Best Heavyweight boxers of the 2000s
Best Heavyweight boxers of the 2000s
Who were the top 15 heavyweight boxers of the 2000s? Feel free to do a top 20 if you can. Interested to know opinions.
Re: Best Heavyweight boxers of the 2000s
This is not so easy task, cause the era wasn't the toughest, so to speak. There were many kinda undignified champs and fukked up decisions.
My ranking will base only on 2000-2009 achievements.
1. Lennox Lewis - 2 major belts (of 3 major belts by that time standards), recognised as an undisputed champion. Outclassed Tua, who is considered to be a one of the best fighters without World titles, defeated Rahman, who was a one of the top guys then, defeated Tyson, who was past prime though, defeated prime Vitali, who would later become the dominant force of the division along with his brother.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - gathered 2 major belts (of 4 major belts by that time standard, WBO became well recognised in mid 00s), defeated almost all best opposition available in those times.
3. Vitali Klitschko - WBC champ, also defeated almost all best opposition available in those times.
4. Ruslan Chagaev - WBA champ, defeated Ruiz and Valuev.
5. Chris Byrd - won injured Vitali and faded Holyfield to become a champ, had a bunch of arguable defences.
6. John Ruiz - wins over Holyfield, Rahman, Golota, Oquendo with variable level of fairness. The same can be said about losses to Valuev actually.
7. Hasim Rahman - was around the top for almost all 00s, defeated Lewis, was robbed against Toney.
8. Lamon Brewster - knocked Wlad out for WBO, defended 3 times including knocking Golota out in the 1st.
9. Samuel Peter - knocked out Maskaev for the WBC belt, troubled Wlad, defeated Toney.
10. Corrie Sanders - destroyed Wlad for WBO.
11. Sultan Ibragimov - won Briggs for the WBO, defended against faded Holyfield.
12. James Toney - won faded Holyfield and Ruiz for the title, but the title fight became NC because of Toney being on PEDs, so the value of Ruiz win is questionable.
13. Oleg Maskayev - defeated Rahman for WBC.
14. Shannon Briggs - defeated Liakhovich for WBO and faded Mercer before.
15. Nikolai Valuev - impertinently well protected 2-time WBA champ with the tons of arguable decision wins. Not so bad on paper, but in the reality he sucked.
16. Siarhei Liakhovich - defeated Brewster for WBO.
17. Evander Holyfield - actually captured WBA early in the decade against Ruiz, but their trilogy was close overall (and fukking boring), while after that was helping to build up other fighters' records with his big name. Valuev fights was arguable too though.
18. Andrew Golota - 3 failed title challenges, 2 of them arguable.
19. Fres Oquendo - was around the top for long with losing all big fights. Byrd decision for the belt was arguable.
20. Alexander Povetkin - then prospect with the biggest win of declining Byrd.
Note: Tyson and Roy Jones were around for some time in this decade, but not sure, how to rank them here, I guess, you can understand why.
My ranking will base only on 2000-2009 achievements.
1. Lennox Lewis - 2 major belts (of 3 major belts by that time standards), recognised as an undisputed champion. Outclassed Tua, who is considered to be a one of the best fighters without World titles, defeated Rahman, who was a one of the top guys then, defeated Tyson, who was past prime though, defeated prime Vitali, who would later become the dominant force of the division along with his brother.
2. Wladimir Klitschko - gathered 2 major belts (of 4 major belts by that time standard, WBO became well recognised in mid 00s), defeated almost all best opposition available in those times.
3. Vitali Klitschko - WBC champ, also defeated almost all best opposition available in those times.
4. Ruslan Chagaev - WBA champ, defeated Ruiz and Valuev.
5. Chris Byrd - won injured Vitali and faded Holyfield to become a champ, had a bunch of arguable defences.
6. John Ruiz - wins over Holyfield, Rahman, Golota, Oquendo with variable level of fairness. The same can be said about losses to Valuev actually.
7. Hasim Rahman - was around the top for almost all 00s, defeated Lewis, was robbed against Toney.
8. Lamon Brewster - knocked Wlad out for WBO, defended 3 times including knocking Golota out in the 1st.
9. Samuel Peter - knocked out Maskaev for the WBC belt, troubled Wlad, defeated Toney.
10. Corrie Sanders - destroyed Wlad for WBO.
11. Sultan Ibragimov - won Briggs for the WBO, defended against faded Holyfield.
12. James Toney - won faded Holyfield and Ruiz for the title, but the title fight became NC because of Toney being on PEDs, so the value of Ruiz win is questionable.
13. Oleg Maskayev - defeated Rahman for WBC.
14. Shannon Briggs - defeated Liakhovich for WBO and faded Mercer before.
15. Nikolai Valuev - impertinently well protected 2-time WBA champ with the tons of arguable decision wins. Not so bad on paper, but in the reality he sucked.
16. Siarhei Liakhovich - defeated Brewster for WBO.
17. Evander Holyfield - actually captured WBA early in the decade against Ruiz, but their trilogy was close overall (and fukking boring), while after that was helping to build up other fighters' records with his big name. Valuev fights was arguable too though.
18. Andrew Golota - 3 failed title challenges, 2 of them arguable.
19. Fres Oquendo - was around the top for long with losing all big fights. Byrd decision for the belt was arguable.
20. Alexander Povetkin - then prospect with the biggest win of declining Byrd.
Note: Tyson and Roy Jones were around for some time in this decade, but not sure, how to rank them here, I guess, you can understand why.