Top 10 Heavies from best to worst

[HOUDINI563]

What happened to Ali happened to the majority of past champions. Stayed too long and took too many punches. He is still the greatest of all hwt champions by far and away. Unique combination of great boxing ability and toughness like few others.

[FrankBruno_Film]

You should add Frank Bruno to the most underrated HW, and take off Tunney.

Couldn't agree more. Get Frank on there.

[JP'sIntheClinch]

You forgot Charles Martin in your top 10 worst.

[QueensburyRules]

You're right he was a phenominal fighter and he should have been given the chance to fight for the WORLD title. It's a shame and utterly disgusting that it was all down to the colour of his skin. I'm sure he could have been Champion if only given the chance.

--- To update you, a few years back a tape of Langford vs Jeannette surfaced that is priceless.

Turns out the French stripped JJ after his battling johnson fiasco and Sam and Joe fought for the French sanctioned heavy title in an absolute Sam walk away classic in Paris.

Sam returned to the states and never defended...c'est la vie...

[HOUDINI563]

Jeanette looked like total crap in that fight. Langford was very impressive. Casually defending himself while walking in looking to land a KO blow.

[QueensburyRules]

--- Buried deep in this thread is Cane's original all time heavyweight poll we did. Not gonna go through such a lengthy archive, but as I recall they matched up nicely with the IBRO rankings last done in 2005.

IBRO:

Updated March 2005

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Jack Johnson
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Larry Holmes
7. James J. Jeffries
8. George Foreman
9. Sonny Liston
10. Joe Frazier
11. Gene Tunney
12. Lennox Lewis
13. Mike Tyson
14. Evander Holyfield
15. Sam Langford
16. Jersey Joe Walcott
17. Ezzard Charles
18. Harry Wills
19. James J. Corbett
20. Bob Fitzsimmons



Boxrec did a poll just a couple years back much easier for me to find:

Current Scoreboard: (counted after 29 members voted)

1st - 282 pts Muhammad Ali
2nd - 270 pts Joe Louis
3rd - 184 pts Larry Holmes
4th - 170 pts George Foreman
5th - 135 pts Jack Johnson
6th - 114 pts Rocky Marciano
7th - 103 pts Lennox Lewis
8th - 96 pts Joe Frazier
9th - 84 pts Evander Holyfield
10th - 73 pts Jack Dempsey

11th - 34 pts Sonny Liston
12th - 29 pts Mike Tyson
13th - 18 pts Wladimir Klitschko
14th - 15 pts Gene Tunney
15th - 12 pts James J Jeffries
16th - 11 pts Vitali Klitschko
17th - 07 pts Sam Langford
18th - 06 pts John L Sullivan
19th - 03 pts Riddick Bowe
Tied 20th - 01 pt Ezzard Charles
Tied 20th - 01 pt Peter Jackson

[SeGoodland]

10.Lennox Lewis : Defeated every man he went in the ring with, which is not something many boxers can say. Greatest ever british boxer extremely smart in the ring and very powerful.


9.Jack Johnson: The first "Real heavyweight" and extremley talented boxer, he would take opponents all the way just to punish them. If he fought in a more modern era he may have been higher in the list, but he fought many middle weights and light heavyweights.

8.Jack Dempsey: Was one of the most Dominant fighters, amazingly powerful and could knock you out with either Hand!!

7.Larry Holmes: Had probably the best left jab ever in the Heavyweight division.Living in the Shadow of Ali, it was very hard for holmes to make as much of an impact but he did this with an 8 year run as heavyweight champ

6.Joe Frazier: The First person to ever beat ali, fought in the "golden era" of boxing and was one of the best! had one of the best left hooks in boxing history. He had a iron chin, and was part of some of the best ever fights.

5.George Foreman: He not only has one hell of a grill, he had one hell of a punch that knocked down frazier 6 times in one round!! He retired and came back to boxing to become the oldest heavyweight champion of all time at the age of 45 which was 20 years after he lost it to Ali

4.Mike Tyson: The Youngest ever Heavy weight Champion, and the 1st to unify 3 major belts and become the undisputed champion. If Tyson had kept Rooney, he would most probably be #1. The most dominant boxer ever in there prime. He had incredible speed and power, a combination of the two that never been seen and probably never will be. He had the greatest ever left hook. His Opponent feared him so much that they would concentrate on not getting hit rather than winning, its a shame he didn’t keep on the right track.. but nether the less he is still 4th.

3.Rocky Marciano: 49-0, the only heavyweight champion in this list never to lost a fight. His power and stamina were incredible the same goes for his chin. And it looks like his record will never be defeated


2.Muhammad Ali: "The Greatest" well almost, easily the quickest heavyweight of all time, and fought in many of the Greatest ever fights. He dominated at a time with many other great boxers, two others who are in the list. Regaining the Title twice he was an awesome athlete

1.Joe Louis: 25 title defences a record that has never been broken! He was technically gifted as well as having a devastating punch that got him the #1 place in ESPNs Greatest Punchers. Lethal with both arms, this man earns his place in my List!


My List changes all the time, but not many leave the list apart from Lewis and Holyfield or liston enter

Good list and pretty much how I would have it apart from Lennox and Jack Johnson a little higher. Maybe swap them with Dempsey and Holmes.

Joe Louis - 100%.

[Morton Belgram]

Any top 10 list featuring small guys like Marciano and Louis should not be taken seriously and neither should any list that doesn't put Lewis at its top.

[QueensburyRules]

--- Well there Morton, you a member of the famous salt family?

There are those who think Rocky and Joe KO Lummux absent any logical criteria as you are lacking.

Makes em 50/50 with you!

[HOUDINI563]

ATG means just that. Few throughout boxing history demonstrated the characteristics of all time greatness. Ali demonstrated these inborn characteristics more so than any other hwt champion since his time. My listing is as follows. SIZE does not enter into the equation.

Ali
Louis
Holmes
Lewis
Foreman
Johnson
Tyson
Dempsey
Tunney
Marciano