Is Joe Louis A Top 5 ATG?

[louis54]

top seven or eight- the best puncher p4p in history. i go with mike silvers top ten-- robinson, gans, greb, leonard, johnson, langford, louis, b walcott, dempsey, armstrong.

[fight_professor]

He's a top 3 HW by achievement, not in any head to head ranking for me.

Its hard to produce a list of just 5 ATG P4P. The ONLY consistant bit is SRR at #1.

[JAB5239]

Louis is the greatest heavyweight ever in my opinion, but not a top 5, nor a top 10 p4p all time fighter. I'd rank all these fighters above him in no particular order, Robinson, Armstrong, Greb, Langford, Charles, B. Leonard, Gans, Duran, Canzoneri, Walker, Pep, Ross, R. Leonard and Jimmy McLarnin. As great as Louis and Ali were, Im a firm believer that out of the original divisions heavyweight has had the least talent. Don't get me wrong, its had some great fighters. But does it stack up talent wise, historically, to the lightweight, welterweight or middleweight divisions where most of the fighters on my list fought? I don't think so.

[The_Demon]

Id have him in my top 10

[boxingbuff]

Louis is the greatest heavyweight ever in my opinion, but not a top 5, nor a top 10 p4p all time fighter. I'd rank all these fighters above him in no particular order, Robinson, Armstrong, Greb, Langford, Charles, B. Leonard, Gans, Duran, Canzoneri, Walker, Pep, Ross, R. Leonard and Jimmy McLarnin. As great as Louis and Ali were, Im a firm believer that out of the original divisions heavyweight has had the least talent. Don't get me wrong, its had some great fighters. But does it stack up talent wise, historically, to the lightweight, welterweight or middleweight divisions where most of the fighters on my list fought? I don't think so.

I have a question for you.When you compare the other weight classes to the heavyweights do you take into consideration that they would lose speed,reflexes,agility,etc. etc. when moving up to heavyweight? I'm not trying to be smart,I really want to know how you compare the lighter weight classes to the heavyweights? Or do you say.....Blow up a Roberto Duran to 215 lbs,and compare him to Muhammad Ali.Geeeezzzz,he would kill Ali if he was blown up to 215 lbs.Do you consider the Heavyweights would be faster and quicker at 147 lbs?

Thank you

[bklynboy]

I have a question for you.When you compare the other weight classes to the heavyweights do you take into consideration that they would lose speed,reflexes,agility,etc. etc. when moving up to heavyweight? I'm not trying to be smart,I really want to know how you compare the lighter weight classes to the heavyweights? Or do you say.....Blow up a Roberto Duran to 215 lbs,and compare him to Muhammad Ali.Geeeezzzz,he would kill Ali if he was blown up to 215 lbs.Do you consider the Heavyweights would be faster and quicker at 147 lbs?

Thank you

Probably because there are / were fewer really top athletes above 200 pounds, especially compared to the lower weights. Simply put the average height is 5'10". You have to be Mike Tyson stocky to be a heavyweight at 5'9"
or 5'10".

[T.Horton]

Yes Or No and explain the reason behind your answer.

At first I thought that I read 'top five heavyweight' so I was ready to come in here and mock you but in my opinion - NO. The only heavyweight that I might rate top ten based on his resume would be Langford and that was because by today's standard he would barely be Arthur Abraham's size.

[boxingbuff]

Probably because there are / were fewer really top athletes above 200 pounds, especially compared to the lower weights. Simply put the average height is 5'10". You have to be Mike Tyson stocky to be a heavyweight at 5'9"
or 5'10".

But why are there fewer top athletes above 200 lbs? For example,if you would add 50 lbs to Roberto Duran wouldn't he be slower,less agile,not as quick,etc. etc. ?

And,wouldn't heavyweights be faster,quicker,more agile if they were 50 lbs lighter? Do you see what I mean?

Muhammad Ali is an exception.He is as fast,as quick,as alot of light weights and welterweights.

[McGrain]

He's been moving up my list of late. Bu not top 5, no.

[TBear]

yes, not only because not because he was one of the greatest sportsmen and and a class personality. But for a very long time he was untouchable and unbeatable. Additonally his reign at heavyweight champion was more impressive than many of the entre careers of alot of the ATG'.s