100 greatest heavyweight boxers of all time

He never won the big prize, but did enough to earn the respect of his peers and the voters of the boxing hall of fame. Tyson was the greatest six-round heavyweight of all time. Hes one of the hardest hitters ever. On March 8, 1971, Joe Frazier could have competed with anybody. Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975, 40-12-1): 114.2, 47. That night changed the experience of being black in America. Very impressive. Opponents went into the ring against Louis, Liston and Tyson in their prime fearing for their lives. Eddie Booker 79. But so too is that fighters skill level within the context of his time. Jack Johnson might have been black Americas first black hero. No iron Mike on top of the list? Many have failed at this. Most Notable win: St. Valentine's Day Massacre. 77. 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. The Jeffries fight was a huge event, but I didnt think this a popularity contest and I dont know how to explain that a 6-year retired ex-champion could be considered one of a guys best wins. Respect. He never ducked anyone and ended up fighting everyone relevant in a golden era of heavyweight boxing. And he has captivated the publics imagination for three decades. One elector stated a preference for replacing Vitali Klitschko and Fitzsimmons on his list with Max Schmeling and Sam Langford. Tyson never fought anyone in there prime or of any note before 1990. DANNY WILLIAMS who LOST 27 fights knocked out a 38 year-old Tyson in 4 rounds. Worst list Ive ever seen Did some of Alis greatness rub off on Joe? Ibeabuchi was a beastly hulk of a man with a granite chin, endless stamina, and fought with the fury of mad man. All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Champions is the title. He was a natural counter puncher and rarely pressed the action so he had a reputation for making the hometown fighter look bad. He had one great fight, the first fight against Evander Holyfield. In 2005, Joe Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. Page would often cut corners in training camp, or refuse to train at all. Some fighters were more feared than others. Ali and George Foreman were much bigger. Another boxings greatest robberies. Nobody ever got more out of what he had as a fighter than Marciano. Hahahahahaha. However there is no denying that the current crop a field that includes Wilder,Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and more with WBC and The Ring champ Fury sitting top of the heap have produced the most exciting spell for the 200lbs+ realm in a long time. He was also competing in the light heavyweight division although never got the belt there. Tyson should be number 2 or 3. Accurate list! He was old, washed up beyond even patching, had NOT wanted to fight any more for at least 7-8 years, Lewis either took him to court or threatened to ,to make the fight which had a predetermined conclusion. Choynski fought in a time when San Francisco was still relevant to boxing and pro boxing was illegal in many states. He was known as the Wild Bull of the Pampas. The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time 1 Sugar Ray Robinson 2 Henry Armstrong 3 Harry Greb 4 Jack Dempsey 5 Benny Leonard 6 Joe Louis 7 Mickey Walker 8 Sam Langford 9 Tony Canzoneri 10 Muhammad Ali 11 Joe Gans 12 Willie Pep 13 Jack Johnson 14 Barney Ross 15 Jimmy Wilde 16 Gene Tunney 17 Roberto Duran 18 Johnny Dundee 19 Rocky Marciano 20 Joe Walcott Holmes or V Klitschko never unified the title to become undisputed like the others. There couldnt be two more diametrically opposed fighters, in terms of surviving being hurt. Certain champions touch an entire generation. After three years in prison, Tysons quickness was gone. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right Now, Named And Ranked. If Cassius Clay hadnt come along, Liston would have had more time at the top. Here, DAZN lists its 10 Best Heavyweights of All Time, in no particular order. Rather than match champions against each other in a round-robin tournament, the electors were asked to rank them in order of greatness. Final record: 66-3, with 52 knockouts. He nearly lost twice to Ringo Bonevena and was bitch-slapped by Foreman. This is no small achievement. Thanks for signing up! Come back next week to see who I picked for numbers 90-81. no way. He had a stocky, durable build and was a solid all-around technician. I like him more now that he is HONEST about his career, his shortcomings. If a fighter was ranked No. Jeffries was a superior athlete who won the heavyweight championship as a virtual novice. Page is the first of many to come that falls into that group, only in his case, he has no one to blame but himself. The Fifty Greatest Light-Heavyweights of All Time Part One - 50-41 Published 8 years ago on May 27, 2015 By Matt McGrain Constructing a top 100 pound-for-pound was a difficult task, but far more tortuous was my attempt last year to construct a top 100 at heavyweight. He could have had the greatest career in history, but the circumstances above which Ive barely touched on, were against it. Dominant in his era? Ali fought Joe Frazier three times and Ken Norton three times. Drinking nearly killed him in 1888, yet he whipped the next-best (white) man a year later in a bare-knuckle match that lasted more than two hours. But as David Halberstam noted, He knew how to play the role of champion, inside and outside the ring. Bruce Woodcock (1942-1950, 35-4-0): 119.3, 41. But watch the film. The fans' top 5 greatest boxers of all time. Nor did he obliterate a mediocre Tony Tucker, both title fights in 1987. Tyson foreshadowed todays social media world where fame often counts for more than character. Joe Frazier and Ernie Terrell can attest to that. Tyson took the title in a lackluster period after an admittedly STRONG early run but gave out fast. Unfortunately for Jack he was also one of the most avoided, never receiving a title shot and rarely was granted