Who is the best American heavyweight right now?

**REED** · 06-10-2007, 10:47 PM

Probably Calvin Johnson,Kevin Johnson or Eddie Chambers...

But Having Said that,it WOULDN'T Surprise REED @ All if James Toney Beat All of them...

REED

**Southpaw16** · 06-10-2007, 10:47 PM

I guess it would have to be Chris Byrd. Maybe Lamon Brewster but I would pick Byrd to beat Brewster. I like watching Brewster a hell of a lot more lol.

**Southpaw16** · 06-10-2007, 10:49 PM

Originally posted by REED

Probably Calvin Johnson,Kevin Johnson or Eddie Chambers...

But Having Said that,it WOULDN'T Surprise REED @ All if James Toney Beat All of them...

REED

Who the hell is Calvin Johnson?

**REED** · 06-10-2007, 11:19 PM

Typo...Meant to Say Calvin Brock...

**Feint** · 06-10-2007, 11:31 PM

I would say Calvin Brock and this point. However I think there are some younger boxers within the division that have the potential to be better.

**jcarr71** · 06-10-2007, 11:36 PM

If I had to rank those strictly in terms of who is the best fighter, not most exciting or anything along those lines, it'd look like this...

10) James Toney

Toney is an absolutely shot fighter. He has had a great run and you have to at least give him honorable mention status when discussing all time greats, but it has become painfully obvious (christ, anyone else download and get through his latest fight?) that his best, good, and average days are all behind him. I'd pick any number of American heavies not on this list to beat him. Shannon Briggs, Ray Austin, Joe Mesi, Monte Barret, Jameel McCline... etc. None of those guys are any good, but they'd all beat what is left of James Toney.

9) Chris Arreola

Arreola is rapidly improving, but that is the only thing obvious in judging him. While (outside of Eddie Chambers who I consider a legitimate contender now) his stoppages of Damian Wills and Malcom Tann give him easily the most impressive resume of the US prospects, they still remain Damian Wills and Malcom Tann -- D+/C- level fighters on a good day. He needs to get in against the usual resume boosters, ala Ray Austin, Zuri Lawrence, Lance Whitaker, etc, and then take on a Briggs or McCline in his next few fights if he wants to begin to be legit.

8) Evander Holyfield

Old man Holy continues to roll forward. If he beats Savarese, his comeback resume (Bates, Oquendo, Savarese) would be just as if not more impressive than any of the younger heavyweights from the US sadly. I really don't think he can beat any of the trinket holders though.

7) Chris Byrd

Byrd has been at times a great fighter, but age has caught up to him. Speed based boxers always have a hard time moving into their mid to late 30s and he is no exception. A Chris Byrd who can be hit as often as he can now is simply a good barometer and not so much a big time threat. I'd really like to see him in against Arreola or Chambers though. He'd be a fantastic test for both of them.

6) Hasim Rahman

Stylistically Rahman will age well. He has a good jab and that alone separates him from the pack right below him. He has made a career off the one punch KO of Lennox Lewis, but he's still an okay fighter who can beat guys that are put in front of him provided they aren't too dangerous. Maskaev had no real business beating him, though if the Wlad rumors hold up... Yikes. It was nice knowing you, Hasim.

5) Lamon Brewster

Assuming his eye is okay, Brewster would knock everyone I have ranked below him out and lose decisions to everyone I am going to put above him. That is just the type of fighter he is. He is the most exciting of the group though, pretty easily, and he has the best wins recently (Wlad as strange as it was, Meehan, Golota, Krasniqi), but he also has some really strange losses and you have to wonder about his psyche after what Lyakhovich did and after what Wlad is about to do.

4) John Ruiz

The quiet man is still there, quiet as ever. I don't know if he is really still active though. His recently losses have both been very respectable and I actually scored the Valuev fight for him. He's never been exciting and he never will be, but you've got to think that he can get decisions over pretty much any of the guys I put below him even at 35.

3) Tony Thompson

Tony the Tiger is an incredibly boring fighter, but he is also skilled and works very well behind his jab. He would give a tough fight to anyone out there right now. If he can beat Krasniqi he has to be in line for a title shot from one of the four bodies. It is too bad he started fighting so late in life though. He's 35 and time is running out. He really needs to be more active.

2) Eddie Chambers

Eddie has youth and skill on his side. He has the ability to win a decision against anyone, though his size will always be a problem and he will probably be brutally knocked out in a couple years. He just won't match up well with the huge heavies out there because he stands too still. He has quick hands and is a very intelligent fighter though. He could win a title against the Chagaevs and Ibragimovs if he were to fight a good fight.

1) Calvin Brock

You know you're in trouble when Brock is your top guy, but he is. He has torn through almost every name on the usual suspects list of C fighters and didn't look awful before Wlad nuked him with a massive right. I think it is time for him to get another title shot. Brock/Chagaev is an intriguing fight. Maybe HBO could pick it up and couple it with Holyfield/Ibragimov or some other HW title fight.

**Steelhammer86** · 06-11-2007, 07:24 AM

Good post and generally accurate analysis, jcarr71. You know the heavyweights very well.

**jcarr71** · 06-11-2007, 10:49 AM

Thanks for the kind words.

**Guest** · 06-11-2007, 11:17 AM

Calvin Brock is the top American HW and he already got KTFO by Klitschko. Lamon Brewster isn't very good at all...

Who is the best American heavyweight right now?