TOP 10 HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTS OAT

[BIGDOUG58]

Just for a conversation base I have listed my all time Top 10 HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE bouts.
I know my list will differ from others but that's what makes great debate.
I have only gone back 100 years as film from pre 1918 is rare and scratchy to say the least.
So for this excersise it's 1918-2017.....
Here goes.
1 Ali Frazier 1 1971
2 Holmes Norton 1978
3 Ali Frazier 111 1975
4 Joshua Klitschko 2016
5 Louis Conn 1941
6 Marciano Walcott 1953
7 Douglas Tyson 1990
8 Ali Shavers 1977
9 Lewis Holyfield Draw
10 Dempsey Willard 1919
I know this is going to start a good healthy debate and I an open to criticism.
Cheers Everyone

[jezzamundo]

Just for a conversation base I have listed my all time Top 10 HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE bouts.
I know my list will differ from others but that's what makes great debate.
I have only gone back 100 years as film from pre 1918 is rare and scratchy to say the least.
So for this excersise it's 1918-2017.....
Here goes.
1 Ali Frazier 1 1971
2 Holmes Norton 1978
3 Ali Frazier 111 1975
4 Joshua Klitschko 2016
5 Louis Conn 1941
6 Marciano Walcott 1953
7 Douglas Tyson 1990
8 Ali Shavers 1977
9 Lewis Holyfield Draw
10 Dempsey Willard 1919
I know this is going to start a good healthy debate and I an open to criticism.
Cheers Everyone

Here's my opinion of each of your choices:
1. For quality, I don't think there's been a better heavyweight fight, although Ali wasn't 100%. This would be my #1 too.
2. A great fight, Norton a touch post-prime and Holmes coming in with an injury but great quality and super close.
3. A good fight, but well below the first two IMO. Both were clearly past their best and I don't think it was as close as it gets credit for.
4. A modern-day classic between a young up-and-comer and a 41yo former champ who gave arguably the best performance of his career.
5. I haven't watched it in its entirety, so can't comment.
6. See #5
7. One of my personal favourites, though it is a bit one-sided to be a truly great fight IMO (I only have Tyson winning rounds 5 and 8).
8. An entertaining fight, but the quality isn't great. Ali was WAY past his best and Shavers was never great - power aside. Ali definitely should have retired after this fight and probably before it.
9. I completely disagree that this should be in the top 10 - both fighters gave lackluster performances in what was a clear win for Lewis and a robbery. The rematch was a much better fight, though still probably not worthy of Top 10. Holyfield's first two fights with Bowe were better, while Lewis's fight with Vitali was more entertaining, although Lewis was clearly past his best.
10. Entertaining, but so far removed from modern boxing with Dempsey standing over Willard after each time he knocked him down.

I'd chuck Foreman-Lyle in there, as well as Bowe-Holyfield 1. I wouldn't have it in the top 10, but Liakhovich-Brewster was a great fight, though at a lower level than the rest here in terms of quality.

[lazboy]

Ali foreman must be included. The build up and actual fight surpass most works of fiction in terms of entertainment value.

And yes Bowe Holyfield 1 as jezza said. That is nonstop action.

[SenorPipino]

What is the exact criteria?

Excitement? Significance? Dramatic conclusion? Any and all?

Jezzamundo included Foreman-Lyle as an entry. Why it's certainly one of the most entertaining, back-and-forth, high profile slugfests in heavyweight history, it wasn't a championship bout.

[jezzamundo]

What is the exact criteria?

Excitement? Significance? Dramatic conclusion? Any and all?

Jezzamundo included Foreman-Lyle as an entry. Why it's certainly one of the most entertaining, back-and-forth, high profile slugfests in heavyweight history, it wasn't a championship bout.

I assumed it was a combination of all factors based on personal preferences, as well as the actual quality of the fight and ability of both fighters at the time. I actually didn't notice the word 'title' in the OP - my bad!

As for the previous comment, I wouldn't have Ali-Foreman in the Top 10 based on quality, but including the narrative behind the fight, and the dramatic conclusion and I agree - it's a shoe-in.

