100 greatest heavyweight boxers of all time

If hed been allowed to fight for the championship when he deserved it, all those fights against Cleveland Williams, Eddie Machen and Zora Folley would have been successful title defenses. But Tyson in his prime would have been competitive against anyone. Tyson at 12 is good. As illustrated by the chart above, Ali and Joe Louis were tied for first place in the ranking by trainers. So to see him ahead of Muhammad Ali is huge for him, however, neither of those greats were worthy of top spot in Boxrecs opinion, with Sugar Ray Robinson, who recorded a staggering 109 knockouts in 174 victories, being crowned the GOAT of boxing. Choynski fought in a time when San Francisco was still relevant to boxing and pro boxing was illegal in many states. Wilbur's 100 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time: 80-71 Jack Dempsey (1914-1927, 59-6-9): 146.7, 29. Email THE RING Magazine and your comments could be printed in our next issue: [emailprotected] Emailed letters will include a writers email address unless a city and state of origin is provided. He was relentless and had a will of iron. Give me a break. Louis' points total puts him well clear of the 'Greatest,' who finished second with an impressive 757.9 points. Muhammad Ali had incredible physical gifts, skill, determination and heart. Boxing is a world sport. Muhammad Ali: Why is Ali number one? Unless perhaps Tyson Fury has anything to say about that. Evander Holyfield (1984-2011, 44-10-2): 357.7, 10. He spent five years of his prime in jail and then people fought him. Ketchel had no business at heavyweight. Not to be mentioned is BS. Ive read a couple of bios and researched that era. One elector ranked Ali as low as fourth. Ruiz is the most hated heavyweight of his generation because of his aggravating fighting style. Both Louis and Ali have stated in their primes, Rocky probably would have beaten them. A reasonably good list. The size differential between fighters from different eras is too great. Behind that crisp, piercing jab of his, Holmes enjoyed an eight-year run as world heavyweight champion, defeating the likes of Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers and Muhammad Ali along the way. Louis inspired America. When Louis (the symbol of American democracy) knocked out Schmeling (Adolf Hitlers favorite fighter), Louis became white Americas first black hero. Some of the bigger names in this list include Sonny Liston, and fellow American Evander Holyfield, with the latter renowned for his rivalry with Mike Tyson which saw Iron Mike bite a chunk of his ear off during a bout. He destroyed Holmes. The first boxer to set a million-dollar gate, Dempsey was the US superstar attraction of the 1920s with his savage fighting style, devastating power and rugged good looks. Corbett was one of the first successful scientific fighters of the gloved era. 2. . GEORGE FOREMAN was knocked out by Muhammad Ali in their legendary Rumble in the Jungle - but The Greatest wasn't the hardest-hitting heavyweight he'd ever faced. 77. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. With a sublime jab, toughness and an elite boxing brain, Holmes was a terrific all-rounder. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 10-1, Muhammad Ali hailed Sugar Ray Robinson as the GOAT of boxing. More athletic and aggressive than Liston. 2023 RING TV LIVE. The Youngest Heavyweight Champion ever, a record that will never be broken, is the only true accolade Mike has to his name. And after being heavyweight champion, he came back more than a decade later to do it again. Tony Tucker. If he had people around him who had cared about him he may have won every fight. Eddie Booker 79. His shaky chin did not help his cause either. Primo Carnera (1928-1946, 89-14-0): 111.2, 48. Welcome boxing fans and RSR readers to the second installment of my countdown of the 100 best heavyweight boxers of all time. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. And dont forget Terrell, Shavers and Chuvalo. Muhammad Ali (1960-1981, 56-5-0): 757.9. Dempsey 14. How great was each fighter within his era? Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield tied for 11th place with 328 points each. A lot of people who are serious about boxing think George Foreman is one of the most underrated fighters ever. Wilbur's 100 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time: 91 - 100 Johnny Dundee 77. Trainers: Teddy Atlas, Pat Burns, Virgil Hunter and Don Turner. But Marciano did one thing really well: win. Jack Johnson is too high. Most boxing was done in amateur athletic clubs, which is where early greats like Choynski and Jim Corbett learned their craft. He was a disappointment. The order in which we presented the respective lists had no logic; we started with the middleweights, before going on to rank the bantamweights, light heavyweights, flyweights, featherweights, welterweights and, most recently, the lightweights but naturally, we saved for last the guys at the top of the beanstalk: the big men; the heavyweights. If you dont think that has anything to do with it you are crazy. Tyson better than Holmes? ESPN.com: ALL-TIME GREATEST BOXERS And Jersey Joe Walcott, who made him look amateurish and dropped him at like 39 years of age. Rocky Marciano (1947-1955, 49-0-0): 692.2, 2. Today I saw alacrity used correctly (perfectly, for that matter). Farr started to test himself against American contenders to see how he stacked up. After George won the belt at that age you had the idea that he could have done anything.. I couldnt get tickets . Eventually he would be being hit with pinpoint left hooks and right