Check out which of today's heavyweight fighters make our top 10. Get it? Many cite this as a feat of Marciano. His fighting style proved to be awkward and difficult for Louis because Farr put up a good fight and lasted the distance. Holyfield, for example, beat Tyson twice. A thunderous left hook, relentless work ethic and an awkward pressure-fighting style: Smokin Joe was a force of nature. Sam is an enthusiastic member of the GiveMeSport team, taking on the role of Academy Editor in June 22, moving over after a seven month stint with ThisIsFutbol. Several electors didnt feel comfortable rating Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Jeffries or Johnson because theres virtually no film footage of Johnson in action and none of the other four. Tyson never beat anyone great and he held the title for only three years. Really? Corbett was one of the first successful scientific fighters of the gloved era. With respect you talk rubbish when you assert that a peak Tyson would obliterate a peak Lennox Lewis!!! The Top Ten. A fearsome puncher no doubt, but see Holyfield above. Huh? Marciano fought and beat the Shadow of Joe Louis SHADOW. Sonny Liston, Floyd Paterson (twice), Foreman, Frazier (twice), Norton (twice) and many more hall of famers around that. And Jersey Joe Walcott, who made him look amateurish and dropped him at like 39 years of age. Floyd Mayweather normally is criminally underrated in lists such as this, with a perfect 50-0 record, taking the sport of boxing to obscene heights, he certainly deserves more respect. Hasim Rahman (1994-2014, 50-9-2): 115.1, 46. Bob Fitzsimmons won championships in three weight divisions. I doubt that he could have done that against Marciano. Underrated offense (he carried many opponents). Most Famous Fight(s): UD12 over David Tua in 1997. Notable Wins: TKO5 over Chris Byrd in 1999. Holyfield held his own, 15 rounds, against a young Lennox Lewis (who destroyed Tyson), and, beat (not on the scorecards) Nikolai Valuev LATE in EVs career. And lame. Most Famous Fight(s): UD15 loss to Joe Louis in 1937. Notable Wins: 15 round points win over Ben Foord in 1937, 12 round points win over Max Baer in 1937, KO3 over Walter Neusel in 1937. He stood out as a fighter the way Joe Louis did in his era. Absolutely. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 90-81, Cuban boxer Luis Manuel Rodriguez pictured punching a poster of rival and champion Nino Benvenuti prior to their upcoming fight, at the Sport Palace in Rome, November 1969. No Holyfield? Klitschko and Fitzsimmons were assigned a position behind the other 18 fighters on his ballot. My own preference is to rank Ali No. Lennox Lewis made the cut and Iron Mike didnt..laughable. Forget about Johnson-Jeffries as a measure of Jeffries as a fighter. Prison? Olympic champion. However, we are still yet to see an undefeated boxer on this list, although its surely only a matter of time before we see someone with that coveted 0 in their losses column. He would come to fight carrying extra weight and in no condition to fight for a world title. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Notable Wins: TKO6 over Rex Layne in 1954, MD over Bob Baker in 1956. The fans' top 5 greatest boxers of all time. Kudos on not putting Tyson in the top 12. Are you joking? Muhammad Ali (1960-1981, 56-5-0): 757.9. And Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles. Go back and watch the Norton fight, even just round 15 if you dont have the time. The cartoon? In 2005, Joe Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. As a symbol, Louis meant as much in his time as Ali did in his; maybe more. He beat four other guys on this list: Tyson, Bowe, Holmes, and Foreman. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Jack Johnson died on June 10, 1946, at the age of 68. As did fights from the greatest of the greats, from Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali to Larry Holmes . Tony Tucker. The fighters, listed chronologically, are John L. Sulllivan, James Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, James Jeffries, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko. Satterfield was one of the hardest hitting heavyweights of all time, but considering that he was a natural light heavyweight, his heavy punches were freakish and noteworthy for their pound for pound devastation. Oliver McCall (1985-2019, 59-14-0): 121.6, 40. Jimmy Wilde. Aged 46 and pudgy and smiling, rather than sculpted and scowling, the American KOd heavyweight champ Michael Moorer with one punch in 1994, claiming back his crown 21 years after he first won it. Jack Johnson: Boxings first Black champion of the big men was remarkably quick, very hard to hit, and dangerous with either fist. None of the fighters listed knocked out opponents the