Greatest heavyweight ever...realistically?

[joeandthebums]

Please show me a heavyweight with a greater skill set.

Who are you talking about?

I'll assume Ali (didn't bother reading all the tripe)

No Joe Louis.

[Ray Corso]

Joe Louis, there's no one close to him in technique and methods simply the best combination punching heavyweight ever.
Trained by the great J. Blackburn Joe was taught to step and punch with power and force and his balance and compact punching was the best of all time, so far.
Ray.

[beez721]

Joe Louis, there's no one close to him in technique and methods simply the best combination punching heavyweight ever.
Trained by the great J. Blackburn Joe was taught to step and punch with power and force and his balance and compact punching was the best of all time, so far.
Ray.

I agree. he threw his punches so short and compact. they seemed difficult to see coming and hard to defend against

[HedonisticFrog]

For everyone dismissing the size difference between Ali and current heavyweights it really is significant. The Klitchko brothers are around 250lb while Ali was 200lb in the 60s. That's a 25% difference and isn't negligible. There's also much better strength and conditioning now than back then.

There's a reason that small heavyweights like Evander Holyfield have a much higher KO ratio in cruiserweight before they move up to heavyweight. The only reason he did well as he did as a heavyweight was because he was a great fighter. Size really does make a huge difference and there's no getting around it.

[Weltschmerz]

I would say Lennox Lewis is the strongest HW in history. Ali probably has the greatest resume, though.

[Daddy T]

Ali is the greatest heavyweight ever. I'd have him as the favorite against anybody.

[LacedUp]

For everyone dismissing the size difference between Ali and current heavyweights it really is significant. The Klitchko brothers are around 250lb while Ali was 200lb in the 60s. That's a 25% difference and isn't negligible. There's also much better strength and conditioning now than back then.

There's a reason that small heavyweights like Evander Holyfield have a much higher KO ratio in cruiserweight before they move up to heavyweight. The only reason he did well as he did as a heavyweight was because he was a great fighter. Size really does make a huge difference and there's no getting around it.

First of all, Ali was 6,3-6,4 in his prime. He was 215 not around 200 lbs. he weighed about 198lbs on his debut when he was a little skinny 18 year old fresh out of the amateurs. Ali was a proper heavyweight.

Wlad is 6'5 and 240 on his best day. Ali's reach is 78", I believe Wlad's is 81". The size difference isn't so great that it's unfair at all. And Ali is bigger than guys like Haye and Byrd who gave Wlad some of his toughest work.

But he's better than they are. Far better. Bigger balls, punch variety is greater, chin is better, stamina, footwork, head movement etc.

Ali would make Wlad look like a mummy.

[Welsh Jon]

First of all, Ali was 6,3-6,4 in his prime. He was 215 not around 200 lbs. he weighed about 198lbs on his debut when he was a little skinny 18 year old fresh out of the amateurs. Ali was a proper heavyweight.

Wlad is 6'5 and 240 on his best day. Ali's reach is 78", I believe Wlad's is 81". The size difference isn't so great that it's unfair at all. And Ali is bigger than guys like Haye and Byrd who gave Wlad some of his toughest work.

But he's better than they are. Far better. Bigger balls, punch variety is greater, chin is better, stamina, footwork, head movement etc.

Ali would make Wlad look like a mummy.

Yes!

I couldn't agree more with all of this

[New England]

Ha..

Time to compare footage of guys half the size of modern HWs and act surprised that they were faster...

Same **** different day

dude, joe louis ran several miles a day. most modern HW, klitschkos included, don't even run.



if louis sat around and ate he'd easily be 230 lbs. he was brewster sized. go back through my posts on the subject to see some further detail on it.


if brewster can stop wladimir, so can louis. they were the same size. 6'2", 77" reach, and brewster was loose at 225.

[New England]

It is not just the speed..it is the technique,skill set along with the durability and the the level of opponents they faced...There is no heavyweight you can list with a better resume then Muhammad Ali...if so please list them...The man was 6'3-6'4 so he was far from small and moved like a middleweight and had power and was tough as nails and fought everyone...

people also underrate his power. a HW with athleticism and size like that can punch. he can hurt you / knock you out, but also cut you, bust your face up.

he stopped a lot of his opponents. frazier, foreman, liston, these were normally durable guys.