crosses. Foreman 5. Tyson ADMITS he bit EH (classy) out of frustration not knowing what to do when he knew hed lose). After DAmato died, he lost something but his ferocity and unique skills in both defence and attack stayed on, until he changed Kevin Rooney, due to the cunning and crookery of Don King. But its his late-career comeback that sealed Foremans greatness. Absolutely. Foremans last 10 opponents were unbeaten or just had 1 loss. A gift and a curse. Are you guys kidding me? His left hand jab and hook were beyond frightening. He was poorly managed and handled. Ken Norton. Show some respect. Record: 50-6-0-2 (44 KOs) Career notes: Knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round in November 1986 to become youngest heavyweight champion in history. He wanted to end fights as quickly as possible. So I know it reasonably well. Well come back to Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis later. Riddick had the potential to be much higher on this list but never got there. Very surprising. As I count down from 100 we are going to run into some heavyweights who made an impact but could have been much more if things had been different. 17), and James Corbett (No. Was he the best of his era? Career Record: 175-19-6, 106 KOs. ESPN also listed him as "The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History". I might have to get up a couple of times before I knock him out. Hed be too small for guys like Ali and Foreman. No substance. And then there are fighters like Ali, Frazier, Holmes, Holyfield and Marciano. First Ring Ranking: #5 Middleweight (July 1940) Last Ring Ranking: #9 Heavyweight (May 1963) Record vs. Ring-rated Opponents: 39-19-7 (18 KOs, 7 KOBY) Overall Score Rank: 22 Peak Score Rank: 17 Win Total Rank: 4 Ring Magazine Championships: Light Heavyweight (1952-62) When Mike Tyson got discouraged, he wasnt the same fighter. His record is no different than Tommy Morrisons, same tomato cans, Tommy had an even higher KO %. Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. In a golden age of sports, he made boxing popular and respectable. So much potential down the toilet, it is enough to make your stomach turn. Holmes was 38 when he fought a 21-year-old, peak Tyson, same age as Ali was when he fought Holmes. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 80-71, Mike Tyson has criticised Hulu for making a series about his life without his consent. He did lose (Ted Lowry was robbed in their first match). It fell apart too soon for the youngest ever heavyweight champ, whose life and career unravelled quickly - but in the 1980s Tyson tore through the division like nobody before or since. Standing at 62 and over 200 pounds, Nova was considered a large heavyweight for his era. 60. Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is based on the buyer's proximity to the item location, the shipping . 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. This heavyweight poll has different criteria from previous exercises. Frank Warren EXCLUSIVE Mike Tyson responds to Wilder's claims about knocking him out Top 50 fighters of 21st century named 50-31 50:. 50. 11. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN, Sterling vs. Cejudo preview, how to watch. Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. Willie Pep 72.. 16), Vitali Klitschko (No. But hed already beaten most of these men on his rise to the championship. He stood out as a fighter the way Joe Louis did in his era. Then show me a fight where Tyson did anything similar. Holyfield, for example, beat Tyson twice. Walcott. Andy Ruiz Jr. 49. A metropolis where hundreds of young warriors train and battle each day in its many gyms, it is where Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins all found greatness. Then he got lazy. Shut the hell up! More, and better, accomplishments. Tommy had humble beginnings, fighting with intermittent success on the local pro circuit in Tonypandy, Wales during the 1920s. What time is the Canelo vs. Ryder press conference? Holyfield was bigger than Dempsey and Marciano, but he couldnt punch like them. 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). Plus, hes the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated. Defeating a 26-year-old Michael Moorer at the age of 45 back in November 1994 to once again be crowned as heavyweight champion demonstrated how a heavyweights power is the last to leave his hands. Both equally as boring and predictable. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 20-11. Cant understand this fixation with Tyson, all these guys mop the floor with Tyson. Theyve forgotten how good Louis was when he was young. He was able to play the matador to an aging Jack Dempseys bull. 6. Louis had everything. All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Champions is the title. 25 greatest heavyweight boxing fights of the last 100 years But if Ruth had been forced to contend with sliders, cutters, screwballs, forkballs, two-seam fastballs, four-seam fastballs and the like, he might have been less dominating. 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 didnt mess with Foreman again after he beat him. 20 on each ballot, his score would have been 600. Louis too, though I think Louis courage would put him over Tyson. 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. Flyweight Ring career: 1910-23 Record: 131-3-2 (99 KOs) and 13 no-decisions Career notes: One of the smallest world champions ever . But strictly off resume, he belongs closer to the bottom of this list than to the top. Many have failed at this. 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. 