The BoxingScene History Section Consensus Heavyweight Rankings

[LondonRingRules]

Roll Call for a new list:

I'll make the clarion call again.. anyone who wants to join in just say so here. What you'll need to do is provide a top 15 list of your all-time heavyweight rankings. When we get enough, and no one else wants to contribute, we'll tally the consensus.

** When we get enough, eh?

One plus 8 = 9, a 12.5% increase that I shall provide in the interest of advancing the evolution of humanity.

1. Jack Johnson
2. Jim Jeffries
3. Bob Fitzsimmons
4. Jack Dempsey
5. James J. Corbett
6. Joe Louis
7. Sam Langford
8. Gene Tunney
9. Max Schmeling
10. Rocky Marciano.
11. John L Sullivan
12. Ezzard Charles
13. George Foreman
14. Peter Jackson
15 Wlad Klitschko

[Hawkins]

** When we get enough, eh?

One plus 8 = 9, a 12.5% increase that I shall provide in the interest of advancing the evolution of humanity.

1. Jack Johnson
2. Jim Jeffries
3. Bob Fitzsimmons
4. Jack Dempsey
5. James J. Corbett
6. Joe Louis
7. Sam Langford
8. Gene Tunney
9. Max Schmeling
10. Rocky Marciano.
11. John L Sullivan
12. Ezzard Charles
13. George Foreman
14. Peter Jackson
15 Wlad Klitschko

Yes, when we get enough. Meaning alot more than 8. Hopefully 25-30..but the more the merrier.

[warp1432]

For what it's worth, here's my top 15 list...........

1.) Joe Louis
2.) Muhammad Ali
3.) Larry Holmes
4.) Jack Johnson
5.) George Foreman
6.) Jack Dempsey
7.) Joe Frazier
8.) Rocky Marciano
9.) Evander Holyfield
10.) Lennox Lewis
11.) Mike Tyson
12.) Sonny Liston
13.) Sam Langford
14.) Jersey Joe Walcott
15.) Floyd Patterson

My list:
1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Lewis
5. Foreman
6. Johnson
7. Marciano
8. Holyfield
9. Mike Tyson
10. Joe Frazier

I hate making the last half of that ten because it always changes for me

[Hawkins]

My list:
1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Lewis
5. Foreman
6. Johnson
7. Marciano
8. Holyfield
9. Mike Tyson
10. Joe Frazier

I hate making the last half of that ten because it always changes for me

Top 15 bro. Need to add another 5.

[Steak]

Holyfield fought in the best era bar the 1970's. He's got longevity, opponent quality and the fact that he moved up in weight (p4p skills) all going for him. You would think he'd make at least the top 5.

the biggest problem with Holyfield is his losses. Ive always thought that losses arent really a big deal, and that every great fighter will lose eventually if he is really fighting the best opponents available to him.
but you still have to count them to a degree, and Holyfield wasnt able to avenge his losses to Lewis and Bowe.


just wondering...why would yall rate Dempsey in the top ten? no offense to Dempsey, but theres a lot of talent in the history of the heavyweight division, and I dont see what makes him stand out.

[ßringer]

My list:
1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Lewis
5. Foreman
6. Johnson
7. Marciano
8. Holyfield
9. Mike Tyson
10. Joe Frazier

I hate making the last half of that ten because it always changes for me

My top 10 never changes, I don't think it has since I was 14 years old.

My top 15, on the other hand, is a hard pick. Picking the last 5 guys after my top 10 is really hard, because there were so many other good-to-great Heavyweights over the years.

[them_apples]

the biggest problem with Holyfield is his losses. Ive always thought that losses arent really a big deal, and that every great fighter will lose eventually if he is really fighting the best opponents available to him.
but you still have to count them to a degree, and Holyfield wasnt able to avenge his losses to Lewis and Bowe.


just wondering...why would yall rate Dempsey in the top ten? no offense to Dempsey, but theres a lot of talent in the history of the heavyweight division, and I dont see what makes him stand out.

He didn't avenge his loss to Bowe but he did beat Bowe 1 out of the 3. He beat Bowe at his own game to, being the smaller man. The Lewis fights were close and Holyfield was past it taking on a Prime Lewis. Had they met prime for prime a Holyfield win is not out of the question.

[LondonRingRules]

imo, a good way to find out what eras were better than others is longevity. for example, Holyfield is now what...46 or 47? and with his style+the amount of punishment he took you would have thought he would be totally shot at 40(and thats being generous). and yet here he is, getting robbed against top 5 competition 7 years later in today's era. I think its fairly safe to say that overall, Holyfield's era was much more talented than the present day.

but maybe thats just me.

