The BoxingScene History Section Consensus Heavyweight Rankings

[Hawkins]

** Hey, now, I ain't the one bellyaching about JJ being underrated.

This ain't about me, it's about consensus. I'm just a worker ant rolling my sayso to construct a mighty list. Maybe I'm as screwed up as you guys are, ringing up the list with my favored fighters, records be damned, did you ever think?

Or maybe I'm just old school with an obvious preference for guys in 2-4 oz gloves in long rounds, with 6oz gloved era fighters next, and the 10oz era last.

Or maybe I'm just a guy who took a consensus from reporters who rated fighters that they had seen. These pioneers started dying out around Ali's era. They didn't rate Ali, and since moderns claim he's the best then if follows that no fighter after him can be ranked higher.

But, hey, I fudged a little with Big George and Wlad, so forgive me Charlie Rose.

But enough of me. Imagine poor Hawk has got a bellyful of me these few short days to last him until they nail his coffin shut.

I'm just an humble servant of the board providing the necessities to build a Mighty List of consensus.

By all means, keep on keepin' on brother. Your ramblings, which are ridiculous and bordering on the delusional, do more to discredit and devalue your opinions that I or anyone else ever could.

[Greatwhitehope]

Intersting to see no Holmes, I'd have him top 5, as for Jack Johnson I think a lot of people get carried away with what he did for boxing and being the first black champion rather than what he did in boxing. I'd most likely have him at around 10th.

[Grand Champ]

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

That's a pretty good list.. Gotta ask though.. Why did you put Larry holmes third?

[res]

Yeah, I'm surprised Liston made the top 10 consensus, while Holmes was left completely in the cold.

That's stunning to me. I rank Holmes at #3 on my list.

I'm also surprised that Lewis was ranked so highly (he's #10 on my list), and that Tyson even made the top 10. (I consider Mike a near-ATG, just outisde my list at #11).

Interesting stuff.

Yep, agree with you on all those points.

[GJC]

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...

Fair point! Nice to see Peter Jackson on that list too, never personally seen any film of him fighting!! Think Richard THe Lionheart could have got a mention too apparently had quite a good left hook according to the odd history book.

[GJC]

Fair point! Nice to see Peter Jackson on that list too, never personally seen any film of him fighting!! Think Richard THe Lionheart could have got a mention too apparently had quite a good left hook according to the odd history book.

Actually meant fair point about Wlad plus the 1920's fighters.
Actually really rate Jack Johnson myself, think there was a bit of a smell about the Ketchell knockdown/dive.

[-CANE-]

Hawkins - I remember when we did that, the results were interesting and it would be great to do it again with much more voters.

[ßringer]

That's a pretty good list.. Gotta ask though.. Why did you put Larry holmes third?

I rate Larry quite highly, I've always had him in my top 3.

His record was pretty damn good, with wins over Shavers X2, Norton, Spinks, Cooney, Cobb, Ali, etc..... The 20 title defenses is another thing I really like.

The first Spinks loss was....questionable, in my eyes.

And Larry fought pretty much everybody he possibly could.

[JAB5239]

I rate Larry quite highly, I've always had him in my top 3.

His record was pretty damn good, with wins over Shavers X2, Norton, Spinks, Cooney, Cobb, Ali, etc..... The 20 title defenses is another thing I really like.

The first Spinks loss was....questionable, in my eyes.

And Larry fought pretty much everybody he possibly could.

I also rank Holmes very highly, but I think he could have faced a number of other top fighters at the time. Im also dissipointed he never gave Williams or Witherspoon deserved rematches.

[ßringer]

I also rank Holmes very highly, but I think he could have faced a number of other top fighters at the time. Im also dissipointed he never gave Williams or Witherspoon deserved rematches.

I wanted to see a Witherspoon rematch as well.

Williams, I can see a case for also.

Who else do you think he should've faced, that he did not?