Would michael spinks be #1 in todays HW division?

[john l]

I’d possibly pick Spinks to beat Usyk if he could handle Usyk’s power. 50/50 type fight though.

Agree on him beating the rest, a lot of these modern day LHW’s and CW’s are too one dimensional to deal with someone as fluent as Spinks.

Prime Kovalev could cause him problems tbf.

Usyk is not a big puncher and Spinks had a good chin I think Usyk's boxing and unorthodox style would be the biggest probs imo. I don't think Kov would do so well with Spinks who can fight at mid range and inside and also has the reach to deal with Kov on the outside where he is most dangerous. I see Spinks stopping him mid to late imo.

[john l]

Spinks vs. Usyk would be sweet

Yea sign me up!! It might not be the most exciting fight for the casuals who cant understand it, but id rather watch a fight between the two best of a div(or better top PFP) then a couple of gatekeepers or journeymen in a brawl. Right now id go with Spinks, but Usyk still has time to change my mind, he does have a bit of a size advantage.

[Curtis Harper]

He “retired” after the Cooney win. Got lured out to put his lineal on the line against Tyson.

He came out of a brief retirement to cash out. Holmes put up a better fight

[Rusty Tromboni]

I felt (and this isn’t a knock against Holmes) that it was a pretty weak HW era.

Based on what? Again, I'm not saying it was the golden age. But I do believe cocaine and politics kept a lot of tough dudes from reaching their potential. At that size, anyone big and strong is a threat.

Holmes definitely spent his entire Heavyweight reign picking up low-hanging fruit. Pretty pathetic. But he gets a pass because: his pre-championship career was unnecessarily difficult; he's clearly very good on film; he's been forgotten, having been sandwiched between Ali and Tyson - as I always say, it's less about the fighter and more about his story.

I felt (and this isn’t a knock against Holmes) that it was a pretty weak HW era. I didn’t say Spinks was the best, Holmes was better than Spinks. Tim Witherspoon is better than Spinks too. I was just saying that Holmes had already beaten the best heavyweights of that era. Nobody left. Carl Williams was a damn good looking prospect and Larry made him look like an amateur getting a sparring lesson. Other than rematching Witherspoon there wasn’t anyone I can think of that Larry could have fought that would have been better

Carl Williams was a damn good looking prospect and Larry made him look like an amateur getting a sparring lesson. Other than rematching Witherspoon there wasn’t anyone I can think of that Larry could have fought that would have been better

Now you're going off the rails. It's OK to have different opinions, but when someone says something totally off-base it has to be called out.

I am pretty sure I scored that for Larry every time I watched it. But I KNOW it was a damn close fight. Maybe, just maybe, Larry underestimated Williams. But the point is, it was a close fight. Giving it to Williams wouldn't have been the worst decision ever. Holmes clearly met his match. And not in an especially gifted fighter.

Other than rematching Witherspoon wasn’t anyone I can think of that Larry could have fought that would have been better

Tim Witherspoon CLEARLY deserved and immediate rematch. He was robbed.

I can think of that Larry could have fought that would have been better

Really? How about ya know... someone ranked in the Top 10?

Apparently Spinks found out in sparring that he wanted no part of Greg PAge.

I need to refresh my knowledge of that era's Heavyweights. But Spinks was almost certainly never the best Heavyweight in the world.

[strykr619]

Spinks would of cleaned out LHW and CW divisions, Ward would of ducked him PERIOD. HW thou? Nah he is too small IMO.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Come on man, that same Holmes beat Ray Mercer 8 years after that and went 12 rounds with Holyfield for the heavyweight title 9 years after. He wasn’t shot.

Cute trap.

Good news: the majority of posters here will fall for it.

The bad news: Anyone with an IQ over 80 sees right through it.

[embryo]

He doesn't have the chin. Tyson wiped the floor with him in 91 seconds, only hit him once in the jaw and he was OUT.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Spinks vs. Usyk would be sweet

Not really. Spinks punks against pressure fighters his own size.

Tree-stump Qawi and a his terrible weight-cut still made things interesting early in their fight. After that, both fighters kinda let off the gas.

Usyk man-handles any version of Spinks.

Without the weight-cut, or against anyone his size with a pulse, Spinks looks pedestrian.

[Boxing Goat]

Not really. Spinks punks against pressure fighters his own size.

Tree-stump Qawi and a his terrible weight-cut still made things interesting early in their fight. After that, both fighters kinda let off the gas.

Usyk man-handles any version of Spinks.

Without the weight-cut, or against anyone his size with a pulse, Spinks looks pedestrian.

Huh? How is that so when he lost just once to prime Tyson?

[Rusty Tromboni]

Huh? How is that so when he lost just once to prime Tyson?

Yup. The only time he fought a prime opponent his own size.


Seriously, he's the guy you want next to you when the Zombie Apocalypse comes... he made a career of beating zombies.

Usyk is on a different level. Too refined. Too strong. Spinks' awkward style won't befuddle Usyk. He'll get his ass kicked trying that shyte.