Greatest pre title run in?

I'M BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORED AT WORK!

Criteria is pretty simple really.. Who beat the best opposition leading up to their title shot and winning the title.

Jack Dempsey?

Liston had a terrific run before he got to Patterson. Valdes, Folley and Williams were all fantastic fighters

Lucas Mathyssee potentially? Olesgun, Peterson, Judah, Alexander (he beat the last two IMO) and now Garcia.......

Rowley wrote:Liston had a terrific run before he got to Patterson. Valdes, Folley and Williams were all fantastic fighters

Why is Folley rated so highley?

That is a good run in tho.

Would anyone argue against Tyson first title run in?

If you are talking heavyweight titles....Then Fitzsimmons has some light heavyweight title opposition to add to Sharkey, Choynski and Peter Maher before beating Corbett..

So maybe him....

Did'nt Choyski train Johnson?

Marlon Starling..............

w12 Lupe Aquino.........future wbc jr midd champ..........
w12 Simon Brown........future welterweight great..........
w10 Tommy Ayers........future no 1 wbc/wba welterweight contender..
w10 Pedro Vilela...........former title challenger
w12 Kevin Howard........Before he decked and extended Leonard.........

Whilst he lost his fair share you would have to say few fighters ever had to go through quite the level of opposition Archie Moore had to face before getting his hands on a title. A list that includes the likes of Burley, Charles, Bivins, Hoge and Chase is one hell of a baptism of fire.

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:

Rowley wrote:Liston had a terrific run before he got to Patterson. Valdes, Folley and Williams were all fantastic fighters

Why is Folley rated so highley?
That is a good run in tho.

Would anyone argue against Tyson first title run in?

He was a good defensive fighter and counter puncher. Cus used the Cooper defeat (on points and controversial although I've never seen it) as an excuse not to let him get anywhere near Patterson even though he avenged it by two round KO. Beat Machen, Chuvalo, Bonavena and although he was clearly past it when he fought prime Ali (Ali's final fight pre exile) The Greatest didn't look all that hot at times and Folley was landing some solid body shots. This may have worked against him in a sense as Ali stood more flat footed than usual and sat down on the final punch which knocked Folley out for the count.

Also Ali had some very complimentary things to say of Zora but I can't remember them...

Folley was one of Ali's greatest fans...He marvelled at his hand and footspeed...

Folley was well respected also...

mobilemaster8 wrote:Lucas Mathyssee potentially? Olesgun, Peterson, Judah, Alexander (he beat the last two IMO) and now Garcia.......

To be honest there isn't a single fighter he's beaten that is anything special plus we can't rewrite the record books and say he won when he actually lost, the Judah fight was a long way from being a robbery.

Robinson before finally get his shot faced Zivic, Basora, LaMotta, Angott, Bell, Costner, Armstrong, Zanelli, Wilson and Servo as well almost every ranked fighter there was.

Ezzard Charles would also take some beating before he finally got his crack at the heavyweight title; Moore, Bivins, Maxim, Burley, Marshall, Ray, Smith, Christoforidis, Yarosz and Overlin.