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I know the heavies get talked about a lot here, especially with Wlad and Vitali and their lack of true top level opposition but I was just thinking, who is the greatest heavyweight since GOAT Muhammad Ali? Is it Holmes? Many would have that as the consensus numero uno, but what about Holmes? Lewis? Tyson? Wlad himself? What about guys like Michael Spinks or Chris Byrd?
Which is why I decided to make a top 20 list of the greatest heavyweights post the Ali era, which in my opinion ended in 1978 with his original retirement. I'll be writing a little synopsis for the top 10 guys. So here we go:
Which is why I decided to make a top 20 list of the greatest heavyweights post the Ali era, which in my opinion ended in 1978 with his original retirement. I'll be writing a little synopsis for the top 10 guys. So here we go:
1. Evander Holyfield
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 7
With wins over Tyson (2x), Rid**** Bowe, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, James Douglas, Michael Moorer...Holyfield may just have the most complete resume of any heavyweight since Ali and I haven't even included names like Lennox Lewis (losses) or Mercer or Cooper. Evander Holyfield was an undersized heavyweight at times too but fought on with immense heart, a great chin and underrated boxing skill. I can't actually think of ranking anyone else higher.
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 7
With wins over Tyson (2x), Rid**** Bowe, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, James Douglas, Michael Moorer...Holyfield may just have the most complete resume of any heavyweight since Ali and I haven't even included names like Lennox Lewis (losses) or Mercer or Cooper. Evander Holyfield was an undersized heavyweight at times too but fought on with immense heart, a great chin and underrated boxing skill. I can't actually think of ranking anyone else higher.
2. Larry Holmes
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 20
Many people would have Larry Holmes ranked number one in the post-Ali era and his lengthy title reign is definitely exceptional but the quality of opposition was not always the same. For every Ernie Shavers there are countless Randall Cobbs and Gerry Cooneys. Of course, the relative mediocrity of the heavyweight division in the early 1980s is not his fault and he did, to his credit, beat every worthy challenger put in front of him. Add to that exceptional skills, a great jab, good defense and underrated offense and what we have is one of the best all round boxers in the division's history.No shame in coming a very close second.
3. Lennox Lewis
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 13
Lennox Lewis participated in one of the most competitive heavyweight eras of all time but sadly, due to no fault of his own, the big fights came for him far too late. His bouts against the great Holyfield and Tyson came when both men were in the twilight of their careers. Could both fights have happened earlier? Well the Tyson match up most definitely but boxing politics got in the way. Can those wins be held up as great wins? I personally do not think so. Tyson was all but shot and Holyfield was on his last legs.
Lewis did beat both guys so it accounts for something. Lewis' two major losses were by brutal KO against opponents who were, in all honesty, just short of truly world class. But he avenged those losses and managed to hold wins over top challengers such as Andrew Golota, Tommy Morrison and Razor Ruddock. Add to that the exceptional ability, especially his way of controlling the pace of the fight and we have a great heavyweight.
Many people would have Larry Holmes ranked number one in the post-Ali era and his lengthy title reign is definitely exceptional but the quality of opposition was not always the same. For every Ernie Shavers there are countless Randall Cobbs and Gerry Cooneys. Of course, the relative mediocrity of the heavyweight division in the early 1980s is not his fault and he did, to his credit, beat every worthy challenger put in front of him. Add to that exceptional skills, a great jab, good defense and underrated offense and what we have is one of the best all round boxers in the division's history.No shame in coming a very close second.
3. Lennox Lewis
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 13
Lennox Lewis participated in one of the most competitive heavyweight eras of all time but sadly, due to no fault of his own, the big fights came for him far too late. His bouts against the great Holyfield and Tyson came when both men were in the twilight of their careers. Could both fights have happened earlier? Well the Tyson match up most definitely but boxing politics got in the way. Can those wins be held up as great wins? I personally do not think so. Tyson was all but shot and Holyfield was on his last legs.
Lewis did beat both guys so it accounts for something. Lewis' two major losses were by brutal KO against opponents who were, in all honesty, just short of truly world class. But he avenged those losses and managed to hold wins over top challengers such as Andrew Golota, Tommy Morrison and Razor Ruddock. Add to that the exceptional ability, especially his way of controlling the pace of the fight and we have a great heavyweight.
4. Mike Tyson
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 10
Mike Tyson, aged 21, may have been the most complete offensive fighter in the history of this sport. His speed, power, head movement, footwork, defense...they were exceptional. Never before had a fighter, heavyweight or otherwise, so thoroughly dominated and terrified an entire division. He unified the titles and brought mainstream attention back to boxing. Sadly his demons, some physical, some psychological, got the better of him and in the years following the loss to Douglas, he was never the same again.
