Top 5 Heavyweights

Kool K · Post by **Kool K** » 10 Jun 2002, 11:46

Who are the top 5 heavyweights? Where does Larry Holmes rank all-time?

Justin · Post by **Justin** » 11 Jun 2002, 11:36

The "Great" heavyweights would have to be
Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis
Rocky Marciano
Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Joe Frazier
Larry Holmes

Tyson/Lewis/Holyfield I'd consider "Very good, but not great"

I'd put Holmes ranking around #5-6, for his pure dominance.

fearthymullet · Post by **fearthymullet** » 02 Jul 2002, 19:35

there arent many truly great heavyweight title reigns, and of these boxers you can pick anyone:
tommy burns
jack johnson
jack dempsey
joe louis
ezzard charles
rocky marciano
muhammad ali
joe frazier
george foreman (between 70s and 90s)
larry holmes
mike tyson
holyfield/lewis (both questionable)

Justin · Post by **Justin** » 03 Jul 2002, 00:56

I wouldn't consider Tommy Burns' reign great...

Sure he was doing pretty good, and was a great fighter... but he never really fought any big names or big talents... plus he didn't COMPLETELY dominate his era like the other guys who didn't have the competition there, but are still on your list (Marciano, Holmes)

But I never did understand how a guy fails at an attempt for the Middleweight crown, then in his next fight, wins the HEavyweight title...

Pr1zefighter44 · Post by **Pr1zefighter44** » 03 Jul 2002, 17:00

TOP 5 Heavyweights:
5- Jack Johnson
4- Archie Moore
3- Joe Louis
2- Rocky Marciano
1- Frans Botha

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 05 Jul 2002, 22:17

Justin · Post by **Justin** » 06 Jul 2002, 02:11

LMAO at that list...

Botha at #1, and Moore as #4 in Heavyweights, despite only winning the title once, and never defending it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 12 Jul 2002, 00:07

I'd say that the five greatest heavyweights--I'll count Ezzard Charles as a light heavy-- were:

1. Liston
2. Ali
3. Holmes
4. Louis
5. Dempsey

Jack Johnson would be a very close 6th.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 12 Jul 2002, 10:29

jeez.....you guys are weird...Holmes behind Liston ? oh please.

Holmes is the second best heavyweight of all time....behind Clay......note I say Clay and not Ali...Holmes would have beaten the Ali incarnation of Clay. Everything Holmes did was learnt directly from the man himself....it was done with more intention and more brute force. Add on top of that the most granite chin and unbelievable heart.

Those who rank Dempsey and Marciano above Lennox Lewis are living in a past reality and need to step forward into the light. Rejoice you fools....a great walks amongst you all......enjoy him whilst you can.

And Jack Johnson would be 3rd by the way. Having studied the man and his fights in great detail.....only he , Holmes and Clay/Ali would be enuf to nullify a prime Tyson Attack.

Tomato-Can · Post by **Tomato-Can** » 12 Jul 2002, 15:17

To not consider Joe Louis in the top 3 all time is just flat wrong. When listing all time greats one must consider what they accomplished in their own time. That being, length of reign, number of defences and dominence over available competition.

Therefore Louis must be considered 1 or 2. Marciano and Dempsey in the top ten.

1. Louis
2. Ali
3. Holmes
4. Johnson
5. Marciano
6. Foreman
7. Holyfield
8. Dempsey
9. Tyson
10.Lewis

Holyfield,Tyson and Lewis could move up but not down.

Boxer139 · Post by **Boxer139** » 14 Jul 2002, 15:35

Thier are a few way you can rank heavywieghts or any boxer. If you rank them by skill I would have to say Joe Louis are Jack Johnson. They were ahead of their time which made them dominate thier era. Now this is what makes a Great champion to me is thier dtermination, heart, and will to win. If you are the most skilled boxer in the world you can easily be beat by a MAN with HEART. This is why my Number 1 pick for all time greatest is Rocky Marciano. This is a fighter that had all odds against him but he did not let any thing get in the way of his goal. Ezzard Charels was a very skilled and smart fighter. If it would have been skill VS skill when Rocky and Ezzard fought Ezzard would have won, But it wasnt it was Rocky determination and strict training that brought him through the fight to win. Rocky was the only heavywieght champ to retire with out a lost. He is the moderen day Rocy Balboa.

Vermelho · Post by **Vermelho** » 27 Jul 2002, 07:42

Whilst Sonny Liston was a very intimidating fighter, much bigger and fearsome than his contempories, how the hell could anyone rate him the best ever? He couldn't even be called the best of the era, that guy must have videos and history books with the Ali (Clay)- Liston fights completely missing!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 27 Jul 2002, 12:19

man, liston was owned by the mob, and liston got paid alot of money to take dives in those fights.

and dempsey, was not a heavyweight great, he cheated, and his style sucked, and he only had 5 title defenses, gimme a break...

and Larry Holmes fought in the worst era of boxing, Tua, Lewis, or Klitschko would have eaten him for breakfast. but his long reign, and good skill is what puts him on the list at all.

the top ten are...

1.Louis
2.Johnson
3.Ali
4.Foreman
5.Marciano
6.Liston
7.Holyfield
8.Tyson
9.Frazier
10.Holmes

if Klitschko has an awesome carreer.... which he is already starting to have... (39 wins 36 ko 1 loss... and at such a young age, 26) he will without a doubt be put on top 5 of all time. but he's got a long way to go, to reach that goal.

