Chris Byrd: The Second Best of His Era?

[cross_trainer]

I would lean toward yes, actually. He has better accomplishments than Vitali, and was way over the hill by the time he faced Wlad.

Thoughts?

[mr. magoo]

I would lean toward yes, actually. He has better accomplishments than Vitali, and was way over the hill by the time he faced Wlad.

Thoughts?

Debatable,

Yes he was past his prime in his second fight with Wlad, but the first time they met, was back in 2000, when Byrd was still going strong, and Wlad was a bit green. Yet, Byrd still lost. The Vitali stoppage was a result of a shoulder injury, and not necessarily a domination. While both Klits fought their fair share of lesser opposition and washed up has beens, so did Chris.

Nevethelss, in this era, he could very conceivably take the slot you gave him..

[unitas]

could very well may be. all people think of when they talk of byrd are the wladdy fights.

hell, wlad simply had his number. end of story. but he beat some pretty good fighters like tua and vitaly.

yes, number two looks right.

[Senya13]

John Ruiz was second best after Lewis.

[Mendoza]

No I don't think so...

His win over Vitali was due to a freak injury (it was a fluke victory) and his victories over Oquendo, Golota and MCCline were VERY controversial. His bout with Williamson was quite possibly the worst Heavyweight title fight of the decade (or at least close). He was DOMINATED in his three losses. And in 44 pro fights he has just 21 knock outs. He held the WBO title for 6 months via a fluke win and dominant loss. He won the IBF belt (vacant) and held it for a little over three years - his four defenses were all less than spectacular and contraversial. This is NOT a dominant resume IMO...

With guys like Chagaev, Peter, etc on the way up I think it's too early to consider Byrd the 2nd best of this era. His "prime" was '99 thru '05 and he didn't do much to dominate that "era". I think both Klitschkos and several others did more during that time...

He'll probably go down as one of the ten best of this decede (2000-2009) but I certainly don't think he'll be remembered as the 2nd best.

This is how I see it. From 2000-2010, the best fighters were Lewis, Klitschko, Klitschko, then Byrd. Byrd has some good wins. Tua and Holyfield come to mind.

Povetkin, or the winner between Ibragimov and Chagaev have a chance to pass Byrd for the decade honors depending on who they beat, and how good they look doing it.

[mr. magoo]

How sad of this era that a chris turd could be a second best..........:-(

Chris Byrd was NOT a turd.........Period......... :nono

[Vantage_West]

i would say so he was a very good fighter and an oddity in the heavywieghts to have a 6 foot southpaw middlewieght who used workrate and combo's to win...but his career is an odd one. he is naturally a super middlewieght we almost all know that...but he just seemed to bloom to late. he was fighting to a title but was too slow on the come up. he was fighting club fighter for 10 odd fights then fought b level fighters....but by then he was already in his 30's a real shame becuase at a younger age he was so illusive so hard to hit and would comeback with all types of shit when he countered...like when he landed 10 hit combo's on jameel out of fun.

is it true he prefers big men to fight?

[rekcutnevets]

You can attempt to make the argument, but he has always had someone prove to be better. So 2nd to whom?

When he was as his best, Ibeabuchi beat the hell out of him. I liked the way he was trying to perform against Ike, but it just didn't work.

Then you had Wladamir beat him around 2000, then again in 2006.

It is true that he like to face larger opponents, or so he always claimed on Tuesday Night Fights. He said that it was so easy to see their punches coming, he felt it made them easy to counter.

[Vantage_West]

This is how I see it. From 2000-2010, the best fighters were Lewis, Klitschko, Klitschko, then Byrd. Byrd has some good wins. Tua and Holyfield come to mind.

Povetkin, or the winner between Ibragimov and Chagaev have a chance to pass Byrd for the decade honors depending on who they beat, and how good they look doing it.WHHHAT povetkin is almost on the door step of a hall of famer byrd.:huh the guy has had less than 20 fights....im actually exagerating it he has 13 pro fights to his name:think
anyways apart from prospect tipping....

byrd was damn good he would totally confuze boxers out hit swarmers slip the big men and stay in the pocket. a very different type of boxing in the heavies at the time...remember no boxer was like him no one fought like this.only toney when he came later had that type of game

[Vantage_West]

You can attempt to make the argument, but he has always had someone prove to be better. So 2nd to whom?

When he was as his best, Ibeabuchi beat the hell out of him. I liked the way he was trying to perform against Ike, but it just didn't work.

Then you had Wladamir beat him around 2000, then again in 2006.