Yes there were moments of brilliance against the likes of Ruddock and Bruno but the old spark was gone. He could no longer compete at the highest level and that slow decline throughout the late 90s, following his beat down at the hands of Holyfield have severely affected his legacy. He just never managed to maintain that same level of excellence against the absolute best of his era. However, there is no denying his place among the elite.
5. Wladimir Klitschko
Mike Tyson, aged 21, may have been the most complete offensive fighter in the history of this sport. His speed, power, head movement, footwork, defense...they were exceptional. Never before had a fighter, heavyweight or otherwise, so thoroughly dominated and terrified an entire division. He unified the titles and brought mainstream attention back to boxing. Sadly his demons, some physical, some psychological, got the better of him and in the years following the loss to Douglas, he was never the same again.
Yes there were moments of brilliance against the likes of Ruddock and Bruno but the old spark was gone. He could no longer compete at the highest level and that slow decline throughout the late 90s, following his beat down at the hands of Holyfield have severely affected his legacy. He just never managed to maintain that same level of excellence against the absolute best of his era. However, there is no denying his place among the elite.
5. Wladimir Klitschko
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 21
The greatest heavyweight of the 21st century but also one of the most polarising champions ever. There is no denying his craft, his size and his power. His jab is a great defensive tool and his right hand is explosive, but all too often his fights have dragged out into borefests, with excessive amounts of clinching, pushing and wrestling. Add to that a limited resume, again, like Holmes, it's not Wlad's fault. As I already mentioned, there is no denying Wlad's in ring intelligence, he knows how to control distance, how to work his opponents into better positions and when to throw the power shot. Wlad just lacks that true great rival that Holyfield and Tyson had. He also lacks a resume with depth. But his top 5 position should not be denied.
6. Vitali Klitschko
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 13
Vitali, in Wlad's own words, "is the fighter" and you can see, from a lot of his fights, especially those in his earlier years, that Vitali likes to hurt his opponents. With his immense size and power, Vitali was THE dominant force in a post Lewis world. Yes Wld probably deserves more plaudits for his longevity, his better all round game and his superior list of opponents but Vitali was like a machine. Rarely hurt, barring encounters with Lewis (in itself a war which Vitali was winning) and Chris Byrd, Vitali loved to come forward. His pace slowed down a lot in the latter years and he never looked as convincing again as he did on those nights against Sanders, Williams and Peter.
7. Rid**** Bowe
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 3
Oh what could have been...Bowe had all the talent in the world. He was fast for a big man, exceptional well schooled and could fight better on the inside than most smaller fighters. His trilogy with Holyfield was probably the defining contest of the 1990s but outside of that what is there to say about Big Daddy? I personally don't think there's much. His "wins" over Gollota are bizarre and his less than stellar performances, littered throughout his time in the pro ranks are beguiling, how could someone with all that talent get so bad, so quick? Bowe could have been an all time great.
8. Michael Spinks
8. Michael Spinks
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 3
The enduring memory of Spinks for many fans, is his 1 round destruction at the hands of a young Mike Tyson. However, we should not forget that he was outweighed by Larry Holmes by 22lbs yet managed to beat him twice. Both fights may be viewed as controversial and they were definitely close but there is no denying the tenacity with which he fought. There was also skill and heart and everything else needed to become champion. There is more to Spinks than just Tyson.
9. George Foreman
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 3
Did anyone really believe that George Foreman, then 45 years of age, would be able to win the lineal heavyweight championship? Yet he did it, in a triumph of will, dedication and power. That one punch managed to shake up the heavyweight division for a short while. His reign was short lived and low on quality but his run, since his second coming could be viewed as impressive, wins over Moorer, Cooney and Cooper are nothing to scoff at.
10. Michael Moorer
No. of Successful Title Defenses: 2
Much like Spinks, Moorer was a former lightheavyweight champion who won the heavyweight crown but sadly, things didn't get better than that night against Holyfield. He was stopped by Foreman in his next fight and although he would manage to win the IBF crown, he was never the same again. Some say it was stubbornness, laziness, a lack of will but there is no denying he had the tools to be better than what he became. Moorer could easily have placed higher on the list.
11. John Ruiz
12. Chris Byrd
13. Tim Witherspoon
14. Donovan Ruddock
15. David Tua
16. Frank Bruno
17. Hasim Rahman
18. David Haye
19. Alexander Povetkin
20. Ike Ibeabuchi
11. John Ruiz
12. Chris Byrd
13. Tim Witherspoon
14. Donovan Ruddock
15. David Tua
16. Frank Bruno
17. Hasim Rahman
18. David Haye
19. Alexander Povetkin
20. Ike Ibeabuchi
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