Tough call... One thing Lyle brings to the party that old, fading Holmes didn't is fight-altering power
I'd take Lyle here as he was beating Ali until he fell apart. He was just too big, strong, durable and powerful for Michael and would have walked him down and stopped him. I loved Spinks as a light heavyweight as he was one of the top 5 ever, but he would just be out manned and out gunned in this one by a big bad heavyweight at his peak power who wouldn't fold like Cooney did when he tasted the Jinx. Good action fight, but Lyle wins.
Spinks' Run @ Heavyweight was OPPORTUNISTIC...Lyle Would've Been ALL WRONG for Him...Not Sure of WHEN it Happens (Early/Late), but Lyle Eventually KO's Spinks... REED:mj:
Lyle by KO. Not as quick as the Tyson KO, but somewhere in the first 5 rounds. If a prime Lyle was around during Spinks' time at heavy, he would have joined the list of legit contenders avoided by Spinks while waiting to cash out in the Tyson fight.
I agree with the consensus and favor Lyle but it is worth pointing out how much trouble he had with skittish boxers... Spinks could be as boring as his nephew when he had to be As for Smegman's typically stupid Cooney comment, it is worth pointing out that his loss to Spinks had more to do with being a wasted cokehead than "folding"
Spinks had a BAD Set of WHEELS Though (Fucked Up KNEES)...MOBILITY would Be his Best Friend vs. Lyle, but that's Something Spinks Never Really Had... REED's Not Calling Spinks a Sitting Duck, but it Wouldn't Be Terribly Difficult for Lyle to Cut the Ring Off, Either... REED:mj:
He got those bad knees by running in combat boots on cement, a major no-no. Good call, REED. He was the first champion to use ellipticals and the stair master and in place of running on the srteet when he hired Mackie Shilstone because of that. He thereafter only lightly jogged on football fields in tennis shoes to warm up, and did wind sprints on mats and football fields
I actually never noticed Spinks having real mobility problems. Ungainly, sure but the knees never seemed that big hindrance. He really knew how to use the ring and how keep a guy offset and turning....the check hook he kept using against Qawi was beautiful
Yeah, gimpy knees or not, Spinks was able to move around pretty damned well in the ring, he certainly did so against Larry
Spinks Caught a Completely UNMOTIVATED Larry Holmes Slipping & Won by Virtue of PITTY PAT Flurries, Against a Renown Counterpuncher...He Jumped In, Flurried & Jumped Out Before Holmes Could Respond...Holmes was about as PREPARED for that Fight as Ali was vs. LEON Spinks... But 1nce Larry STEPPED UP the Aggression in the RE, Spinks WASN'T as Adept @ Maintaining Distance & Actually LOST, in REED's Opinion...& If You Disagree You AND HBO Can Kiss REED's "Big, Black Behind".... REED:scared:
He Didn't Wear the Knee Braces for SHOW, Bro... Foremost, Spinks was KNOCK-KNEED, but what Karl Says is Also True...Michael Spinks DID NOT Have a Good Set of Wheels & Against AGGRESSIVE Heavyweights (RE w/Holmes, Tyson), it Cost Him...Spinks was @ his BEST/MOST DANGEROUS w/his Feet PLANTED... REED:hammert:
Still, the rematch Larry (I thought he won, too, but it was still a close fight) was a better boxer than Ron Lyle... I think Lyle's punch would have a lot more to do with the outcome of this match than Spinks' wheels, which served him well a time or two, gimpy or not gimpy If Jerry Quarry can outmaneuver Lyle, I see no reason Spinks couldn't Of course, Karl is a daft cunt and will probably say some bullshit like "Jerry Quarry had great legs, folks... he was faster than a Texas Tornado shot out a cannon of greased lightning... Mike Quarry once slapped me in the face with his balls, so that's how I know"
i'd pick Lyle, and a lot of heavyweights to beat Spinks but Spinks jumping up to beat Holmes was a very badass feat :bears: one of those atg accomplishments that there aren't many of
