Best Aussie Heavyweights of All time

[TMC_aussie36]

My list of the best Aussie Heavyweights of All time

1-Lucas Browne.
2-Kali Meehan.
3-Alex Leapai.
4-Craig Petersen.
5-Solomon Haumono.
6-Mark De Mori.
7-Justis Huni
8-Demsey McKean.
9-Justin Fortune
10-Paul Gallen

Joe Bugner off list due to only fighting a few times as an Aussie

Any changes you feel let me know!

[Fray Bentos]

Wasn't Aussie Joe Bugner an Aussie champion? If he was he should be on the list.

[margaret thatcher]

kali is a kiwi aint he. id also rate him ahead of browne if he were aussie

i would already rate huni and mckean ahead of de mori, who has only beaten absolute crap. mckean beating john rice for example is far better than any win of de mori's

[Beltane]

De Mori - you must be joking - a record boosted from fighting tomato cans.

[bollocks]

When a rugby (or AFl) player gets onto a top 10 alltime list...you know there's a major lack of talent going on

[fox]

I was at Carrara when Aussie Joe won the Australian heavyweight title off Vince Cervi. Vince was way younger but Aussie Joe just way too crafty and won quite comfortably. I’d put Jimmy Thunder in as he was Based out here for a fair bit and if Kali Meehan is in. Plus he beat Craig Peterson for the Aussie title. Definitely ahead of De Mori anyway.

[iron rhino]

I’m more of a modern heavyweight guy.Tony mundeen was under 90kg,older Aus champs even lighter.Although some of my choices didn’t win their biggest fights,just the climb to get there,beating great contenders,is what I’ve taken into account.
1. Alex Leapai(got to Klitschko amazing)
2. Kali Meehan(numerous big title fights)
3. Jimmy thunde(Big names in his prime)
4. Lucas Browne(He won the belt and cleared)
6. Bob mirovic (Definitely earned @ 3 time)
7. Colin Wilson (part of the furniture@ 3 time)
8. Solomon Haumono(Got close to the real action)
9. Tony mundeen(Great record)
10.Joe bugner(Fought Ali and gave him a real run)
I feel the current fighters need more fights,to be mentioned yet.Small pool of fighters in our country,it’s not really fare to go from novice to full lunatic fights in under 5-10 fights.There would have been some more contenders if they had time to grow.

[Grant]

that's a good list, but some of the fighters during 30s and 40s probably need to be considered. sometimes they get overlooked. Oh and if you include Bugner he has to go #1

[gregregegg]

My list of the best Aussie Heavyweights of All time

1-Lucas Browne.
2-Kali Meehan.
3-Alex Leapai.
4-Craig Petersen.
5-Solomon Haumono.
6-Mark De Mori.
7-Justis Huni
8-Demsey McKean.
9-Justin Fortune
10-Paul Gallen

Joe Bugner off list due to only fighting a few times as an Aussie

Any changes you feel let me know!

Geeze thats grim considering we are a pretty tall nation, also have plenty of islanders that are heavy and tough as nails.. I guess big tough lads play footy in Australia. and now UFC is taking some talent too.

Huni has the tallent to top this list in a few years if he can stay healthy. and Goodal and mehan could make the list if they get some decent fights. ...

[DrDuke]

The Aussie HW scene has always been poor.

Joe Bugner is the best. He lasted against Ali and Frazier, which already is better than everything else.

If to consider Kali Meehan Australian, he gotta be the 2nd. He could have been a legit title-holder, if wasn't robbed against Brewster.

After these too it becomes dreadful. Probably Lucas Browne gotta be there, but only because he lucky-punched old and fat Chagaev. Browne got overrated because of that, but in reality it's tough to say, who is better: him or Leapai.

[Beltane]

Although only a middleweight, Les Darcy won the Australian Heavyweight title on 19th February 1916 and defended it three more times - stopping all of his four opponents.

Based on that record, Les would certainly outclass some of the names previously mentioned, some who never even fought for the Australian title.

[Ambling Alp II]

Peter Jackson was probably the best.
Frank Slavin is worth mentioning for top 10.

[margaret thatcher]

Although only a middleweight, Les Darcy won the Australian Heavyweight title on 19th February 1916 and defended it three more times - stopping all of his four opponents.