It is true that he like to face larger opponents, or so he always claimed on Tuesday Night Fights. He said that it was so easy to see their punches coming, he felt it made them easy to counter.well it did work against ike he was rolling so well made ike look like a baby throwing all these clubbing shots. that left hook you saw was possibly the best left smash i have seen other than ruddock...but it wasnt meant to hit it just landed at the same time chris slipped the otherside...few featherwieght would of seen and reacted to it let alone a heavywieght. then he got up (still hurt no doubt with a ) and stepped on ibeabuchi's foot.ike moved it and byrd slipped.
then when he was at the stoppage he was on the ropes (where he is natually inclined to go) parrying ,rolling, slipping all the shots waiting for the bell. then the ref comes in:huh to stop it when he has taken only the left uppercut,the right hand and another right hand...he was by far from being a total demolished wreck.

the tide was turning on the byrd-vitali fight byrd started to land more and slip better...im not saying he was going to knock him out or get a unanimus decision but he did have a claim to earn the win. kinda like lewis vs vitali even if vitali was winning he was going to get beat.

and the wlad ?uestion. in the first fight he was staying on the outside and tried to outbox him by staying on the outside...which you found out just gave wlad the abilty to throw what ever he wanted from the shorter reaching shorter in stature byrd.

so in the 2nd fight he came to him trying to backhim up get inside becuase thats his only chance against him but unlike his brother wlad moved back and did ali impressions...byrd just doesnt have the power the reach to give wlad problems but his defencive skills and combo's kept him in but he was just to far past it this time.


if i had one word of advice to byrd it would be cruiserwieght

[achillesthegreat]

Come on CT, you know Byrd is still an active fighter.

[brooklyn1550]

He has a very good resume

[Zakman]

John Ruiz was second best after Lewis.
:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl

Sorry, cheating don't count when evaluating how good a fighter is. :-(

In terms of ability, Ruiz is one of the worst - not only of THIS era, but of ALL TIME!!:yep

[Vantage_West]

:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl

Sorry, cheating don't count when evaluating how good a fighter is. :-(

In terms of ability, Ruiz is one of the worst - not only of THIS era, but of ALL TIME!!:yephorrible fighter but his record i remarkable for a man with is style ...thank you don :fire

[DK80]

I think theres still time for Povetkin, Ibragimov, Chagaev, V. Klitschko and Peter to surpass Byrd.

[EpsilonAxis]

Chris Byrd is probably second or third.

He was a very underrated fighter in his prime. He's the best defensive HW since maybe Jimmy Young. Did things in the rings that middleweights do...

His record is certainly better than Vitali's (and he did beat him fair and square). Unfortunately, his inability to convincingly win a lot of his championship fights hurt his stature.

But the man who beat Tua and Holyfield would school a LOT of today's fighters.

[AJAX]

I would lean toward yes, actually. He has better accomplishments than Vitali, and was way over the hill by the time he faced Wlad.

Thoughts?

I definaltly disagree, he was in too many close fights in which I thought he got gift decisions. Have you ever seen him fight TOS, that was one of the worst championship fights I've ever seen. He was boring as hell to watch and King wouldn't even get him a fight because nobody wanted to watch him fight. And as for beating Vitaly an accomplishment...I guess you never seen the fight, I don't think bryd won a round and Vitaly hurt his shoulder beating on Bryd. That being said he was a skilled boxer and did very well for a guy who was a very small heavyweight.

[RUSKULL]

No I don't think so...

His win over Vitali was due to a freak injury (it was a fluke victory) and his victories over Oquendo, Golota and MCCline were VERY controversial. His bout with Williamson was quite possibly the worst Heavyweight title fight of the decade (or at least close). He was DOMINATED in his three losses. And in 44 pro fights he has just 21 knock outs. He held the WBO title for 6 months via a fluke win and dominant loss. He won the IBF belt (vacant) and held it for a little over three years - his four defenses were all less than spectacular and contraversial. This is NOT a dominant resume IMO...

With guys like Chagaev, Peter, etc on the way up I think it's too early to consider Byrd the 2nd best of this era. His "prime" was '99 thru '05 and he didn't do much to dominate that "era". I think both Klitschkos and several others did more during that time...

He'll probably go down as one of the ten best of this decede (2000-2009) but I certainly don't think he'll be remembered as the 2nd best.

Co sign.

[cross_trainer]

I definaltly disagree, he was in too many close fights in which I thought he got gift decisions. Have you ever seen him fight TOS, that was one of the worst championship fights I've ever seen. He was boring as hell to watch and King wouldn't even get him a fight because nobody wanted to watch him fight. And as for beating Vitaly an accomplishment...I guess you never seen the fight, I don't think bryd won a round and Vitaly hurt his shoulder beating on Bryd. That being said he was a skilled boxer and did very well for a guy who was a very small heavyweight.

I saw the TOS fight. Very boring, but also at the end of Byrd's career.

As to the Vitali fight, Klitschko was winning when he quit with the shoulder injury. But then again, I never said Byrd beat Klitschko. I said his accomplishments were superior.

[Stinky gloves]

Chris Byrd ....His record is certainly better than Vitali's (and he did beat him fair and square).

Realy fair and square?

[IntentionalButt]

John Ruiz was second best after Lewis.

:patsch