Hey guys. let's make boxrec.com 20 greatest fighters list

[elmersalsa]

Hello guys

I got a proposition to make. I have seen a lot of guys in this forum that know a lot about the all time greats of the sweet science. Why we as collective forum create a list of the 20 greatest fighters that ever lived on each weight class according to your criteria and judgement. We have over 100 guys that make posts in this forum. Many of the posts were extraordinary.

But before all, let us start with your criteria with a list of the 20 greatest heavyweights of all time, according to the experts of this forum. I consider all of you experts and submit your votes please.

We will start today with the heavyweights. The results consist on whom you think should be placed accordingly and then we take an average of all the lists put together and then placed them on the final tally. OK

This is my list of the greatest heavyweights of all time:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Rocky Marciano
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Evander Holyfield
7. George Foreman
8. Larry Holmes
9. Joe Frazier
10. Lennox Lewis
11. Mike Tyson
12. Ezzard Charles
13. Sam Langford
14. Gene Tunney
15. Harry Wills
16. Riddick Bowe
17. Jersey Joe Walcott
18. Max Baer
19. Jim J. Jeffries
20. John L. Sullivan


Please, submit your votes and then we will come with the final tally.

[pundit]

For heavyweights, jezzamundo compiled a forum survey some time ago. The outcome was:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Larry Holmes
4. Jack Johnson
5. George Foreman
6. Rocky Marciano
7. Jack Dempsey
8. Joe Frazier
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Sonny Liston
11. Evander Holyfield
12. Mike Tyson
13. James Jeffries
14. Ezzard Charles
15. Gene Tunney
16. Sam Langford
17. Jersey Joe Walcott
18. Floyd Patterson
19. Harry Wills
20. Max Schmeling

-------------------------

My personal ranking would be:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Larry Holmes
5. George Foreman
6. Sonny Liston
7. Sam Langford
8. Joe Frazier
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Gene Tunney
11. Rocky Marciano
12. Jack Dempsey
13. Mike Tyson
14. Harry Wills
15. Ezzard Charles
16. Max Schmeling
17. Jersey Joe Walcott
18. Jim Jeffries
19. Evander Holyfield
20. Jack Sharkey

[Sherlock]

This is my list of the greatest heavyweights of all time:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Rocky Marciano
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Evander Holyfield
7. George Foreman
8. Larry Holmes
9. Joe Frazier
10. Lennox Lewis
11. Mike Tyson
12. Ezzard Charles
13. Sam Langford
14. Gene Tunney
15. Harry Wills
16. Riddick Bowe
17. Jersey Joe Walcott
18. Max Baer
19. Jim J. Jeffries
20. John L. Sullivan

No Sonny Liston, Elmer?

My top twenty:
1. Joe Louis
2. Jack Johnson
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Larry Holmes
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Sonny Liston
7. Joe Frazier
8. George Foreman
9. Jim Jeffries
10. Rocky Marciano
11. Gene Tunney
12. Max Schmeling
13. Evander Holyfield
14. Mike Tyson
15. Lennox Lewis
16. Floyd Patterson
17. Ezzard Charles
18. Max Baer
19. Jack Sharkey
20. Jersey Joe Walcott

[barry]

Heavyweight

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Dempsey
4. Jack Johnson
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Mike Tyson
7. Jim Jeffries
8. George Foreman
9. Sonny Liston
10. Larry Holmes
11. Joe Frazier
12. Max Baer
13. Sam Langford
14. Bob Fitzsimmons
15. Ezzard Charles
16. Gene Tunney
17. Evander Holyfield
18. Peter Jackson
19. John L. Sullivan
20. Tommy Burns

[The Great John L]

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Johnson
4. Holmes
5. Marciano
6. Dempsey
7. Frazier
8. Jeffries
9. Tyson
10. Tunney
11. Lewis
12. Charles
13. Wills
14. Foreman
15. Holyfield
16. Langford
17. Liston
18. Corbett
19. Jeanette
20. Jackson

[dr_devious]

Heavyweight

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Dempsey
4. Jack Johnson
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Mike Tyson
7. Jim Jeffries
8. George Foreman
9. Sonny Liston
10. Larry Holmes
11. Joe Frazier
12. Max Baer
13. Sam Langford
14. Bob Fitzsimmons
15. Ezzard Charles
16. Gene Tunney
17. Evander Holyfield
18. Peter Jackson
19. John L. Sullivan
20. Tommy Burns

Barry, youre spot on about Tommy Burns being in the top 20, whilst Lennox Lewis isnt

[barry]

Well, Lewis is right around 20 to 25.