rematches. Lewis only fought guys who were at the end of their careers. And Ali proved himself the best of them all. Some generations have him. Except for Bowe, they werent in their prime when Evander beat them, but thats still an impressive accomplishment. No Holyfield? A lot of people who are serious about boxing think George Foreman is one of the most underrated fighters ever. Holmes was 38 when he fought a 21-year-old, peak Tyson, same age as Ali was when he fought Holmes. Tyson is completely overrated. Foreman destroyed Frazier on two occasions. For others, it wasnt. Tommy had humble beginnings, fighting with intermittent success on the local pro circuit in Tonypandy, Wales during the 1920s. As Joe liked to say, Nuff said.. Bobs downfall was what made him so popular, his all out approach that left him overextended, open for counter punches, and out of gas in the later rounds if the early KO did not come. Or Williams, Ellis and Folley. And inane. Marciano finished third among the trainers. 9. James J. Jeffries: The Boilermaker was revered for decades as one of the greatest ringman in the history of the sport as his combination of bone-crunching power, durability and amazing stamina allowed him to retire undefeated in 1904. Had three fights with Ali. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures . Tyson in his prime was unstoppable. Liston was nearly knocked out by Cleveland Williams, and also had trouble from Amos Lincoln, but he beat both of them. 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. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images). I take Lennox Lewis by knockout in later rounds. So I know it reasonably well. All the people who claim he never beat anyone forget that he won the title in a tournament. Give him credit for that. He fought his share of soft opponents. Getting off the floor the way he did against Earnie Shavers and Renaldo Snipes, coming back and knocking those guys out that showed a special kind of greatness. But one needs to think in overall terms and career achievements. In previous polls (which used the who-beats-who formula), most electors were confident in the choices. Leave Iron Mike out, Mike Tyson Likely Deserves Mention For His Impressive Wins Over Numberous Belt Holders Including Larry Holmes Trevor Berbick Frank Bruno James Bone Crusher Smith Bruce Seldon Michael Spinks Tony Tubbs And Tony Tucker. The Klitschkos are two big, well-conditioned guys fighting in an era when the best big guys are going into sports other than boxing. Even after his decisive stoppage defeats to Muhammad Ali, he remained a force in the division thanks to his brute strength, devastating jab, and KO power in either fist. Tyson is a video-game. 10. The second of the What If? entrants to the list robbed this generation of a potentially great era of heavyweights. The 1935 US amateur heavyweight champion turned pro in 1936 and hammered his way up the rankings. FOUR. Thats Alis power ranking, which put him in first place. Follow up wins over a faded Max Baer and the German heavyweight champ Walter Neusel earned him a shot at the Joe Louiss world title. Charles was 32 years old in the first Marciano fight. When you squander talent like that, you dont deserve to be ranked high. 8), Mike Tyson (No. Tyson could not get past the defense of Lewis and he got knocked out. Do people not know that Lewis beat Tyson in 8 rounds? Power, toughness, and unsurpassed conditioning were Rockys calling-cards, along with a brutal relentlessness which no one in his era could withstand. A reasonably good list. Bob Pastor (1935-1942, 53-7-5): 259.8, 17. Ray Mercer. Instead, Lennox Lewis represents their era as an all time great, and the 11th best ever? Instead, a weighted average from the other panelists was assigned to their respective slots on their ballots. Primo Carnera (1928-1946, 89-14-0): 111.2, 48. He was a disappointment. It was up to each panelist to quantify greatness. Though he did achieve a certain level of success as a contender in his own right, Baksi is perhaps most famous for being the springboard for the great Jersey Joe Walcotts career, losing his #3 ranking to Walcott in 1945. I agree, those two losses are crap. Dont let that KO reel fool ya. Farr started to test himself against American contenders to see how he stacked up. Then he got lazy. Mike tyson in his prime was unstoppable. 60. If you dont think that has anything to do with it you are crazy. Baksi traveled around the east coast circuits building his record and learning his craft in the early 1940s, but was not a highly regarded prospect. Johnson 12. Frazier at #6 ABOVE Foreman? He fought a way past his prime Tyson, almost lost to Holyfield in their second fight, and Vitaly would have knocked him out if they hadnt stopped it because of the cut. 50. What a jab! Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. Put symbolism aside for a moment. Holyfield had a trilogy with Riddick Bowe, beat Foreman, who, while old, had a serious comeback, earlier killed Frasier and Norton inside two rounds, then 5 for Frazier, beat Ron Lyle, and later beat Michael Moorer, half his age, whod BEATEN Holyfield. He was black Americas first black hero. He is like Morrison, as Stevey below says. Wheres mike Tyson? 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. He didnt starting campaigning full time as a heavyweight until the 1950s and weighed between 178 and 185 in his prime. Eventually he would be being hit with pinpoint left hooks and right crosses. His fundamentals were not stellar, as he often held his hands low and was there to be hit. Holyfield was only person fought well with tyson in his prime. When Mike Tyson got discouraged, he wasnt the same fighter. Walcott was 37, but he outboxed Marciano for most of their first match. His shaky chin did not help his cause either. Each generation wants its own great heavyweight champion. Now, Kossobutskiy will make his North American debut against his best opponent to date. But he took a better punch and was tougher than all of them. The Tyson of the late 80s definitely belongs there. 