Shannon Briggs vs Nikolai Valuev

[famicommander]

Who ya got?

Both 2X heavyweight champions of the world.

Briggs best wins:
George Foreman (UD, for lineal title, many thought Briggs lost)
Siarhei Liakhovich (for WBO title, 12th round TKO)
Ray Mercer (aged, KO)

Draw: Frans Botha (most thought Briggs won)

Notable losses:
Lennox Lewis (for WBC title, lost lineal)
Sultan Ibragimov (lost WBO title)
Vitali Klitschko (for WBC title, fought 11 rounds with a torn bicep)


Valuev best wins:
John Ruiz (MD, won WBA title)
Siarhei Liakhovich (UD)
John Ruiz (UD, won vacant WBA title)
Evander Holyfield (aged, MD)

Notable losses:
Ruslan Chagaev (lost WBA title)
David Haye (lost WBA title)

Pick the best version of Briggs you recall and the best version of Valuev you recall.

Who wins this fight, and how?

Briggs caught his two best opponents, Mercer and Foreman, when they were already pretty old. But he did beat Foreman as champion, and he did knock out the reigning WBO champion in Liakhovich.

Briggs did lose some fights to some lesser competition, including to McCline whom Valuev beat.

Valuev won his titles against the same guy, and his best win is arguably against the ghost of Holyfield.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

A prime and motivated version of Briggs batters him. Valuev was f***ing terrible. I always remember when a 46 year old Holyfield took him to school and got robbed.

[famicommander]

A prime and motivated version of Briggs batters him. Valuev was f***ing terrible. I always remember when a 46 year old Holyfield took him to school and got robbed.

I was thinking of throwing John Ruiz, another 2X champion from the same era, into the mix but since Valuev beat him twice I figured it was pointless.

I think Ruiz could scratch out an ugly win against Briggs with his awkward style, but Briggs at his best would be too much for Valuev to handle.