Rank all the 29 Caucasian Heavyweight Champions of Boxing History (List is in thread)

[raskat]

I did some research and found out there were exactly 29 Caucasian Heavyweight World Champions. I listed them all below (starting with John L. Sullivan, ending with the Klitschkos and Povetkin). Rank them all, I mean I can understand that you would have guys like Damiani and Coetzee in the last spots, but going through the list, I have to say they were all or almost all really good if not great fighters. Here they are:

Alexander Povetkin
Wladimir Klitschko
Vitali Klitschko
Nikolai Valuev
Sultan Ibragimov
Ruslan Chagaev
Oleg Maskaev
Siarhei Liakhovich
Corrie Sanders
Tommy Morrison
Francesco Damiani
Gerrie Coetzee
Ingemar Johansson
Rocky Marciano
Lee Savold
James J. Braddock
Max Baer
Primo Carnera
Jack Sharkey
Max Schmeling
Gene Tunney
Jack Dempsey
Jess Willard
Tommy Burns
James J. Jeffries
Marvin Hart
Bob Fitzsimmons
James J. Corbett
John L. Sullivan

A "Head to Head" ranking doesn't make sense because we all know back then Heavyweights were around 180 pounds so in a fantasy matchup against a 245 pound Lennox Lewis, they have a big size disadvantage. So let's just rank them in a Caucasian ATG Heavyweight Ranking List.

[raskat]

Okay, I just tried to rank them:
1. Gene Tunney
2. Wladimir Klitschko
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Vitali Klitschko
5. Jack Dempsey
6. John L. Sullivan
7. James Jeffries
8. Max Schmeling
9. Max Baer


I just realised that almost all on the list are actually good fighters, but none of them were ever dominant except the first 7 I just ranked. Ingemar Johansson, Willard and all those guys had only very few title fight wins and guys like Ibragimov, Liakhovich, Sanders, Morrison, Coetzee, Damiani etc., basically lost the title very fast after winning it.
That being said, there were only 6 or 7 Caucasian Heavyweight Champions who were dominant during a certain time. It is hard for me to rank Dempsey any higher than 5 since he did not fight black fighters.
It is actually hard to rank all 29 of that list because probably 15 share the same (last) spot.
So just give me your top 10.
EDIT: funny that Valuev had actually a few title defences if I remember right. But I would rather put Braddock, Sharkey and Willard higher because they didn't have handpicked opponents and have at least one big win on their records.
By the way, some Valuev fights looked fishy to me. I remember watching him fight some of his early fights and he couldn't knock out a blown up cruiserweight (or was it a light heavyweight?), and suddenly when he was being prepared for a title fight, he started to knock out some heavyweights. Then we he had the title, he suddenly didn't knock anybody out anymore and had some questionable decisions against guys like Ruiz and Larry Donald.

[raskat]

What is up with people ignoring and rating down my threads recently? Do I have to say that I hate the Klitschkos and that Mayweather is the GOAT to get some popularity around here??

[Ray Corso]

Marciano, Tunney, Fitzsimmons and Dempsey were great fighters with Tunney and Fitzs being more of a skilled boxer! I'll give a credit to Schmeling and Wlad and Braddock with Jeffries but the rest are NOT great by any means and mosr are ordinary the titles that are attached to some of those man are simply BS!!!! Valuev??? really the guy stunk!!! Ray.

[Scott9945]

What is up with people ignoring and rating down my threads recently? Do I have to say that I hate the Klitschkos and that Mayweather is the GOAT to get some popularity around here??

I'm just guessing, but maybe some people are uncomfortable with fighters being broken down by race? Personally I have no problems with it, I just don't like making lists.

[Panamaniac]

What is up with people ignoring and rating down my threads recently? Do I have to say that I hate the Klitschkos and that Mayweather is the GOAT to get some popularity around here??

The above might have given me pause if your smiley did not confirm that you were kidding. That aside, I'm not going to rank all 29 for reasons I'll keep to myself, lest they induce more yawns than this post already has...

1. Jack Dempsey
2. Gene Tunney
3. Rocky Marciano
4. John L. Sullivan
5. Bob Fitzsimmons
6. James J. Corbett
7. Jess Willard
8. James J. Jeffries
9. Max Schmeling
10. Max Baer

[Panamaniac]

I'm just guessing, but maybe some people are uncomfortable with fighters being broken down by race? Personally I have no problems with it, I just don't like making lists.

I have no problem with it either; in fact, I welcome the thought-provoking challenge it presents. Unlike you, I like making lists, but I prefer to limit them to 10.

[IronDanHamza]

What is up with people ignoring and rating down my threads recently? Do I have to say that I hate the Klitschkos and that Mayweather is the GOAT to get some popularity around here??

Who hates the Klitschko's, ranks Mayweather as the greatest fighter ever and is popular on here?

[Panamaniac]

Who hates the Klitschko's, ranks Mayweather as the greatest fighter ever and is popilar on here?

He was kiddin'...