...

IMO he was the best lightheavyweight ever,,, def top 3...

Sure he is top ten, but no top 3. Ezzard Charles, Gene Tunney, Archie Moore and Bob Foster
were better light heavyweights

Posted from Boxingscene.com App for Android

Posted from Boxingscene.com App for Android

**Sugar Adam Ali** · 07-30-2013, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by MotorCityJaguar

Sue he is top ten, butta no top 3. Ezzard Charles, Gene Tunney, Archie Moore and Bob Foster were better light heavyweights

Posted from Boxingscene.com App for Android

Good list of guys,,, i think spinks would beat bob foster, but thats just me,, I always thought that foster was a tad overrated in terms of ATG status,, He was great, dont get me wrong,, but skills just werent there for me,, just a big lumbering power puncher,,, Maybe im being harsh on him,, i do think foster was a great just not top 5, i got him like 6-8

Great Fighters in Recent History that get overlooked