What do you think is a fighter's prime fight?

[butterfly1964]

Is it when they are the most determined and focused, or is it when they are the most physically matured? i ask this cause many people here have different ideas about what is a fighter's greatest performance. for example, with muhammad ali, some people say his best fight was either the first liston fight or the foreman fight, cause he was the most focused and determined to win the championship, but then again, some people say it was with cleveland williams or zora folley, cause he was the most physically matured and dominant. also for joe louis, some people say his best fight was the rematch with schmeling cause he was more focused, and some people say he was the most physically matured and better in the second buddy baer fight or the second abe simon fight. the same thing goes for tyson, he was determined to win against berbick, but he was more matured in the holmes and the spinks fight. I'm just wondering, what do you think?

thank you.

[BKM-]

You can look at it diffirently. When he's not matured yet but focused, he's probably gonna do a lot better than when he's matured and not focused.

[SuzieQ49]

Is it when they are the most determined and focused, or is it when they are the most physically matured?

i would say both

[butterfly1964]

bump.......

[Southpaw Stinger]

whats with all this bumping butterfly?

[BKM-]

Yeah, cut it out Butthead. Its like you're trying to promote your crap.

[MrSinister]

For the "ordinary champ" I would say "When he/she is most determined and focused to win" since most fighters get lazy after becoming champs. With all the money,women and drugs which comes with the succes of becoming a champ these issues outside of the ring often seems to be a much more difficult fight to handle then the actuall opponents. Some fighters continue to develop for another year or so but usually the fighters skills decline after success. I can't recall to many heavyweight fighters being better 3-4 years after becoming champ then the first night they fought for the title. Maybe Larry Holmes and Joe Louis. But who else? We will never know with Ali of course because of the exile.

[Krucial]

i'd say when he/she is matured physically

cuz evry boxer has been focused n determined passed their prime
not saying always
but yea

[The Noose]

U can be physically at ur peak but still put in a poor performance. U can be determined to win, but lose.

With Ali, his greatest performances IMO were against Liston and Foreman. Because he was the underdog, and won against the odds.
Against Williams he totally dominated and gave a perfect performance, but it wasnt a real test for him, as he was way too good.

The same with Tyson. I like the Holmes fight because he was taken a few rounds, and had to deal with a tough, experienced veteran who used his jab well. But Tyson kept coming and got the KO.
Against Berbick he totally dominated.

For me its all about how much u rise to the challenge. Not how dominant the performance was.

[K-DOGG]

A fighter's "prime fight".....would simply be that fighter at his very best when compared to every other performance he ever had.

For example, Buster Douglas's "prime fight" was the Tyson upset. That was as good as Douglas ever was...and, in a way, for one night and one night only, he was a "Great Fighter".

With Bowe, it would have been the first Holyfield fight.

With Ali, probably Cleveland Williams.

With Louis..either Schmeling II or Baer....probably Baer.