Greatest Heavyweights of all time list 1969

[sonnyboyx2]

Nat Fleischer founder of the Ring Magazine compiled this list in 1969 only days before the death of Rocky Marciano - Joe Frazier was the universally accepted Heavyweight Champion of the World.

1/. Jack Johnson
2/. James J. Jeffries
3/. Bob Fitzsimmons
4/. Jack Dempsey
5/. James J. Corbett
6/. Joe Louis
7/. Sam Langford
8/. Gene Tunney
9/. Max Schmelling
10/. Rocky Marciano

Fleischer claimed " Anyone in his Top 10 would have had an easy night taking care of Muhammad Ali" - Fleischer claimed "Jack Johnson was the greatest who ever lived"..

what are your opinions?

[billeau2]

69 was sort of the height of the anti-Ali sentiments. Media always picks up and magnifies sentiments because it helps sell. My initial thought, without looking to see what his specific points are, is that Nat was playing to the crowd.

[Weltschmerz]

My opinion is that greater (and real) heavyweights went on to live and conquer in the footsteps of these dinosaurs. Dempsey, Tunney, Marciano could be on any top 10 HW list though.

[Suckmedry]

Yeah, Bob Fitzsimmons takes care of Ali easily.

[Ray Corso]

I evaluate Methods & Techniques before looking at a record that being said Joe Louis is the best technical heavy of all time for me.
This has little to nothing to do with "fantasy matchups" because the number 20 heavy has a chance to beat number one on any given night.

I have to agree with Jack Johnson being high on the list because in his time he was inovative and had tools & skills far above anyone from his era.

Dempsey can be mentioned because in his time his approach to a bout was exciting and had anticipation simular to Tyson 60 years later. Ali also brought
new interest and the beginning of the Olympic Champion being heralded as
great prospect for the pros. He was also hated then loved during his career and was a humanitarian along with being the most recognizable face in the world during his life.

Langford is one man capable of out boxing out fighting and simply out foxing anyone. He was an outstanding ring general and probably the most well rounded
complete heavy ever.

Ray.

[Tom Cruise]

Nat Fleischer founder of the Ring Magazine compiled this list in 1969 only days before the death of Rocky Marciano - Joe Frazier was the universally accepted Heavyweight Champion of the World.

1/. Jack Johnson
2/. James J. Jeffries
3/. Bob Fitzsimmons
4/. Jack Dempsey
5/. James J. Corbett
6/. Joe Louis
7/. Sam Langford
8/. Gene Tunney
9/. Max Schmelling
10/. Rocky Marciano

Fleischer claimed " Anyone in his Top 10 would have had an easy night taking care of Muhammad Ali" - Fleischer claimed "Jack Johnson was the greatest who ever lived"..

what are your opinions?

If you are purely talking about greatness then it makes sense that fighters who have completed their careers will be held in higher regards than fighters who are half way through.

Obviously I dont agree with the last statement

[Ben Bolt]

I think I mentioned it before, that surveys have shown people get their favorite athletes when they’re young, and keep holding them in highest regard later on in life.
So Fleischer’s (born 1887) comment on Ali isn’t surprising, nor him placing Louis only 6th.

It also means, a lot of today’s teenage boxing fans will always idolize Wlad.

[juggernaut666]

Yeah, Bob Fitzsimmons takes care of Ali easily.

Fitzsimmons takes care of ali easily?Yea sure he does...My guess is you've never seen him actually fight how else would a knowledgable person make that statement!The FACT this guy has Fitszimmons at number 3 truly shows how much garbage Ring magazine spews even back then and Jefferies at number 2 is just as bad..The vid provided will show just how laughable that one really is.......





NO one on that list should be over Ali...NO one!

[billeau2]

Ring magazine has always been more for popular consumption than for a critical evaluation of which fighters were more, or less talented. Ali also broke all the rules...So it took the boxing orthodox time to realize how talented he really was, and god forbid a draft dodging negro with sass would get any bones from the powers that be!

True story. black belt magazine is the most widely read martial arts mag in the world and i have written at least 4 articles for them. When I wrote for them, as a contributing editor the hardest part of the writing process was figuring out how to dumb down the articles for an audience of what amounted to relatively intelligent 4th graders....no exxageration. Ring is like Black Belt and this is an inside perspective.

[juggernaut666]

Ring magazine has always been more for popular consumption than for a critical evaluation of which fighters were more, or less talented. Ali also broke all the rules...So it took the boxing orthodox time to realize how talented he really was, and god forbid a draft dodging negro with sass would get any bones from the powers that be!

True story. black belt magazine is the most widely read martial arts mag in the world and i have written at least 4 articles for them. When I wrote for them, as a contributing editor the hardest part of the writing process was figuring out how to dumb down the articles for an audience of what amounted to relatively intelligent 4th graders....no exxageration. Ring is like Black Belt and this is an inside perspective.

Except Black Belt is more showing actual discipilines and interviews,its also not telling you how great a martial artist was over another,its really just to show different techniques from different arts....apples and oranges...there is no way you can tell me ring magazine is more credible from the type of magazine it is than black belt...and that's coming from a someone whos been involved in martial arts since 91.Your head is not as big as you think, in stating you had to dumb down a martial arts magazine I know you're full of it once again to belittle to be the superior voice on here..and that's from a REAL inside perspective!