way Tyson did with speed and fury!!!! I like him more now that he is HONEST about his career, his shortcomings. US legend Louis made a record 25 heavyweight title defences and only lost once in his prime: to Max Schmeling, who picked out a flaw in Louiss technique. Nova found a home in the top 10 heavyweight rankings for half a decade in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Marciano 4. Click Agree to accept our use of cookies or you can choose to opt out of our use of cookies by following the instructions in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. And when youre fighting, punching means a whole lot. A three-time world heavyweight champion, Lewis outpointed Evander Holyfield (essentially twice), laid Mike Tyson flat on his back via a devastating knockout and let Vitali Klitschko know that hes not to be messed with as part of his polished resume. He never ducked anyone and ended up fighting everyone relevant in a golden era of heavyweight boxing. Tyson had little heart but plenty quit in him. This is more than who would have beaten who. A prime Holmes would have battered Tyson into submission. Ernie Terrell (1957-1973, 46-9-0): 117.5, 43. One elector ranked Ali as low as fourth. 18), who were also separated by 12 points. The first fight makes our list of the "25 Greatest Heavyweight Contests of the Last 100 years. Well come back to Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis later. Flyweight Ring career: 1910-23 Record: 131-3-2 (99 KOs) and 13 no-decisions Career notes: One of the smallest world champions ever . Your email address will not be published. The fighters, listed chronologically, are John L. Sulllivan, James Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, James Jeffries, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko. His Promoter, the brother og hisnmanager was definitely connected, His first 10 opponents had a combined total record of ZERO wins, 19 losses and 1 draw. Tyson never once rose from the canvas or walked through fire to win a fight. Join our newsletter to get info about latest events and deals! Is it the toys? Lou found success because he moved pretty well for a man of his size, had an effective jab, better than average hand speed, and a strong punch. Max Baer, Max Schmeling, James J. Braddock and Jersey Joe Walcott all felt Louis' wrath. Rocky Marciano (1947-1955, 49-0-0): 692.2, 2. He was the best ever up until his time. Granted you can say in his era there was a lack of talent, but this is beyond his control. Dempsey 14. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN, Sterling vs. Cejudo preview, how to watch. 6. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 20-11. Power, toughness, and unsurpassed conditioning were Rockys calling-cards, along with a brutal relentlessness which no one in his era could withstand. Applause for not ranking Tyson. When you squander talent like that, you dont deserve to be ranked high. Frazier was a very carefully managed fighter who could not win against power punchers. Thomas did not live up to his reputation, but he deserves a spot on this list due to that brief moment in time when he was thought to be the #1 heavyweight in the world. I would have Tyson at #12, Frazier at #11, Dempsey #10, Holmes #9, W Klitschko #8, Liston #7, Marciano #6, Holyfield #5, Foreman #4, Johnson #3, Louis #2 and Ali #1. God, he knew how to play that role.. Ingemar Johansson (1952-1963, 26-2-0): 293.6, 15. However, we then have George Foreman and Mike Tyson way down on the list. You can subscribe to the print and digital editions of RING magazine by clicking the banner or here. For each fighter, I will start off with a brief biography, list their most famous fight(s), and then list some of their less famous fights that contributed to or established their status as a top caliber heavyweight. And his role as a serious player in Ukrainian politics adds to his stature. Or what about a match between fellow Nigerian power punchers, Ibeabuchi vs. Sam Peter? Joe Frazier (No. He was known as the Wild Bull of the Pampas. He fought his share of soft opponents. Come back next week to see who I picked for numbers 90-81. Notable Wins: TKO8 over Max Baer in 1941, 15 round decision win over Tommy Farr in 1938. Iron Mike is many peoples go to for the GOAT, so to see him outside the top 75 is mind boggling. 1. A jab and a right hand. Bowe was a super talent and a super waste. Current heavyweight superstars Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder also made the top 50. And each of these incredible heavyweights did that: from titanic punchers to dazzling boxers. