Heavyweight Boxing’s Ten Greatest Ever Chins

[ThatOne]

21.08.06 - By James Slater: Quite often, a boxer’s chin is his final saviour. If his defensive abilities or attempts at blocking a well aimed punch to the head have failed, his chin is the only thing left that can save him. If his jaw is solid he will take the shot and possibly go on to victory. But if his jaw is weak - it’s lights out. In this article, I list my ten choices for greatest ever chins amongst heavyweights. The following men all had amazing ability at taking blows to the jaw. I say had, but some fighters from my list are still active. And even if these members of the list go on to be KO’d a number of times in the coming months, or years, their reputations - for being able to hold a hard head shot - will never be diminished due to what they proved in their primes. Quite simply, their legendary status - as fighters with chins able to withstand all manner of mighty punches - is set in solid stone. A substance that, on more than a few occasions, their jaws seemed to have been fashioned from.

And one final point before the rundown. Simply because a boxer has a great chin does not make him a great fighter. In fact, sometimes it’s just the opposite.

A fighter with poor skills and no punch power may still have a fine chin. Therefore, if you see a fighter, who was either never a champion or perhaps even nothing more than a journeyman at best, ranked above an all-time great heavyweight ruler - do not be offended. This is in no way claiming he was a superior fighter - only that his chin was better.

In reverse order, here is my top ten.

10. Oscar Bonavena.

The late Argentine was as tough as they come. In almost seventy fights, he was only KO’d once. Actually, he was TKO’d on the one occasion. Muhammad Ali stopped him in the fifteenth and final round of their fight in 1970. “Ringo” was able to take the punches of the fearsome Joe Frazier, though. In two encounters, Oscar was able to go the distance with “Smokin’ Joe.” He also stood up to everything that Floyd Patterson, Ron Lyle and Leotis Martin could throw at him. Bonavena would be even higher on this list, but for the knockdowns he suffered at the hands of Zora Folley - and Jimmy Ellis, a fighter known more for his boxing skills than his punching power.

9. Marion Wilson.

No doubt Wilson’s name will be unfamiliar to some readers. He never won, or even fought for, a title - yet his chin was astonishing. Marion tangled with some very big punchers from the division - men who’s names will be known to all. And though he was never able to defeat any of these fighters and progress beyond the stage of trial horse, Wilson took everything they could unload on him. Only one man ever stopped him inside the distance - Derek Isaman - but this was due to cuts. Indeed, despite a veritable who’s who of name heavyweights being in the opposing corner from him, no-one ever knocked Marion unconscious. Some of the men who tried include; Shannon Briggs, Ray Mercer( who Wilson actually drew with) Andrew Golota, Obed Sullivan, Ike Ibeabuchi, Greg Page, David Izon, Oleg Maskaev, Hasim Rahman, Samuel Peter and Oliver McCall. Now that’s impressive!

8. Ray Mercer.

“Merciless” Ray Mercer was one hard man in his prime years. No-one ever looked like KO’ing him during this time. And although he was a world class fighter with more ability than simply taking punches, he will be known to most fans due to his teak-toughness. Tommy Morrison was unloading every shot in the book on him in their 1991 fight, only for Mercer to come back and win by brutal KO. Lennox Lewis also found out firsthand how much steel there was in Ray’s chin - having to make do with a squeaker of a split decision victory instead of a stoppage win. Only when he was an old man was Ray KO’d - by Wladimir Klitschko and then Shannon Briggs. During his peak, however, Mercer was able to take anything. As Evander Holyfield, Bert Cooper and a rejuvenated Tim Witherspoon experienced.

7. Rocky Marciano.

A legendary and beloved heavyweight champion, “The Rock” was a man the old timers claim was “ unable to be hurt, a fighter who didn’t have the word pain in his vocabulary.” Who can argue with such assertions? Despite being somewhat short and therefore outreached by opponents who found him easy to hit, Marciano never lost a single fight. His granite chin has to be the overwhelming factor for his success. Rocky may have been knocked down twice - by Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore, both times early on in a fight, when caught by surprise - but both times he got up. He was then able to take both men’s all-out attacks as they went for the finish - Rocky was clearly a fighter who warmed to a fight the longer it went. His chin never failed him in forty-nine outings.

6. Jack Dempsey.

“The Manassa Mauler” came up the hard way. Living the life of a freight train hitching hobo who was open to all manner of physical attack, Jack had no choice but to learn how to defend himself. He became one of the greatest heavyweight champions in history. His granite jaw was able to take serious punishment. In fact, he was only ever KO’d once - in a single round by Fireman Jim Flynn. But this fight was fought at a time when Dempsey hadn’t eaten for days - such was his poverty. It’s no wonder, then, that he couldn’t fight. He avenged the loss, a year later, when his energy level was what it should have been - by a first round KO. Jack’s chin also saw to it that he could swap hellacious punches with the huge Luis “Angel” Firpo - in one of the most unforgettable boxing matches of all-time.

5. Randy “Tex” Cobb.

Cobb’s 1982 fight with world champ Larry Holmes tells us everything we need to know about the strength of his chin. For one-sided round after one-sided round, Randy soaked it all up. Not once was he down in the bout, despite the number of clean head shots Larry - a more than capable puncher - landed on him. Cobb just kept coming. He fought the murderous punching Earnie Shavers with the same mindset - this time winning, by KO in round eight. Other notable punchers that failed to put a dent in Cobb include, Bernardo Mercardo, Ken Norton and Michael Dokes. It wasn’t until 1985 - eight years into his career - that Randy was KO’d. Dee Collier stopped him in a single round, but many people seem to think the fact that he’d failed to train for the fight assisted Collier. There is no doubt, Cobb’s chin contained more than its fair share of rock - his incredible slugfest with “The puncher of the century”, Earnie Shavers, proves it.

