Who do you guys think the top five heavyweights were In there prime?[not there career as a whole]

That's tough to say, they were all so great in their primes. I guess for my taste, it would be
Ali
Louis
Holmes
Tyson
Liston

But i think a list like this would change more often than a 'Top 10 greatest HWs ever' list, though.

Id go with..

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Tyson
4. Foreman
5. Liston

Here's mine:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Sonny Liston
3. George Foreman
4. Mike Tyson
5. Joe Louis

Although I'm thinking of moving Foreman down, though.

I'm weighing in with...


Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Mike Tyson
Jack Dempsey
Larry Holmes

I'd have to have

1>Muhammad Ali
2>Larry Holmes
3>Lennox Lewis
4>George Foreman
5>Mike Tyson

1-Liston
2-Lewis
3-Ali
4-Tyson
5-Holmes

I'm going to go with Liston at #1. If we're talking prime, I'll take a 94-inch reach with 2 oak-tree-arms. Thanks.

Yeah, sometimes Liston fought entire fights throwing nothing but jabs from halfway across the ring. It's so tough to gauge the guy's career though, given the strange situation surrounding his age, personal life, etc. Even so, pretty amazing at the top of his game.

1. Ali
2. Liston
3. Louis
4. Tyson
5. Holmes

1. Tyson, clearly
2. Dempsey
3. Louis
4. Ali
5. Lewis
6. Foreman

The 6 best prime heavies ever.

1. Tyson
2. Louis
3. Ali
4. Liston
5. Marciano

The funny thing about this is, we've all got Tyson high on the "prime" list, when he really spent the majority of it in prison. I mean, he was green until about 22-23, which is when he fired his entire staff (whereby loosing the stone-killer instinct, elusive defense, and buzzsaw offensive skills, all while adding nonsensical partying), and lost to Douglas as a result. It was after his loss that he worked hard again, used what he learned from his loss in the next four fights, and would have developed into something much classier in the ring (ie: less worried about KO'ing early, and more concerned with simply winning). Unfortunately, he and Ali both missed the best years of their respective careers, and yet, their so-called "primes" that did exist were still some of the best.

The funny thing about this is, we've all got Tyson high on the "prime" list, when he really spent the majority of it in prison. I mean, he was green until about 22-23, which is when he fired his entire staff

** Tyson's key staff members were Jacobs and D'amato, both of whom died. The only "staff" left were lessors Cayton and Rooney, not his father figure mentors who commanded his respect. Tyson slowly crumbles over the next 17 yrs in an amazing drama not even Shakesphere could pen.

I'm going to go with Liston at #1. If we're talking prime, I'll take a 94-inch reach with 2 oak-tree-arms. Thanks.

Actually he had an 86" reach, two inches short of the all-time record for Heavyweight champions of 88" held by Earnie Terell.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Larry Holmes

Poet

Actually he had an 86" reach, two inches short of the all-time record for Heavyweight champions of 88" held by Earnie Terell.
Poet

** Ah, the Don't Know It Poet makes another mess.

Liston's reach used to be listed at 84", same as Terrell's, but recent boxrec revisions like to use arm reach, listing Terrell at 32.5" and Liston at 33". It's all a bunch of hooey at any rate. Clearly the champion with most reach is Valuev, listed at 85".

The funny thing about this is, we've all got Tyson high on the "prime" list, when he really spent the majority of it in prison. I mean, he was green until about 22-23, which is when he fired his entire staff (whereby loosing the stone-killer instinct, elusive defense, and buzzsaw offensive skills, all while adding nonsensical partying), and lost to Douglas as a result. It was after his loss that he worked hard again, used what he learned from his loss in the next four fights, and would have developed into something much classier in the ring (ie: less worried about KO'ing early, and more concerned with simply winning). Unfortunately, he and Ali both missed the best years of their respective careers, and yet, their so-called "primes" that did exist were still some of the best.