Based on that record, Les would certainly outclass some of the names previously mentioned, some who never even fought for the Australian title.

in an era of fight day weigh ins he won the heavyweight title against a guy weighing 162 pounds and 3 of the 4 opponents were in the 160s, with his heaviest opponent weighing 176. that's like beating a couple light middleweights, a middleweight, and a super middleweight for a heavyweight title.

different times.....

[gregregegg]

Counting Les Darcy as a heavyweight seems a bit strange. While technicaly he may have fought at heavyweight... it just seems misleeding.

Les was 5'6, fought at 126lb, over the coarse of 6 years gaining weight to 160 lb. makes me wonder how grim heayweights were at the time... although it was mid world war 1 when he was fighting at heavy, so maybe thats why it was so thin.

Great fighter, sure
Great heavyweight... not to me.

[margaret thatcher]

Ya the HW division has changed more than any. Jack Johnson also won the title vs a 5'7 168 on fight night guy....so basically a guy about the size of curtis stevens.

[bollocks]

Years ago we used to claim Bob Fitsimmons as one of ours

[Fray Bentos]

Nobody mentioned George Cook? Larry Gains said in his autobiography that he was such a tough, hard man that he would have been suited to 20 rounders where the longer the fight went on the stronger he got.

[Brute]

kali is a kiwi aint he. id also rate him ahead of browne if he were aussie

i would already rate huni and mckean ahead of de mori, who has only beaten absolute crap. mckean beating john rice for example is far better than any win of de mori's

Kali Meehan is Fijian.

[Brute]

Ya the HW division has changed more than any. Jack Johnson also won the title vs a 5'7 168 on fight night guy....so basically a guy about the size of curtis stevens.

People were not as tall then. Johnson was 6'1", 190 lbs and he was regarded as a giant.

[Cap]

Lots of good game boys fought for the Australasian title back in the day. Guys like Colin Bell, Ern Waddy, Pat Doran, Jack Howard, Harry Laing, Tom Heeney, Bill Lang, Alf Gallagher, Bill Britt, Allen Williams. The list is a long one and these boys deserve to be remembered. Look them up sometime.

[patron]

Herb NARVO
All the best

[Mauser]

Peter Jackson (Was considered as possibly the best HW in the world when he was at his prime)
Frank Slavin (Fought the best in the world)
Joe Goddard (Fought the best in the world)
Bill Farnan (Beat Peter Jackson)
Bill Lang (Fought Tommy Burns for the world Title)
Bill Squires (Fought Tommy Burns for the world Title 3 times)
Colin Bell (Fought the best in the world)
George Cook (Fought the best in the world)

These guys were all very good boxers from what I've read, and looking over their records. I'm amazed they don't get much credit and are mostly forgotten these days, .

[gregregegg]

Peter Jackson (Was considered as possibly the best HW in the world when he was at his prime)
Frank Slavin (Fought the best in the world)
Joe Goddard (Fought the best in the world)
Bill Farnan (Beat Peter Jackson)
Bill Lang (Fought Tommy Burns for the world Title)
Bill Squires (Fought Tommy Burns for the world Title 3 times)
Colin Bell (Fought the best in the world)
George Cook (Fought the best in the world)

These guys were all very good boxers from what I've read, and looking over their records. I'm amazed they don't get much credit and are mostly forgotten these days, .

Are you really amazed they are forgoten? Australia wasnt even a real country when Peter Jackson was an active boxer... there is basically zero footage, or living memory of any of these guys fights. Now they probably are worth a mention, and quality opperators, but im not amazed they are forgoten... i cant name a single pre 1900 athlete from any nation in any sport, and id say im in the 99% majority.

[Beltane]

There is footage of the Bill Squires versus Tommy Burns (as well as other pugilists from that era) bout around the 22 minute mark in the doco below.

Squires took rather a beating from Burns:

][/media]

[Cap]

Are you really amazed they are forgoten? Australia wasnt even a real country when Peter Jackson was an active boxer... there is basically zero footage, or living memory of any of these guys fights. Now they probably are worth a mention, and quality opperators, but im not amazed they are forgoten... i cant name a single pre 1900 athlete from any nation in any sport, and id say im in the 99% majority.

Consider the fact that for most media types and young sports fans ten years ago is ancient history. As for pre-1900 sports heroes, how about champion distance runner Tom Longboat, baseball legend James "Tip" O'Neil, world champ sculler Ned Hanlan and boxing's George Godfrey? All Canadians by the way.

Cap