Top 12 h2h heavyweights in history

[The Surgeon]

Marciano number 3 on a h2h list? I'd pick at least 6 of the fighters you have below him to beat him h2h.

How u like Marciano vs Tunney JAB?

[Bodyshot3]

Thought long and hard about Marciano featuring so high-up..rather than just wallop the reply button and create a list. But we are still talking about an undefeated world champion, with a truly formidable knockout record.

Furthermore, he was operating in an era when boxing remained a mainstream, hugely competitive sport which still attracted the top/elite athletes of the day. Boxing was not a niche sport when Rocky was fighting, just making the heavweight world top ten was a major achievement.

He would have lost to Lewis, Holmes, Vitali and Foreman purely based on weight and height disadvantages.....but he was the elite fighter of an extremely competitive era when everyone was lighter and smaller.

[Scott9945]

Thought long and hard about Marciano featuring so high-up..rather than just wallop the reply button and create a list. But we are still talking about an undefeated world champion, with a truly formidable knockout record.

Furthermore, he was operating in an era when boxing remained a mainstream, hugely competitive sport which still attracted the top/elite athletes of the day. Boxing was not a niche sport when Rocky was fighting, just making the heavweight world top ten was a major achievement.

He would have lost to Lewis, Holmes, Vitali and Foreman purely based on weight and height disadvantages.....but he was the elite fighter of an extremely competitive era when everyone was lighter and smaller.

All legit points. Except that you named four guys he wouldn't beat and the thread title was "h2h", not P4P. So under that criteria Rocky really can't be #3.

[JAB5239]

How u like Marciano vs Tunney JAB?

Though I don't rank him all time I'd favor Tunney to win by a hard fought and close decision.

[Sugarj]

I don't really believe in H2H lists but I'll have a go for fun:

Ali (From Cleveland Williams)
Holmes (From Cooney)
Tyson (From Spinks)
Bowe (From Holyfield 1)
Foreman (From Frazier 1)
Holyfield (From Bowe 2/Foreman)
Liston (From Cleveland Williams 2)
Lewis (From Golota)
Louis (From Schmelling 2)
Vitali (From Williams)

All are assuming prime for prime on the best day they ever saw as a pro. Obviously the performances listed might not be considered their respective bests by other fans.

The list is only roughly in order of superiority H2H. For example prime Foreman might well KO Tyson, but in turn get outpointed by Holyfield, who'd probably get outpointed by Louis. Lewis might well outpoint Liston or be KO'd by him!

Other honourable mentions at their best would be:

Dempsey (From Willard fight)
Johnson (From Burns fight)
Tunney (From Dempsey 1)
Marciano (From Charles 1)

I'm just too hesitant to include these guys on size and eras. I'd love to be wrong here.

Also:

Frazier (From Ellis 1)
Buster Douglas (From McCall/Tyson)
Ibeabuchi (From Tua/Byrd)
Wlad (From Byrd)

I just worry about Frazier and Wlad against the bigger punchers......and Douglas & Ibeabuchi are simply just too random to consider!!! But on their day they might be nightmares for the very best.

[SBleeder]

I apologize, but I've never understood the concept of head-to-head lists.

Styles often determine the outcomes between comparably-skilled fighters, so we get situations where fighter A beats fighter B, and fighter B beats fighter C, but fighter C beats fighter A.

So how can you make a list and assert that the #5 fighter beats everyone beneath him? We all know that boxing doesn't work that way. For instance, I'd pick Frazier to beat Holmes, and I'd pick Holmes to beat Foreman. So does that mean that Frazier beats Foreman?

[Sugarj]

I apologize, but I've never understood the concept of head-to-head lists.

Styles often determine the outcomes between comparably-skilled fighters, so we get situations where fighter A beats fighter B, and fighter B beats fighter C, but fighter C beats fighter A.

So how can you make a list and assert that the #5 fighter beats everyone beneath him? We all know that boxing doesn't work that way. For instance, I'd pick Frazier to beat Holmes, and I'd pick Holmes to beat Foreman. So does that mean that Frazier beats Foreman?

You are absolutely right.

Head to head listings are nothing other than a bit of fun......

[The Surgeon]

I apologize, but I've never understood the concept of head-to-head lists.

Styles often determine the outcomes between comparably-skilled fighters, so we get situations where fighter A beats fighter B, and fighter B beats fighter C, but fighter C beats fighter A.

So how can you make a list and assert that the #5 fighter beats everyone beneath him? We all know that boxing doesn't work that way. For instance, I'd pick Frazier to beat Holmes, and I'd pick Holmes to beat Foreman. So does that mean that Frazier beats Foreman?

Its all just a bit of fun but the way i do them is i just rank them in terms of who does best H2H, for example Bowe beat Evander 2 out of 3 times yet i have Holyfield ranked higher Because i feel he beats More guys H2H than Bowe does. If u get me? Not sure if thats how everyone else does it but thats my way

[JAB5239]

Its all just a bit of fun but the way i do them is i just rank them in terms of who does best H2H, for example Bowe beat Evander 2 out of 3 times yet i have Holyfield ranked higher Because i feel he beats More guys H2H than Bowe does. If u get me? Not sure if thats how everyone else does it but thats my way

Exactly....on your entire post....exactly!!

[Joeyzagz]

To put Frazier on this list is an atrocity.

You can peer into a 1000 parallel universes and Frazier loses to Foreman in every single one of them.