Heavyweight Champs: Rate 'em Backwards

[The Old LefHook]

--- If ranking the greatest, Little Leon Whooped The Greatest making him The Greaterest.

Also Anthony Joshua has a 10x greater claim on Lineal than do fat Larry and JJOHNSON.

Jim Jeffries was the actual last lineal champ and he retired. Time to get a legit grip on boxing to rip it away from the nutcases and crooks that have historically shaped the fight biz

Carry on Queensbree, my churl. Ripping boxing away from the nut cases, are you? We only care about who beats whom, churl.

Your posts must not be validated by much answer. Ostracization is more than the ilk of common churl can handle. If you choose to be an idiot you also choose to be a lonely comber out to sea.

[QueensburyRules]

--- Clearly Josua whoops em all, but when he's dead and gone, noobs gonna replace him.

There's a top 10 heavy discussion far more complex and informative at the top of this forum back when higher order members were still involved. I suggest you take the days to partake of their wisdom before you dribble out more cruel drool disguised as your boxing expertise.

[Joe Beamish]

We have 55 champions we are grading. Do you have any idea how many bouts a round robin would entail? How would you even propose to conduct it?

I think it best to stay as we are rather than bringing in a computer to do our work for us. We must continue to evaluate the old fashioned way, I am afraid.

What's the old fashioned way?

The point is to identify some kind of specific criteria for ranking the fighters.

[The Old LefHook]

What's the old fashioned way?

The point is to identify some kind of specific criteria for ranking the fighters.

The point is to make a list, which everyone has done a thousand times before, not run a series of 1485 bouts.

Of course, you are free to do anything you choose, so if you have a method or a system you are proud of and want to run on the boys, we will take a listen. The champs are there to be played with, all of them in their primes and ready. Whadda ya got?

[QueensburyRules]

--- Current list is seriously outdated, so read it and weep:

1 Joe Louis
2 Wlad
3 Vitali
4 Jack Dempsey
5 George Foreman
6 Sam Langford
7 Mike Tyson
8 Jim Jeffries
9 John L, the first and only unified Queensbury and bareknucks champ
10 Ali

[Dempsey-Louis]

criteria for rating 'great fighters'

1. my favorite fighter
2. my cultural bias
3. my favorite style
4. fighters I've seen
5. fighters I know something about
6. the guy I secretly wanted to be, but ain't

But on a serious note, if Jess Willard and Tommy Burns proceed to appear at the top of this reverse list, then what does that actually say about Jack Johnson's legendary prowess?

Throw in Fireman Jim Flynn, Frank Moran, a shot Jeffries, and a blown-up middle weight, and what do we actually have for a championship run?

[HOUDINI563]

When a lineal champion retires this does not end the lineal title. Once a fighter proves himself to be the best, usually by beating the leading contender, he is then crowned the new lineal champion. Now sometimes this is easy as when Sharkey and Schmeling fought once Tunney retired. Both were the top two contenders at that time. It becomes muddy when there are multiple champions and many times you can't point to just one fight that made said fighter the new lineal champion. Holmes as an example beat Norton (No 1 contender) and then beat the unretired Ali. (Muddy but understandable).

[LITTLE JOE]

1. Primo Carnera
2. Charles Martin
3. Bruce Seldon
4. Jess Willard
5. Bermane Stiverne

I like this list.Ironic that Lennox Lewis was KO'd by 2 guys on my worst 5. I even liked Lewis.

Mine are:

1 - Charles Martin
2 - Primo Carnera
3 - Bruce Seldon
4 - Hasim Rahman
5 - Oliver McCall

[The Old LefHook]

criteria for rating 'great fighters'

1. my favorite fighter
2. my cultural bias
3. my favorite style
4. fighters I've seen
5. fighters I know something about
6. the guy I secretly wanted to be, but ain't

But on a serious note, if Jess Willard and Tommy Burns proceed to appear at the top of this reverse list, then what does that actually say about Jack Johnson's legendary prowess?

Throw in Fireman Jim Flynn, Frank Moran, a shot Jeffries, and a blown-up middle weight, and what do we actually have for a championship run?

Where did you think those two guys were going to end up if you composed your reverse list the old forward way? Same place, son.

I am amused at the idea of assigning Ali 8 points for footwork and Dempsey 5 points...etc.

The criteria are enjoined during the discussion itself. If someone needs a list of criteria to remember why they are here, feel free to use it on us. Of course we all know Queensbree and Leach will be shouting boxing absurdities from every post like comedy gold. Being the model of rationality is something I am used to, son.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Where did you think those two guys were going to end up if you composed your reverse list the old forward way? Same place, son.

Granted my thought was sparked merely by the alternative ordering, but there is a temperament difference created by the word choice; to be at the bottom of a list of champions is to say 'less great' - to be at the top of a list created under the qualification: 'Who do you think is the worst . . . leaves a different taste. Isn't that why you asked the question to begin with?