10) were separated by a total of 12 points. Before he went to jail, everyone ducked him. The cartoon? People remember how good Ali was when he was young. Jack Johnson was the father. In weighing greatness, the electors also considered intangibles and how important the heavyweight championship of the world was, once upon a time. The Top Ten. But so too is that fighters skill level within the context of his time. Like Louis, Ali changed what it meant to be black in America. Tyson should be on here all right. Wheres mike Tyson? The 100 Greatest Pound for Pound Boxers Of All Time For some, character mattered. Ali 2. Joe Frazier (1965-1981, 32-4-1): 340.3, 12. Some fighters were more feared than others. Hahahahahaha. Anyone who puts Joe Frazier ahead of a serious power-puncher is ignorant. Fraziers iconic and convincing victory over Muhammad Ali, and 2. the fact he is second only to Ali in terms of the best boxers competing in the strongest era in division history. Here, DAZN lists its 10 Best Heavyweights of All Time, in no particular order. Youre the only one with sense. He won the first one and was robbed by the judges in the third one. Most Famous Fight(s): Controversial 10 round points loss to Jack Sharkey in 1925. Notable Wins: 10 round points win over George Godfrey in 1924, KO9 over Fred Fulton in 1923, TKO15 over Floyd Johnson in 1923. Some sort of elaborate prank? Firpo of Argentina is still a cultural hero and legendary sports figure in South America because of his time as a heavyweight contender during the roaring 20s, primarily due to his epic fight with Jack Dempsey that is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time and the quintessential heavyweight slugfest. Ya uhm no. 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. Vernon Forest 74. No one could take him, bigger fighters were not given the room or the time to punch. 1. Theres some huge fighting records in here, such as Jack Bergs 157 wins in his 192 bouts, with Nicolino Locche also notching up over 100 wins in his career. 9. The poll evaluated 20 champions dating back to the dawn of gloved heavyweight championship fights. Ken Norton should get at least an honorable mention. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. Top 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers of All Time - SportsGeeks He would come to fight carrying extra weight and in no condition to fight for a world title. Nineteen of the 30 electors ranked Ali first. Forget about Johnson-Jeffries as a measure of Jeffries as a fighter. Walcott and Charles are derided now as old men when he fought them. Unfortunately for Jack he was also one of the most avoided, never receiving a title shot and rarely was granted rematches. It was up to each panelist to quantify greatness. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. There was never a Plan B, and theres a point in every boxers career when hes going to need one. A fearsome puncher no doubt, but see Holyfield above. Maybe Tyson would beat prime Lennox Lewis, but a prime Larry Holmes? I agree with you. Put symbolism aside for a moment. Most Famous Fight(s): KO27 loss to Jim Corbett, 20 round draw to James J. Jeffries in 1897. Notable Wins: KO3 over Jack Johnson in 1901, KO15 over George Godfrey in 1892, KO2 over Peter Maher in 1903. 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. Nine chose Joe Louis. Most athletic slugger I ever saw. To draw an analogy to another sport, some of pro footballs greatest lineman from the past weighed 240 pounds. I can only imagine how interesting fights between Ibeabuchi and the Klitschko brothers would have been. Erik Morales 78. Matchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz and Bruce Trampler. Sorry, if Holmes is on they should both be in the top 5. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Tyson could never deal with adversity, which is why he doesnt belong on the list of ATGs. Tyson never once rose from the canvas or walked through fire to win a fight. Foreman finished third among the matchmakers. Chris Byrd (1993-2009, 41-5-1): 142.9, 30. Jack Johnson: Boxings first Black champion of the big men was remarkably quick, very hard to hit, and dangerous with either fist. And lame. You can check out the heavyweights that finished outside of the top 50 over at BoxRec. 2.1 Heavyweight (201 lbs+ - 91.18 kg+) 2.2 Cruiserweight (200 lbs - 90.72 kg) 2.3 Light heavyweight (175 lbs - 79.38 kg) . 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. Gene Tunney (1915-1928, 79-1-4): 464.7, 6. 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. My own preference is to rank Ali No. Prison? Larry Holmes: An awesome jab, a dangerous right hand, tremendous heart, and astonishing recuperative powers were among the attributes The Easton Assassin brought to the ring. He had a knockout-to-win percentage of 88% and was ranked 16th on The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. But watch the film. Boxing News - 100 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers Thats a long time in boxing. l give credit to any boxer who can rectify their losses. Once upon a time, Pinklon Thomas was hailed as the next great champ who was going to save the heavyweight division from the boring and overrated Larry Holmes. Bruce Woodcock (1942-1950, 35-4-0): 119.3, 41. He beat four other guys on this list: Tyson, Bowe, Holmes, and Foreman. But he fought for 17 years and had only 18 fights. Ali finished alone in first place in the rankings by media, matchmakers and historians. 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 Kevin McBride TKOd Tyson is SIX. 4. Iron Mike is many peoples go to for the GOAT, so to see him outside the top 75 is mind boggling. Underrated offense (he carried many opponents). 