Is Buster Douglas the weakest "big belt holder" of all time?


Clearly a better jab than any active HW along with power and good feet. As much boxing talent as any active HW. He was massively lacking in other areas, but talent wasn't one of them.
 
Clearly a better jab than any active HW along with power and good feet. As much boxing talent as any active HW. He was massively lacking in other areas, but talent wasn't one of them.
I suppose that's sort of fair but he was dogshit in crucial areas too. If boxing is 85% mental then that jab aint taking you very far.
 
Douglas did two things that rarely happen in boxing when he beat Tyson;

1) Beat a heavyweight champion unanimously regarded as no. 1 pound for pound.

2) Stop the no. 1 pound for pound fighter in the world.

Aside from that I think he was far from the worst champion.
 
also, he didn't lose to a bum in his next fight, holyfield was arguably the heavyweight of the era (yes, I know lewis takes it but I actually think holyfield beats him at his best). At any rate, Tyson, as a student of the sport was well aware of the dangers of some contender with no chance showing up and winning. He said it in some interview around 88-89, that if he had a nickel for every champion who lost to an unheralded fighter, he'd be rich. Longtime champions carry the burden of having to turn back lesser talents who may be fighting on their best nights ever even when they aren't prepared. I can remember a lot of fighters who looked great for for a few or even one fight. Lloyd Honeyghan looked like a monster against the then number 1 or 2 pound for pound, donald curry, Donald was lucky to win one round and only escaped a certain kayo because he quit. Then Honeyghan was shot a few years later, never again looking as good as he did against curry again. That's not uncommon.
 
Absolutely not. Douglas was a very serviceable boxer who could beat just about anyone on his day.

Granted his day wasn't often, but the talent was there.
 
One just has to watch his fight with Tucker to see both his strengths and his flaws. Poor work ethic and not a lot of heart, but an awesome jab, size and one hell of a right hand (he had Tucker hurt at some point, something that a prime Tyson failed to do).
He had a great day against Tyson when he was actually motivated and trained hard.
 
Douglas did two things that rarely happen in boxing when he beat Tyson;

1) Beat a heavyweight champion unanimously regarded as no. 1 pound for pound.

2) Stop the no. 1 pound for pound fighter in the world.

Aside from that I think he was far from the worst champion.
I didn't realize Mike was ahead of jcc and whitaker in p4p at this time.


Damn....that's wild
 
By consensus he wasn't. Chavez ,interestingly, rated him first, before and after the Douglass fight.
 
By consensus he wasn't. Chavez ,interestingly, rated him first, before and after the Douglass fight.
For what it's worth the ring did have him 1st at end of 89 but that doesn't make it consensus of course
 
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