My top picks...
1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Larry Holmes
4. Lennox Lewis
5. Evander Holyfield
6. Jack Johnson
7. George Forman
8. Mike Tyson
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Joe Frazier
Louis was 6'2, 200-210 lbs. Some say he was taller than what he was said to be.
At the end of his career Louis weighed 220 lbs. He was the same size as Chagaev, Povetkin or Ibragimov.
People have to realize that the heavyweights today are not necessarily bigger (some are like Wlad, Briggs, Lewis, Valuev, the 'super' heavyweights).
The past heavyweights like Louis and Ali used to drop lots of weight to get into prime condition (they needed to be able to go 15 rounds).
For example Ali's walking weight was 230-240 and he fought at 210-220.
Many of today's heavyweights do not drop weight, they GAIN weight (Byrd, Ibragimov, Toney).
Tyson and Holyfield were both 210-220 and I don't see anyone saying 'they were too small'.
Louis also destroyed 6'6, 250 lb guys like Primo Carnera, Abe Simon and Buddy Baer.
Even the 190 lb Dempsey and Marciano destroyed bigger guys like Willard, Bill Wilson and Luis Firpo.
Size was not the issue but size combined with skill and athleticism (Wlad and Lewis) would be a problem for anyone.
Ali!!!!!...anyday,everyday,any era...
He would slice and dice any of today's 'champions'....can't say that about Marciano or Louis,they would be crusierweights.
Ali....followed by Holmes,Foreman...
Ali (definately the GOAT)
Joe Louis
Joe Frazier
Rocky Marciano
George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Jack Dempsey
Evander Holyfield
Ezzard Charles
Tyson
Honourable mention to the like of Larry Holmes, JJW (Jersey Joe Walcott), Jack Johnson, Floyd Patterson, Ken Norton etc etc
Ali was the greatest in his era, just like Louis, just like Holmes, just like Marciano etc...Different era, different times, there is no such a thing as the greatest heavyweight of all time. :owned:
You can rate and compare the resumes of the dominant fighters of different era's.
Jeffries, Johnson, Willard, Dempsey, Tunney, Baer, Louis, Charles, Marciano, Patterson, Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Holmes, Tyson, Holyfield, Bowe and Lewis.
All great champions, there were some great contenders too and top fighters who were champions for only a short amount of time.
Louis and Ali would come out on top because of their longevity, quality of opposition and the fact that they fought everyone available to them.
for me most hw's are debatable in skills anyway.....ali was small with no defense...but a prime ali didnt need that to be succesful so i respect his skills a lot....joe louis had power-speed but he had a questionable chin, held his left waay too low, was waay to passive sometimes, got rocked and outboxed by opponents smaller or post prime...lewis never faced a prime opponent and lsot to rahman-mccall, holmes never faced a real threat(not his fault, there just wasnt anyone imo...but it still hurts him)...
good thing i dont like hw's...
Louis and Ali are top two as far as resumes go.
Fought the best available opposition for the longest amount of time with the most success.
Louis 30's-40's, Ali 60's-70's.
marciano was my favorite
I'm down with Marciano, I just think in these days of heavy heavyweights he might have got a good beating because he was a small heavyweight. Tecnique-wise he was fabulous, the size thing just concerns me a touch.