Tyson KTFO 3 Times · Post by **Tyson KTFO 3 Times** » 28 Jul 2002, 14:05

Being a tyson fan i would be baised, but i cannot belive that in the heavyweight section you have not metioned the "fighting marine" gene tunny. Undeafeated as world champ, and only lost in light heavy weight to harry greb. he was a truly great fighter. Beat demspy twice (ok the second was a long count) but he must rank easily in the top ten.

my 5 in no order are.
1. Tyson (at his best before sacking kevin rooney)
2. Ali
3. Marceino
4. Tunny
5. louis

Tyson KTFO 3 Times · Post by **Tyson KTFO 3 Times** » 28 Jul 2002, 14:09

Anonymous wrote:

only he , Holmes and Clay/Ali would be enuf to nullify a prime Tyson Attack.

Holmes stop a tyson attack, if i remember KO 4 , knocked down 4 times. Hell even butterbean knocked him down. (please don't think i am anti-holmes, infact i am a great fan)

Beau · Post by **Beau** » 06 Aug 2002, 21:08

My list:
1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Marciano
5. Holmes

wouter · Post by **wouter** » 07 Aug 2002, 06:24

Liston was the best of his era.... ask Williams, Machen, Valdez, Foley, DeJohn et al. Clay "beat" him when Liston's era had already gone by.....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 08 Aug 2002, 21:45

1 ali
2 louis
3 johnson
4 jeffries
5 liston

fatcity · Post by **fatcity** » 23 Aug 2002, 12:37

This is my pick of the best, and just remember we never got to see Ali at his best AND he was around when the division was without doubt at its all-time strongest.
1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe LOUIS
3. Jack Johnson
4. Larry Holmes
5. George Foreman
6. Joe Frazier
7. Gene Tunney
8. SONNY Liston
9. Jack Dempsey
10. Rocky Marciano

Tyson was a great talen not a great champion. He lacked the mental toughness to come back from behind and the fighters he faced during his reign were either past it or petrified or both.
Lewis and Holifield have both prospered in a division that is devoid of talent (besides the Klitchenko boys whom strangely Lennoxe is not that eager to meet?....wonder why???....)

gensu3k1 · Post by **gensu3k1** » 23 Aug 2002, 15:07

1. Ali

2. Foreman

3. Louis

4. Holmes

5. Tyson

6. Bowe

7. Holyfield

8. Marciano

9. Frazier

10. Liston

11. Lewis

12. Ibeabuchi (a reach, I know)

I consider Dempsey to be a light-heavy/cruiser and think he'd be one even with today's weight training. Marciano, on the other hand, seems to me to have a naturally bigger frame.

Johnson doesn't impress me.

Note that there are only three heavyweights on this list that would be considered "big" heavyweights by today's standards, and two are at the bottom.

Top 5 · Post by **Top 5** » 28 Oct 2002, 01:09

1. Ali
2. Johnson
3. Louis
4. Holmes
5. Liston

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 28 Oct 2002, 02:14

This is always an interesting and purely subjective conjecture,and a good argument can be made for most of the fighters on the list. EXCEPT...whenever I see Marciano listed among the great champions I feel compelled to respond. His manager,Al Weill, was also his matchmaker, and Marciano was one of the most carefully matched and protected fighters of all time. Charles was still a skillful fighter when they fought, but he was past his peak. Marciano never fought a really good heavyweight in the latter's prime. His aggresiveness, strength, will to win and courage... all qualities I'll gladly concede made him to order for older fighters who no longer had the stamina to be in there with that kind of opponent. Rex Layne and LaStarza were merely adequate fighters...and....well I could write hundreds of words on this..as I already have elsewhere. A picture is worth..etc..so try to find a tape of him and Lee Savold....and then check Savold's record.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 28 Oct 2002, 07:05

ERM, FELLAS, I LOVE NOSTALGIA BUT A LOT OF YOUR BELOVED OLD TIMERS LIKE DEMPSEY AND MARCIANO WOULD BE OVER WHELMED BY BIGGER ADVANCED HWS LIKE LENNOX FOR EXAMPLE.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 03 Nov 2002, 14:29

1)ali
2)lewis
3)louis
4)tyson
5)????

-ali = good all rounder with incredible hand speed (bad points=lack of power)
-lewis = good all rounder with plenty of power, and many fighting styles (bad points=chin)
-louis = hard puncher (bad points=chin perhaps,opposition, and speed)
-tyson = very explosive, good chin, best small heavyweight of all time (bad points = only great for short period of time, small)
-5th heavyweight too difficult to decide upon

Ken Pav · Post by **Ken Pav** » 14 Nov 2002, 19:27

I am surprised that nobody even mentioned Stevenson. Has he gone pro instead of dominating for years in the Olympics, he may have given Ali (in Ali's prime) a run for his money. No telling where he would have ranked had he had a pro career, but just based on his achomplishments, and dominence, he should get some top 10 consideration.

Top 5 Heavyweights

Top 5 Heavyweights

Greatest Heavy Wieght

Liston!!!

i can not believe!!!

Top 5 Heavyweights of All Time

ali

greatest Heavyweights of all time