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. Best known for his four-fight series with defensive magician . 1. Walcott. Impeccable defense. Holyfield , Lewis , Douglas got the best of him yet Tyson never faced Foreman or either of the Klitscko brothers I believe these three fighters could have beat Tyson as well Also Riddick Bowe would have a Big advantage over Tyson. And they enabled him to vanquish, among others, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney,Tim Witherspoon, Mike Weaver and Trevor Berbick. Mandatory Cr. Muhammad Alis score was 46, which, when divided by the 30 electors, averages 1.53. Critics point out that Marciano was small, clumsy and only made six title defences, mainly against ageing opponents. Bob Baker (1949-1959, 51-16-1): 134.4, 34. 100 greatest Heavyweight boxers (Boxing.com) Quiz Stats - By Dickycanio Popular Quizzes Today 1 Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield 2 Companies Spelling Bee 3 Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield 4 Countries of the World Sports greatest QUIZ LAB SUBMISSION Random Sports or greatest Quiz Ingemar Johansson (1952-1963, 26-2-0): 293.6, 15. Chris Byrd (1993-2009, 41-5-1): 142.9, 30. He wanted to end fights as quickly as possible. Vernon Forest 74. Holmes had been out of action 2 years and was 38. Given the era some of these men fought in, youd be forgiven for not knowing who most were and they theyre higher up than the likes of Foreman and Tyson. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. 15. How important was a fighter in his era? Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. Leeds United players slammed by Piers Morgan as footage at hotel goes viral, Jurgen Klopp injures himself celebrating as Liverpool beat Tottenham 4-3, Tottenham: 40m star could now become 'big priority' at Hotspur Way. Show some respect. Smokin Joe was an absolute buzzsaw. He was the mad experiment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxing minds ever in Cus Damato. But he never retired on his stool but stuck it out.. His loss to Lewis was a farce. The best American pound for pound boxers right now, named and ranked, The best super-middleweights in the world, named and ranked, The best lightweight boxers in the world, named and ranked, The best British pound for pound boxers right now, named and ranked. Like Louis, Ali changed what it meant to be black in America. Boxing News Magazine 100 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers Special Issue View Reviews | Write Review Only $7.99 . He could do no more than beat them but, perhaps wisely, he didnt wait to face any up-and-coming boxers! Lennox has to be top five easy! He learned his craft and perfected his style over years of fighting. No one could take him, bigger fighters were not given the room or the time to punch. Most Famous Fight(s): MD12 loss to Tim Witherspoon in 1984 for the WBC belt, KO8 win over Gerrie Coetzee in 1984 for the WBA belt. But thats just for starters. 5. Jack Johnson died on June 10, 1946, at the age of 68. Thanks for reading everyone. But even if you take into account their overall careers, Id still give the edge to Foreman because of his comeback years. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. 8. Reviled early on in his championship reign, he eventually became nothing less than an American icon. Kick ass on half that page at least. His record is no different than Tommy Morrisons, same tomato cans, Tommy had an even higher KO %. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. This is a list of current professional boxing rankings, which includes the latest rankings by each one of the sport's four major sanctioning bodies, . It took Corbett 21 modern rounds to stop Sullivan when Sullivan was 34 years old, had been inactive for three years and was drinking constantly. When was Tyson ever able to overcome anyone who fought back? (Photo by Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images). The 100 Greatest Pound for Pound Boxers Of All Time Dave Carlson January 11, 2011 "Pound for pound" rankings were developed by boxing writers during the era of Sugar Ray Robinson. Thankfully, respected boxing stats website Boxrec have compiled the list of the greatest fighters across all divisions and time periods, so lets dive into the list and see who they believe to be the greatest boxer of all time. Yeah the same one who lost his title to a light heavy? Its also about what he did outside the ring and what were left remembering about him.. Baksis hard-nosed fighting style and rock solid chin proved to be a difficult out. Get it? Marciano wouldnt be rated as high as he is without his O. I couldnt get tickets . Although he didnt make the list, it doesnt mean he isnt a major problem for the legends at the top of this list. Yeah, Holmes lost twice to Michael Spinks, while Tyson knocked out Spinks in 90 seconds. He was thrill-a-minute, exemplified by his fight with Luis Angel Firpo, where Dempsey knocked his opponent down seven (7) times, got blasted through out of the ring himself, then scrambled back through the ropes to eventually knock out Firpo. Muhammad Ali had incredible physical gifts, skill, determination and heart. In the end, Alis edge over Louis in this poll was that many electors felt he was simply the better fighter. Ken Norton should get at least an honorable mention. Matchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz and Bruce Trampler. Ive read all the criticism of Tyson and it is, in my opinion, not merited. Top 12 All-Time Greatest Light Heavyweights, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Muhammad Ali Performances, Top 12 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is Forever The Greatest, Fight City Legends: The Boston Bonecrusher, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Punchers.

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