[DrDuke]

1. Frazier-Ali 1
2. Holyfield-Bowe 1
3. Ali-Frazier 3
4. Douglas-Tyson 1
5. Norton-Holmes
6. Patterson-Johansson 3
7. Tunney-Dempsey 2
8. Lewis-Klitschko
9. Joshua-Klitschko
10. Holyfield-Tyson 1

Honorable mentions: Dempsey-Willard, Walcott-Marciano 1, Marciano-Moore, Liston-Patterson 1 and 2, Foreman-Ali, Ali-Shavers, Holmes-Witherspoon, Holyfield-Cooper, Holyfield-Moorer 2.

[SenorPipino]

Ali vs Foreman has to be on any list.

Action-wise, it certainly wasn't the most entertaining heavyweight title fight ever seen.

If they were 2 nameless heavyweights battling in a walkout bout on some clubfight card, Ali and Foreman may have been booed out of the arena.

But when you consider the quality of the fighters, and combine it with the storyline, the historical/cultural significance along with the dramatic upset ending, it's suddenly a storied title fight for the ages.

[lazboy]

Of course it’s subjective. I thought Ali foreman had good action. Foreman winging punches like a mad man punctuated by infrequent but sharp as nails left tights by Ali. He didn’t just lay on the ropes, he fought back..conservatively.

Personally I don’t like Tyson Douglas. Obviously Tyson didn’t look great as it was a losing performance. I remember he struggled to get off, looked slow and one dimensional on his feet. I believe there was a lot of clinching from both. I appreciate the significance in terms of the upset but the fight itself...

If there’s a action Tyson fight to be included that had significance it’s his complete trashing of Berbick where he became the youngest hw champ. Only two rounds of one sided action but this was the type of action seen only in movies.

[Like a Boss]

Ali-Foreman should be in any top list regardless of the specific criteria applied. What it lacked in action was more than made up for in the tactical battle that played out. Amazing fight.

[Lackeos]

In terms of entertainment, you're probably not going to match the extraordinary Holyfield - Bowe trilogy.

[jamamb]

Ali-Foreman should be in any top list regardless of the specific criteria applied. What it lacked in action was more than made up for in the tactical battle that played out. Amazing fight.

what if the specific criteria applied is action

[Like a Boss]

In terms of entertainment, you're probably not going to match the extraordinary Holyfield - Bowe trilogy.

True. It wasn't lacking for anything. I have all three fights on disk and wheel it out every now and then. Probably due to do it again very shortly.

[Boxing Writer]

Just for a conversation base I have listed my all time Top 10 HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE bouts.
I know my list will differ from others but that's what makes great debate.
I have only gone back 100 years as film from pre 1918 is rare and scratchy to say the least.
So for this excersise it's 1918-2017.....
Here goes.
1 Ali Frazier 1 1971
2 Holmes Norton 1978
3 Ali Frazier 111 1975
4 Joshua Klitschko 2016
5 Louis Conn 1941
6 Marciano Walcott 1953
7 Douglas Tyson 1990
8 Ali Shavers 1977
9 Lewis Holyfield Draw
10 Dempsey Willard 1919
I know this is going to start a good healthy debate and I an open to criticism.
Cheers Everyone

Lewis vs Holyfield shouldn't even be in top-50, let alone in top-10. Dempsey vs Willard also shouldn't be in this list. It was as "competetive" as Lewis vs Grant or Klitschko vs Austin. Dempsey vs Firo would be a better choise.

[funso banjo baby]

all great fights

I really love Louis V Walcott 2, the final exchange between the two is stunning.

I wish the jack Johnson fights were complete, his scraps with Burns and Jeffries were legendary.

I'm a huge fan of Larry Holmes......but probably my fave fight is the Renaldo Snipes. Holmes dominated in the same way as Hagler in that most of their challengers would have beaten anyone else on their day.

[candyslim]

For me Foreman v Lyle is right up there. Not much skill on display and even less finesse but for sheer excitement and brutality it was unsurpassed.