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. When talking The Greatest heavyweights, Alis name reigns supreme. Ruslan Chagaev (1997-2016, 34-3-1): 123.1, 38. he trained for a week before the fight. And they are similar in age so how can you talk about their primes? He was older and slower, but hed learned to study his opponents and take advantage of what he saw. Everyone, maybe save Sonny Liston and Vladimir Klitschko, overcame tough situations in a fight and found a way to win. What a jab! There is no way Frazier can be ranked above Foreman. It was avenged in devastating style: two minutes and four seconds of violence that left Schmeling with broken bones in his back. 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. Throw in Norton, Quarry, Patterson, Lyle and Bonavena too. DANNY WILLIAMS who LOST 27 fights knocked out a 38 year-old Tyson in 4 rounds. And his role as a serious player in Ukrainian politics adds to his stature. Most Famous Fight(s): UD12 over David Tua in 1997. Notable Wins: TKO5 over Chris Byrd in 1999. He won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and went on to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times. When they met again with the championship on the line, Louis knocked Schmeling out in the first round. Best pure puncher who ever got in a ring. Frazier above Foreman? A true STUDENT of the sweet science. And his power was no myth. Jack Johnson was ahead of his time in so many ways. Theres some ridiculous fighting records on this section of the list, with the biggest name arguably Lennox Lewis, The Lion was undisputed heavyweight champion in 2002, with no other man being able to achieve the feat since, showing us the size of his accomplishments when you consider some of the greats who have come after him. Renault was also famous for his battles with smaller boxers Harry Greb and Gene Tunney. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity. Fourteen of the 19 electors who ranked Ali first ranked Louis second. Lennox Lewis (1989-2003, 41-2-1): 547.9, 4. Holyfield won the fight when Tyson was disqualified in the third round for biting Holyfield twice. 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? Fiercely independent, Boxing News magazine strives to guide fight fans through the complicated boxing world with . That should count for something. Big George knocked the hell out of Frazier twice and Smoking Joe is ranked over Foreman? 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. Most Famous Fight(s): MD12 win over Tim Witherspoon in 1984 to win the WBC belt, TKO6 loss to Mike Tyson in 1987. Notable Wins: TKO8 win over Mike Weaver in 1985, TKO8 win over James Quick Tillis in 1982. Go back and watch the Norton fight, even just round 15 if you dont have the time. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. How many other great heavyweights fought in his era? Manny Pacquiao comes in at 11th which is ahead of bitter . Wilbur's 100 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time: 90-81 That nickname accurately described his fighting style. After getting roughed up by a prime Mike Tyson, Thomas was never the same and his career quickly fizzled out. Ali is also consistently ranked among the greatest athletes of the century. Sonny Liston: In the late 50s and early 60s Liston devastated the division with knockouts over Cleveland Williams, Nino Valdes, Roy Harris, Zora Folley and Eddie Machen, before taking the title from Floyd Patterson in 1962. Ali fought Joe Frazier three times and Ken Norton three times. Notable Wins: TKO8 over Max Baer in 1941, 15 round decision win over Tommy Farr in 1938. Holmes fought real fighters men like Earnie Shavers. Some dont. Smokin Joe was an absolute buzzsaw. For some electors, the magnitude of a fighters fame was worthy of consideration. 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. Deontay Wilder (2008 - present, 42-1-1): 122.8, 39. Retired undefeated. He also KOBY 26 Jess Willard in Havana Cuba on April 5, 1915. As a symbol, Louis meant as much in his time as Ali did in his; maybe more. Remove altitude and behavior, he is the greatest. Never knew defeat. 1A. The Philadelphia icon couldnt cope with Big Georges otherworldly power - but he gave every other boxer he faced, including Ali, absolute hell. In sum, the criteria diverged significantly from elector to elector. But honestly, his career and overcoming personal obstacles along the way to date already have him among the greatest heavyweights of all time on our list. 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. He would be about #86 on a genuine list. 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. Honorable Mentions:Joe Jeannette, Jersey Joe Walcott, Max Schmeling, James J. Corbett, Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, Sam McVea,Peter Jackson, Evander Holyfield, Tom Sharkey, Floyd Patterson, Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, George Godfrey, John L. Sullivan, Johnny Risko. Lennox Lewis: Defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, both of which he avenged with emphatic wins, do not obscure the fact that Lewis was the dominant heavyweight of the 1990s. 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. Holyfield was only person fought well with tyson in his prime. Tyson had little heart but plenty quit in him. Tyson spent all his time in Tokyo with Geisha prostitutes, and I saw him myself walking down the Ginza with 3-4 of them. Thirty years after Tyson ascended to the heavyweight throne, a Google search for Mike Tyson reveals 8,590,00 results.
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