If Lewis had not been knocked out with one shot on two different occasions by two very less than stellar opponents while in his prime then he would be probably be right around the top 10.

[The Great John L]

…
19. John L. Sullivan

WoooHooo!!! That’s even a couple spots higher than I’ve got him!

[pundit]

Guys, you tend to forget Max Schmeling. He should be in the top 20.

[pundit]

He's in mine:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Larry Holmes
4. Jack Johnson
5. Joe Frazier
6. Sonny Liston
7. George Foreman
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Lennox Lewis
11. Jack Dempsey
12. Mike Tyson
13. Gene Tunney
14. Ezzard Charles
15. Jersey Joe Walcott
16. Jimmy Young
17. Jim Jeffries
18. Riddick Bowe
19. Max Schmelling
20. Jack Sharkey

You have my absolution (for this post).

[Lenny]

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Johnson
4. Holmes
5. Marciano
6. Liston
7. Foreman
8. Frasier
9. Lewis
10. Dempsey
11. Holyfield
12. Charles
13. Tyson
14. Jeffries
15. Tunney
16. Langford
17. Young
18. Walcott
19. Bowe
20. Patterson

[Ezzard]

Elmer

I usually just post groups of fighters but I've done my best here and I'm still not happy with it.

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Johnson
4. Holmes
5. Dempsey
6. Frazier
7. Holyfield
8. Liston
9. Foreman
10. Lewis
11. Marciano
12. Jeffries
13. Schmeling
14. Tyson
15. Tunney
16. Charles
17. Walcott
18. Langford
19. Jackson
20. Sharkey
21. Wills
22. Norton
23. Bowe
24. Jeanette
25. Patterson

[Ezzard]

By "Jackson," do you mean "Peter Jackson"? If so, what do you mean by "Sharkey"?

Peter and Jack

[JC]

1) Louis
2) Ali
3) Holmes
4) Johnson
5) Foreman
6) Liston
7) Frazier
8 ) Marciano
9) Holyfield
10) Lewis
11) Dempsey
12) Tyson
13) Jefferies
14) Tunney
15) Charles
16) Wills
17) Walcott
18 ) Patterson
19) Schmeling
20) Bowe

[pundit]

1) Louis
2) Ali
3) Holmes
4) Johnson
5) Foreman
6) Liston
7) Frazier
8 ) Marciano
9) Holyfield
10) Lewis
11) Dempsey
12) Tyson
13) Jefferies
14) Tunney
15) Charles
16) Wills
17) Walcott
18 ) Patterson
19) Schmeling
20) Bowe

I like this one, except that I miss Langford.

[JC]

I like this one, except that I miss Langford.

You're right I kind of chickened out because I find Langford difficult to rank, I may edit the list a little when I've got time.

[barry]

19. Max Schmelling???? Didn't Max Baer beat the crap out of Schmeling?

16. Jimmy Young...are you kidding?

[BrocktonBlockbuster49]

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Johnson
4. Holmes
5. Marciano
6. Dempsey
7. Frazier
8. Jeffries
9. Tyson
10. Tunney
11. Lewis
12. Charles
13. Wills
14. Foreman
15. Holyfield
16. Langford
17. Liston
18. Corbett
19. Jeanette
20. Jackson

wheres jersey joe????




why is liston so low? ezzard charles and tunney over liston?



solid list, i like the jeanette pick

[BrocktonBlockbuster49]

He's in mine:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Larry Holmes
4. Jack Johnson
5. Joe Frazier
6. Sonny Liston
7. George Foreman
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Lennox Lewis
11. Jack Dempsey
12. Mike Tyson
13. Gene Tunney
14. Ezzard Charles
15. Jersey Joe Walcott
16. Jimmy Young
17. Jim Jeffries
18. Riddick Bowe
19. Max Schmelling
20. Jack Sharkey

dec why is tunney so high since he accomplished so litle at heavyweight?

