Top 10 Heavies from best to worst

[Wiley Hyena]

Monte Cox's ratings, updated February 2012:

Heavyweight Ratings

Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Larry Holmes
Sonny Liston
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Frazier
Jack Johnson

Best Overall Boxer: Muhammad Ali
Fastest: Muhammad Ali
Best Fundamentally: Joe Louis
Best Jab: Larry Holmes
Best Left Hook: Jack Dempsey, Joe Frazier
Best Right Cross: Joe Louis
Best Uppercut: George Foreman, Mike Tyson
Best Counter Puncher: Joe Louis
Best Knockout Puncher (Power AND Accuracy): Joe Louis
Best Combination Punching: Joe Louis
Hardest One Punch: Mike Tyson
Best Body Puncher: Joe Frazier
Best Finisher: Joe Louis
Best Footwork: Muhammad Ali
Best at Feinting: Jack Johnson
Best Defense: Jack Johnson
Strongest Physically: George Foreman
Best Conditioned: Rocky Marciano
Best Chin: Muhammad Ali
Best Competition: Muhammad Ali

Lots to argue about here, but everyone is entitled to his opinion.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Dempsey
4. George Foreman
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Evander Holyfield
7. Ezzard Charles
8. Mike Tyson
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Jim Jeffries

[SBleeder]

Lots to argue about here, but everyone is entitled to his opinion.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Dempsey
4. George Foreman
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Evander Holyfield
7. Ezzard Charles
8. Mike Tyson
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Jim Jeffries

Charles? Can't see how he's a top 10 HW. No Holmes?

[Money Shot]

Ali
Louis
Marciano
Dempsey
Vitali Klitschko
Foreman
Jack Johnson
Wlad Klitschko
Lewis
Holyfield

[zelley]

Top heavies

JOE LOUIS number one, and then the rest

[CarlosG815]

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Mike Tyson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Frazier
Jack Johnson
Rocky Marciano
George Foreman
Sonny Liston
Larry Holmes

[susano]

Oh....its really great....thanks for sharing all this informations...It will very helpful to everyone.

[Panamaniac]

I've been away from this forum for a couple of years and given that this is a 94-page (by my settings) thread, I might have posted my top 10 before, as I don't recall. Disregard any previous response to the topic, as this is my ranking of these fighters at their peak, today.

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Jack Johnson
4. Mike Tyson
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Rocky Marciano
7. Larry Holmes
8. Sonny Liston
9. George Foreman
10. Joe Frazier

[Panamaniac]

Observation...

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Mike Tyson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Frazier
Jack Johnson
Rocky Marciano
George Foreman
Sonny Liston
Larry Holmes

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Jack Johnson
4. Mike Tyson
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Rocky Marciano
7. Larry Holmes
8. Sonny Liston
9. George Foreman
10. Joe Frazier

We agree on the same 10 fighters, if the order of your listing is a reflection of your ranking, we vehemently disagree.

[danthepoetman]

I don’t want to offend anyone here, but in my opinion, the two first are no brainers, it’s Ali and Louis, whatever order you put them in. I think Ali would have beaten Louis the first time around, but my hunch is Louis would have won the rematch. Historically, they have a similar significance. Both great social figures.
Things get much more complicated when you complete the list.

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhamad Ali
3. George Foreman
4. Larry Holmes
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Jack Dempsey
7. Jack Johnson
8. Lennox Lewis
9. Joe Frazier
10. Mike Tyson

We have to give very honourable mentions to Sam Langford, Evander Holyfield and Ezzard Charles. They all were better pound for pound fighters than heavyweights. Langford was a small man who started fighting at welterweight, if memory serves. I think he was also only 5 feet 4 inches… Yet he was a brilliant heavyweight contender in his time. Holyfield had to muscle up to get to 215 pounds at a time when big guys were 225 to 250… He should be at worst number 11 on the list, if not higher, and should have a higher spot than most of these heavyweights on a historical pound for pound list. (By the way, I can’t make my mind as to put him in place of Tyson or not. I think Tyson’s brutal victory over a not so old Larry Holmes might make the difference). As to Ezzard Charles, he was the best light heavyweight ever, besides having been the heavyweight champ, and having a victory over an older Louis.
Kenny Norton should have a place not too far either, who was Ali’s real nemesis; we never mention that fact enough.
In both Frazier’s and Tyson’s cases, it’s what they’ve accomplished at their peak that makes them stand out, more than the length of their reign.
Honorable mention also goes to Jim Corbet, who reinvented the sport at a moment when rules were changing; and the same goes for Jack Dempsey. Jack Johnson also has a great historical significance as a champion, a great place as a social figure.
I feel either Klitschko might have a place in there, but it’s too early to tell.
Another outstanding fighter we should mention is Harry Wills. Had it not been of that so called and infamous “color line”, he might have become a great champion in the 20s.

[SBleeder]

Holyfield had to muscle up to get to 215 pounds at a time when big guys were 225 to 250… He should be at worst number 11 on the list, if not higher, and should have a higher spot than most of these heavyweights on a historical pound for pound list. (By the way, I can’t make my mind as to put him in place of Tyson or not. I think Tyson’s brutal victory over a not so old Larry Holmes might make the difference).

1. Holyfield was every bit as dominant in a 12 round win as Tyson was in a 4 round win
2. Holmes may have been younger for Tyson than he was against Holyfield, but he was out of shape and barely trained.