Tweet
Fury hasn't really done enough to challenge the traditional ATG lists for most people. Which is fine and respectable, he should make a defense in his career and more than a two names resume would be good.
However, looking across the history of the big men, they never really did all that much anyway
If you make the mark 6'6" or taller there aren't many. I could have missed a few, I don't know every single champ's height, but, I believe these are the men who became a world HW champion and happened to be 6'6" or better.
That's not a ranking, it's chronological.
Among them, the only undisputed champions are Willard and Primo.
Terrell was a half decent WBA champion with two defenses, one being Chuvalo, but not exactly an ATG level resume, reign, or collection of belts there.
Akinwande was a WBO champion when the WBO was a minor so counting him is your choice really.
Vitali's WBO run prior to the WBO being a major body is literally two no hopers. His first WBC run was likewise; Danny Williams. His second WBC run, 9 defenses, decent names but nothing great; a good WBC champion
Valuev is a decent x2 WBA champion with a total combined four defenses under him against old men and no hopers.
Deontay Wilder stacked 10 if you count the first Fury draw and 9 if you don't. Matched Vitali in the numbers at least and though resume is debatable I don't think either has any great names. I'd go with V's Briggs as the single best but honestly that was a **** show.
Anthony Joshua has the most titles anyone 6'6"+ has ever owned...outside of Tyson. To date AJ has 6 defenses for his titles under his belt. That's 5 on Fury's IBF defenses, 3 WBA defenses more than Fury, and one WBO defense Fury doesn't have. (2 of them are WBA/IBF defenses) Unfortunately, these defenses are not far from the Wilder or Vitali caliber; a mix of no hopers and old men.
Tyson Fury does own or has owned the most titles in giant **** history. He's never made a defense in his career but has probably the best resume being the only 6'6"+ man in boxing history to grab his title not just from an old man and then defend them against no hopers, but rather grab those titles from the old man and defeated the other prime, reigning and defending HW champion.
Willard beat no prime champions ever.
Primo beat no one worth a damn period.
Terrell's Chuvalo is a nice name to have but is it really a great win? Prime reigning defending champion level win?
Henry may be worse than Primo.
Valuev clearly hasn't done enough to rank above Fury.
That's just Wilder, who Fury KTFO, and Joshua, who has more defenses but gathered less belts and has no Wilder or Wlad caliber wins. His more braggable feats are repeating Fury's. Makes it hard to place him above Fury and Wilder having been KTFO makes it damn impossible to rank him above Fury.
On top of all that. Tyson Fury is undefeated.
I reckon in this narrow scope of history Tyson Fury has already done enough to be called the best ever, and, even if you disagree, he's clearly not far from it.
H2H and accolade wise, I favor Fury. At least until someone gets a win over him. Goliath, Atlas, and Paul Bunyan ain't got **** on the Gypsy King.
However, looking across the history of the big men, they never really did all that much anyway
If you make the mark 6'6" or taller there aren't many. I could have missed a few, I don't know every single champ's height, but, I believe these are the men who became a world HW champion and happened to be 6'6" or better.
- Jess Willard 6'6.5"
- Primo Carnera 6'6"
- Ernie Terrell 6'6"
- Henry Akinwande 6'7"
- Vitali Klitschko 6'7"
- Nikolai Valuev 7'
- Deontay Wilder 6'7"
- Anthony Joshua 6'7"
That's not a ranking, it's chronological.
Among them, the only undisputed champions are Willard and Primo.
Terrell was a half decent WBA champion with two defenses, one being Chuvalo, but not exactly an ATG level resume, reign, or collection of belts there.
Akinwande was a WBO champion when the WBO was a minor so counting him is your choice really.
Vitali's WBO run prior to the WBO being a major body is literally two no hopers. His first WBC run was likewise; Danny Williams. His second WBC run, 9 defenses, decent names but nothing great; a good WBC champion
Valuev is a decent x2 WBA champion with a total combined four defenses under him against old men and no hopers.
Deontay Wilder stacked 10 if you count the first Fury draw and 9 if you don't. Matched Vitali in the numbers at least and though resume is debatable I don't think either has any great names. I'd go with V's Briggs as the single best but honestly that was a **** show.
Anthony Joshua has the most titles anyone 6'6"+ has ever owned...outside of Tyson. To date AJ has 6 defenses for his titles under his belt. That's 5 on Fury's IBF defenses, 3 WBA defenses more than Fury, and one WBO defense Fury doesn't have. (2 of them are WBA/IBF defenses) Unfortunately, these defenses are not far from the Wilder or Vitali caliber; a mix of no hopers and old men.
Tyson Fury does own or has owned the most titles in giant **** history. He's never made a defense in his career but has probably the best resume being the only 6'6"+ man in boxing history to grab his title not just from an old man and then defend them against no hopers, but rather grab those titles from the old man and defeated the other prime, reigning and defending HW champion.
Willard beat no prime champions ever.
Primo beat no one worth a damn period.
Terrell's Chuvalo is a nice name to have but is it really a great win? Prime reigning defending champion level win?
Henry may be worse than Primo.
Valuev clearly hasn't done enough to rank above Fury.
That's just Wilder, who Fury KTFO, and Joshua, who has more defenses but gathered less belts and has no Wilder or Wlad caliber wins. His more braggable feats are repeating Fury's. Makes it hard to place him above Fury and Wilder having been KTFO makes it damn impossible to rank him above Fury.
On top of all that. Tyson Fury is undefeated.
I reckon in this narrow scope of history Tyson Fury has already done enough to be called the best ever, and, even if you disagree, he's clearly not far from it.
H2H and accolade wise, I favor Fury. At least until someone gets a win over him. Goliath, Atlas, and Paul Bunyan ain't got **** on the Gypsy King.
Comment