[BrocktonBlockbuster49]

19. Max Schmelling???? Didn't Max Baer beat the crap out of Schmeling?

well the scorecards were virtually even(at least on my scorecard) going into the 10th round.......so up until the 10th round the fight wasnt a one sided beating. baer didnt actually beat the crap out of schmeling until the 10th.



max schmeling beat the crap out of joe louis. louis slaughtered baer in 4 rounds. schmeling also didnt suffer numerous losses in his prime like baer did.......and i think on film schmeling looks better than max baer. baer appeared very crude to me........despite his devastating power and granite chin. it appeared he could be outboxed easily.

[Ambling Alp]

Here is my top 20

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Foreman
4. Johnson
5. Frazier
6. Holmes
7. Marciano
8. Dempsey
9. Holyfield
10. Lewis
11. Liston
12. Bowe
13. Tyson
14. Jeffries
15. Tunney
16. Langford
17. Wills
18. Jeanette
19. Norton
20. McVey

[pundit]

19. Max Schmelling???? Didn't Max Baer beat the crap out of Schmeling?

He did, but it was during Schmeling's off-year (he also lost to journeyman Steve Hamas at the time). And overall Schmeling was much more consistent than Baer, owning opponents who beat Baer couldn't beat(Uzcudun, Loughran, Risko).

[pundit]

He's in mine:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Larry Holmes
4. Jack Johnson
5. Joe Frazier
6. Sonny Liston
7. George Foreman
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Lennox Lewis
11. Jack Dempsey
12. Mike Tyson
13. Gene Tunney
14. Ezzard Charles
15. Jersey Joe Walcott
16. Jimmy Young
17. Jim Jeffries
18. Riddick Bowe
19. Max Schmelling
20. Jack Sharkey

dec why is tunney so high since he accomplished so litle at heavyweight?

#13 for Tunney isn't high.

[barry]

>>>He did, but it was during Schmeling's off-year (he also lost to journeyman Steve Hamas at the time). And overall Schmeling was much more consistent than Baer, owning opponents who beat Baer couldn't beat(Uzcudun, Loughran, Risko).<<<

Why is it always with the excuse to try to cover up the most legitimate of losses...an off-year…give me break! Schmeling was right at his prime when Baer destroyed him…and Baer did destroy him in that bout…in fact…Baer absolutely owned Schmeling!

Much more consistent...how so…in what way was Schmeling more consistent?

And as far as Schmeling owning certain fighters, he most certainly did not own Loughran, Risko, or Uzcudun.

Also Baer lost to Risko in a close bout, but Baer came back and avenged his loss to Risko, he not only avenged the loss, he won every round during which Risko only held his own in one round and took a pretty solid beating…certainly as solid as what Schmeling handed him...if not more so!

The fight with Uzcudun was a barn-burner…20 rounds of it while Schmeling won two of three close bouts against Uzcudun…all those bouts that were decent, but none in which Uzcudun was “owned.” Plus the fact remains...Baer beat Schmeling when they were both pretty much in they're prime and beat Schmeling very well!

As far as Schmeling owning Tommy Louhran, well that would be a little difficult considering that they never fought!

Also, for the record…Steve Hamas was not a journeyman…he was a top ranked heavyweight who was rated in the top ten for a total of 32 months, which was pretty damn good considering that Hamas only fought for five years during which he was ranked in the top ten for three of those years including being the number one ranked heavyweight for the crown...Ranked number one...pretty good for a journeyman...wouldn't you say?

[The Great John L]

Seems like we’ve had these discussions several times before, but I guess we can do it again.

wheres jersey joe????

Currently sitting at #25 in my rankings. He used to be at #20, but has slid a bit over the past few months as I’ve tweaked the rankings.

why is liston so low? ezzard charles and tunney over liston?

My rankings are based on two different ratings, kinda like a mini-BCS. I rank head-to-head (how I think each would do against the other) and I also rank each fighter in 20 different categories of skill and abilities. Liston suffers a bit in the head-to-head because I think he would have difficulty with faster boxers, of which there are quite a few in my list of HWs. He is in my top 20, which isn’t really that low, and has actually moved up a few spots over the past few months. Hell, he’s ahead of The Great John L!!!

solid list, i like the jeanette pick

Thanks. I think most people here have just about the same fighters, we just put them in different order.

Interestingly, I am usually one of those on this forum who is critical of Tyson, but somehow he keeps showing up in my top 10…