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. He beat an old drunk (John L. Sullivan) for the title, defended it once against an aging British middleweight (Charlie Mitchell) and lost it to another aging British middleweight (Bob Fitzsimmons). However, Terence Crawford is hot property in the sport, becoming the first undisputed champion in the light welterweight division since Tszyu, becoming the first man to hold all four major word titles simultaneously since Jermain Taylor in 2005 and is one of only eight male boxers to do so. Bob Baker (1949-1959, 51-16-1): 134.4, 34. Not his fault if he fought and beat old men as champ. A giant who fought with finesse. Twenty-five consecutive title defenses more than imprinted Louis as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Notable Wins: UD12 over Jimmy Young in 1982, TKO8 over James Quick Tillis in 1982, UD12 over Renaldo Snipes in 1983. Not to be mentioned is BS. He never gave any of the three rematches in their heavyweight primes. 8), Mike Tyson (No. Johnsons defense should rank him number one. Matchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz and Bruce Trampler. At twenty, he couldve beaten anyone on the list EXCEPT Ali. Foremans last 10 opponents were unbeaten or just had 1 loss. Erik Morales 78. And after being heavyweight champion, he came back more than a decade later to do it again. Dempsey and Babe Ruth were Americas two most important sports figures in the Roaring Twenties, when sports became an integral part of the culture. No one could take him, bigger fighters were not given the room or the time to punch. Vernon Forest 74. And they enabled him to vanquish, among others, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney,Tim Witherspoon, Mike Weaver and Trevor Berbick. Ibeabuchi was a beastly hulk of a man with a granite chin, endless stamina, and fought with the fury of mad man. As fate would have it, the most gifted athlete the heavyweights ever saw emerged just when the division was stacked with formidable talent like never before or since. A master boxer, Johnson didnt own the raw one-punch power of other heavyweight greats but he was a cunning defensive genius who knew how to land his own shots. As illustrated by the chart above, Ali and Joe Louis were tied for first place in the ranking by trainers. 1 spot as long as hes the one without the A. Thomas Hauser can be reached by email at [emailprotected] His most recent book A Hard World: An Inside Look at Another Year in Boxing was published by the University of Arkansas Press. You have been beaten and know it but then train to overcome this adversity. Having held the world title for seven years, his late career comeback saw him defeat Ray Mercer and almost upset Oliver McCall. In his short prime, Tyson is a serious challenge for anyone. 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There was never a Plan B, and theres a point in every boxers career when hes going to need one. Not a bad list, but a few observations: Rather than match champions against each other in a round-robin tournament, the electors were asked to rank them in order of greatness. If the electors were asked to vote again, the order of these three might be different. Now we start to see some big hitters on the list, with Muhammad Alis rival Joe Frazier and one of the biggest heavyweights in the world today, Tyson Fury, with The Gypsy King looking to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion for over 20 years. Sullivan fought for 13 years, the last 10 of which he was a fullblown alcoholic. Like Louis, Ali changed what it meant to be black in America. Have strong feelings about this story? Primo Carnera (1928-1946, 89-14-0): 111.2, 48. Wheres Tyson? 2023 RING TV LIVE. The size differential between fighters from different eras is too great. Theres a fight thats bigger than boxing. If only every era of heavyweight boxing had a few Bob Satterfields, the sport would never have lulls in popularity like we are currently experiencing. How many other great heavyweights fought in his era? Dont let that KO reel fool ya. 49-0! Yeah the same one who lost his title to a light heavy? Required fields are marked *. In previous polls (which used the who-beats-who formula), most electors were confident in the choices. Cant make this list without Tyson and Holyfield. If you dont think that has anything to do with it you are crazy. Salesmanship? Despite being black, Johnson refused to meet the best black contenders while he was champion. Holmes was a deadbeat along with Klitschko. . Before he went to jail and before Cus DAmato died, he couldnt be touched. David Haye (2002-2018, 28-4-0): 133.4, 36. The first man to defeat Muhummad Ali, Frazier only lost to two men (Ali and George Foreman) despite fighting in the most competitive ever heavyweight era. Foreman demolished Frazier in both their fights, the only man that did or could. The first black heavyweight champion was a flamboyant, controversial character but in the ring he was a scientist. That list is crap. But hes also one of the toughest men to ever box (watch the Lyle and Moorer fights). I can only imagine how interesting fights between Ibeabuchi and the Klitschko brothers would have been. Marciano wouldnt be rated as high as he is without his O. You could have shot those guys 10 times with a gun, posits one panelist, and they still wouldnt have quit. Even I know THAT! One fight can go a long way toward defining a fighters legacy. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 60-51, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - NOVEMBER 17: Boxer Carl Froch after being awarded an MBE by the Duke of Cambridge during an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace on November 17, 2015 in London United Kingdom. Nine chose Joe Louis. Holyfield I choose him because hes very contemporary to MT) doesnt talk trash. Picking just 10 great heavyweights from 100+ years means some elite champions have to miss out. Unarguably the divisions greatest comeback. Free shipping for many products! Well, at least Foremans hands. But they were avenged and the degree to which Rahman and McCall were supposed to stand no chance is exaggerated. Thirty years after Tyson ascended to the heavyweight throne, a Google search for Mike Tyson reveals 8,590,00 results. For some, character mattered. What fighter today would get in the ring in front of tens of thousands of people who hated his guts and literally wanted to kill him, and talk trash to the guy he was fighting and beat him? Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield are all easily among the best heavyweight boxers ever. Riddick had the potential to be much higher on this list but never got there. I agree with you. 7) by four points. Larry Holmes (1973-2002, 69-6-0): 330.3, 13. I hope you are ready to take a trip into the history books because . Two comeback fights, when he was pushing 40, spoiled that record - but nothing can change the fact that he is indeed The Greatest. Klitschko won the bout by way of knockout in the second round. He peaked early, lost Cus DAmato, then lost all focus because he was very immature. If only Cus would have lived ten more years I think Tyson would be top 5. The Youngest Heavyweight Champion ever, a record that will never be broken, is the only true accolade Mike has to his name. He was a powerful puncher and the most relentless fighter ever. Nineteen of the 30 electors ranked Ali first. The second of the What If? entrants to the list robbed this generation of a potentially great era of heavyweights. Holyfield was bigger than Dempsey and Marciano, but he couldnt punch like them. John Ruiz. Most boxing was done in amateur athletic clubs, which is where early greats like Choynski and Jim Corbett learned their craft. Ray Mercer. Joe Louis: Deadly power, astonishing timing and accuracy, and an amazing 25 defenses of the heavyweight crown make The Brown Bomber one of the greatest boxers who has ever lived, at any weight. One guy was a once-great fighter who was shot. Ive read a couple of bios and researched that era. Holmes was completely washed up-way past his prime. Cus was more than just his coach he was Tysons everything and guided him. The biggest name in this bracket has to be Vitali Klitschko, with the Ukrainian a multiple heavyweight world champion. In sum, the criteria diverged significantly from elector to elector. His numbers speak for themselves: he got to 48-0 and 20 title defences before finally tasting defeat - controversially - to Michael Spinks when Holmes was closing in on his 36th birthday. Holmes fought real fighters men like Earnie Shavers. He was able to beat the best slugger of his era in David Tua, then shortly after defeated the best pure boxer of his era in Chris Byrd. He was relentless and had a will of iron. He was older and slower, but hed learned to study his opponents and take advantage of what he saw. With a sublime jab, toughness and an elite boxing brain, Holmes was a terrific all-rounder. Tyson in his prime was unstoppable. The punch Rahman hit him with in South Africa would have KOd anyone, and there was the issue of altitude in South Africa. He is not the greatest because he wasnt a role model. No way. Lennox has to be top five easy! 11. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. Holmes was 38 when he fought a 21-year-old, peak Tyson, same age as Ali was when he fought Holmes. Rocky Marciano: With the highest knockout percentage of all heavyweight champions and boasting wins over such greats as Archie Moore, Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis and Ezzard Charles, the undefeated "Brockton Blockbuster" proved himself a remarkable warrior.

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