** Longevity? The Holy One has less bouts than Wlad, so exactly what kind of longevity are you talking of?

Shot at 40? Since turning 36 he's 6-7-2, 2 KO overall, 1-5-2, 0 KO in title fights, and last beat a top 10 fighter, oh, around age 39 when he butted Rahman to a technical decision more than 7 yrs ago.

How on earth is he getting robbed when clearly he couldn't smush a fly with a jackhammer? How many fighters earn what he does to be a punching bag? If anything younger heavies are being robbed of opportunities to fight for a titles that he's been propped up in.

Joe Mesi, a perfect record and zer0 title shots, Larry Donald, one title shot. Tony Thompson, one title shot. Ike Ibeachui, zer0 title shots in spite of a perfect record, David Tua, one title shot, JCGomez, one title shot, Danny Williams, one title shot, Matt Skelton, one title shot, Dominick Guinn, zer0 title shots, Michael Grant, one title shot, Lance Whitaker, zer0 title shots, Bert Cooper, one title shot, Vaughn Bean, one title shot, Alex Stewert, zer0 title shots, Fres Oquendo, one title shot, Lou Sarvarse, zer0 title shots, Jeremy Bates and Vince Maddalone, zer00 title shots, Povetkin, zer0 title shots, Arreola, zer0 title shots, Albert Sosnowski, zer0 title shots and on.

Am I supposed to feel bad for a guy who's won exactly 1 of his 8 title shots in this period and earned tens of millions of dollars to lose?

I'll vote for the guy in the HOF when his name first comes up, but please, let's not get carried away with nonsense over him. He ain't in the elite great category, not even close. Reminds me a bit of Jack Sharkey's career, sort of all over the map he was.

[warp1432]

Top 15 bro. Need to add another 5.

My bad.

11. Jack Dempsey
12. Sonny Liston
13. Jim Jeffries
14. Floyd Patterson
15. Ezzard Charles

[them_apples]

** Longevity? The Holy One has less bouts than Wlad, so exactly what kind of longevity are you talking of?

Shot at 40? Since turning 36 he's 6-7-2, 2 KO overall, 1-5-2, 0 KO in title fights, and last beat a top 10 fighter, oh, around age 39 when he butted Rahman to a technical decision more than 7 yrs ago.

How on earth is he getting robbed when clearly he couldn't smush a fly with a jackhammer? How many fighters earn what he does to be a punching bag? If anything younger heavies are being robbed of opportunities to fight for a titles that he's been propped up in.

Joe Mesi, a perfect record and zer0 title shots, Larry Donald, one title shot. Tony Thompson, one title shot. Ike Ibeachui, zer0 title shots in spite of a perfect record, David Tua, one title shot, JCGomez, one title shot, Danny Williams, one title shot, Matt Skelton, one title shot, Dominick Guinn, zer0 title shots, Michael Grant, one title shot, Lance Whitaker, zer0 title shots, Bert Cooper, one title shot, Vaughn Bean, one title shot, Alex Stewert, zer0 title shots, Fres Oquendo, one title shot, Lou Sarvarse, zer0 title shots, Jeremy Bates and Vince Maddalone, zer00 title shots, Povetkin, zer0 title shots, Arreola, zer0 title shots, Albert Sosnowski, zer0 title shots and on.

Am I supposed to feel bad for a guy who's won exactly 1 of his 8 title shots in this period and earned tens of millions of dollars to lose?

I'll vote for the guy in the HOF when his name first comes up, but please, let's not get carried away with nonsense over him. He ain't in the elite great category, not even close. Reminds me a bit of Jack Sharkey's career, sort of all over the map he was.

and Jack Johnson is an elite? the guy hit the canvas against a middleweight, not even a blown up middleweight..a legit middleweight! Johnson has a flip flopping record with random losses popping up even during his prime, you can't say the same about Holyfield. Then if you are going to rip on Holyfield's last few contending years..look at Johnson's once again..littered with losses.

he's the guy you rate so highly.

Wladmir ffs? he looks so out of place on your list. A big list of fighters from the 1920's then all of a sudden Wlad? Wtf did he do that was so great? Why is Ali absent from your list when he beat Foreman, a fighter you have on your list?

Jack Dempsey above Joe Louis?....alrighty then...