Well im talking there prime not there peack age, there is a difference, Lennox Lewis is a prime(no pun intended) example of this having his best fights and being in his best shap in his 30s. Tysons prime was Between 86-90. And thats what im ranking him on, in his prime he was the most feared boxer and cleaned up the division.

I can't believe none of you have Frazier in there. He was already past his prime going into the first Ali fight, and won still!

Actually he had an 86" reach, two inches short of the all-time record for Heavyweight champions of 88" held by Earnie Terell.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Larry Holmes

Poet

Not according to The Devil and Sonny Liston........

I can't believe none of you have Frazier in there. He was already past his prime going into the first Ali fight, and won still!

I have Frazier ranked 9th on my ATG list.

Poet

Poet, What is yout ATG list?

Poet, What is yout ATG list?

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Larry Holmes
6. Sonny Liston
7. Evander Holyfield
8. George Foreman
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Joe Frazier
11. Harry Wills
12. Joe Walcott

My mistake! I have Frazier 10.

Poet

Thanks for showing me, cant say i totally agree but its the wronf topic to discuss this on!

1: tyson
2:holmes
3:lewis
4:foreman
5:manny pacquaio? can' t choose a 5th heavy

1: tyson
2:holmes
3:lewis
4:foreman
5:manny pacquaio? can' t choose a 5th heavy

This guy has GOT to be an alt. :nonono:

Poet

This guy has GOT to be an alt.

Poet

lol you rip on all my lists! lol ah well..to each his own

cheers

To be interesting, I think these five had the tools on their very best night to give any of the greats a good run for their money.

1. Holyfield
2. Foreman
3. Tyson
4. Vitali
5. Bowe

1 Muhammad Ali
2 Joe Louis
3 Larry Holmes
4 Lennox Lewis
5 Riddick Bowe

1. tyson - ***** was a beast in his prime un stopable
2. joe louis
3. ali
4. foreman
5. holyfield.. biased

Ali and Louis would be mainstays at number 1 & 2. The rest of the list should go something like Tyson, Liston, Bowe in that order.

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. George Foreman
4. Joe Frazier
5. Gene Tunney

1.Lennox Lewis
2.Muhammad Ali
3.George Foreman
4.Jack Johnson
5.Larry Holmes

The top 5 prime heavies? That's an easy one:

1. James J. "The Boilermaker" Jeffries. In his prime, he was never beaten or even knocked down. He retired as the undefeated undisputed champion of the world. His only loss occurred 6 YEARS later when he came out of retirement for only one fight, that being against a prime Jack Johnson in the true "fight of the century." Later, Jack Johnson said, "Jeffries was the greatest fighter of all time." At 6' 3", 230 lbs, he could run the 100 yd dash in 10 sec. when the world record was then in the 9 sec. range. In the ring, his combination of footspeed and punching power damaged his opponents' into submission and left spectators awestruck. Jeffries' stamina and ruggedness is noted by historians as being the greatest of all times. He regularly fought over 25 rounds in fights, with 3 ounce gloves. 3 once gloves. No pillowfights here, folks. This man could take real punishment without flinching. He fought all comers, and once offered to fight hall of famers Fitzsimmons, Sharkey, and Corbett, all in the same night. They refused. Jeffries was the real "real deal." Physically, contemporaries likened the man to a grizzlybear, except Jeffries had bigger thighs. Here was a man of a different cloth and one can only imagine with bemusement (or horror) what he would do with today's spoiled and overprotected professional athlete.

2. Joe Louis. The longest championship reign in history. Easily the number 2 man.

3. Muhammad Ali. Charismatic stylist whose exploits and talent are so well known that they don't need to be restated here.

4. Rocky Marciano. Retired as undefeated champion of the world. Enough said.

5. Jack Dempsey. The most ferocious fighter of the 20th century was no act. He knocked out teeth and broke ribs and in doing so became America's first true sports "superstar."