4. George Chuvalo.

Canadian legend, Chuvalo was never knocked off his feet inside a boxing ring. Not once. There are not too many heavyweight boxers who can say the same. To not go down a single time really is quite a feat. Especially when you consider the length of George’s career. And the high quality of fighters he met during it. Chuvalo fought in three different decades, and against some great fighters. Neither Cleveland Williams, Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson or Oscar Bonavena could put a dent in him - not to mention The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, who, though not a devastating puncher, was able to stop some very good men. George Chuvalo, on two occasions, was not one of them. Even the two men who did beat George inside the distance - Joe Frazier and George Foreman - couldn’t put him down. The reason? Chuvalo’s chin was one of the best ever.

3. George Foreman.

Big George really gains points for his chin due to the amazing second career he had. It could be argued that Foreman was not in possession of a good chin as a young man. This accusation cannot be levelled at the “old” George, however. In a comeback that started in 1987 and finished in 1997, George was never off his feet. Early on in his return he was fighting his share of stiffs, yes. But he soon upped the level of his competition. World champion Evander Holyfield threw everything at George in their title fight in 1991, but the older man continued to trundle forward. The brutal beatings he was taking from power hitters Alex Stewart and Michael Moorer would surely have finished a fighter not blessed with such a hard head. Yet George took all they had and went on to win. Throw in Foreman’s fights with punchers like Gerry Cooney and Shannon Briggs - both of whom failed to hurt him - and it’s clear to see how solid Big George’s jaw was.

2. Evander Holyfield.

Never has a fighter’s nickname been so apt. With the word “Warrior” emblazoned on his ring apparel, Evander has never failed to live up to it. Though outgunned by opponents on more than one occasion because of his relative smallness, Holyfield has only been stopped with head shots once. And that was by the juggernaut that was Riddick Bowe - in their third encounter. In the first two fights, however, Evander withstood some huge punches upstairs. He did the same again in two bouts with the massive Lennox Lewis - and these two fights were contested at a time when “The Real Deal” was considered to be way past his best. The fact that he also took the best Mike Tyson, George Foreman and Ray mercer had to offer, lets you know just how good his chin was. And to think, he’s still fighting today!

1. Muhammad Ali.

Ali’s name sits atop yet another list! It certainly deserves to though - The Greatest could definitely take a punch. Oh, how he could do that! Never has there been a braver boxer. Muhammad was simply fearless in the ring - this fact is proven by the number of monstrous punchers he was willing to face. George Foreman, for example, was considered invincible due to his quite freakish punching power. Yet Ali met, and defeated him. Joe Frazier, too, was one fierce banger. And though he put Ali down, the great man bounced straight back up again. At both the start and near the end of his championship reign, Ali met two lethal punchers - Sonny Liston in the early days, and Earnie Shavers towards the finish of his career - neither guy could stop him (admittedly, it was his defensive prowess that prompted the win over Liston).

His chin did improve with maturity. In fact, in his return after the enforced exile, Ali relied on his chin far more than anything else. He is paying the price for this today and we all wish he would have quit taking punches much sooner than he did - but because he never did so his name will forever be amongst the greatest, bravest and toughest boxers ever.

In the history of the heavyweight division, Muhammad Ali’s chin stands alone.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=7987&more=1

[Senya13]

Not having Oliver McCall in top 10 at all? Jack Dempsey not eating for days? Such BS!

[Robinson]

I would have James Jeffries in there over Dempsey and I would
most certainly include McCall.

[jezzamundo]

I agree - I don't think I've ever even seem McCall appear hurt by a punch.

[Robinson]

Even while crying and disturbed during his re match with Lewis.
While Lewis was trying his best to put him down, McCall just
kept wandering around. Sad to watch.

I think Foreman was the only person ring side that had any
compassion for McCall.

[Goodnight, Irene]

The list as an absolute joke. Terrible. It could hardly have been worse!

[Ambling Alp]

Actually, I didn't think the list was that bad. Dempsey and probably Foreman should not have been there, but everyone else had a great chin.
McCall was overlooked. You could make a good case for Jeffries too.
There is probably some other guys that wasn't that good of a fighter but had a great chin that hasn't been mentioned.
Tony Tucker and Jim Braddock are woth considering.

Still, 8 of the 10 were pretty good picks.

[jaclem2]

....i'm always bewildered when max baer doesn't appear on these "great chin" lists...

[Goodnight, Irene]

Actually, I didn't think the list was that bad. Dempsey and probably Foreman should not have been there, but everyone else had a great chin.
McCall was overlooked. You could make a good case for Jeffries too.
There is probably some other guys that wasn't that good of a fighter but had a great chin that hasn't been mentioned.
Tony Tucker and Jim Braddock are woth considering.

Still, 8 of the 10 were pretty good picks.

It's honestly something I could see being compiled on Current Scene. Absolutely wretched. Is this guy a writer?

[Ezzard]

It’s not that bad.

Should have started by trying to define what he meant by chin. I mean recuperative powers, etc… I don’t think it’s a bad list. There is nobody outlandish on the list. Jeffries and McCall can go on but it’s fair stab at starting a debate.

[Goodnight, Irene]

It’s not that bad.

Should have started by trying to define what he meant by chin. I mean recuperative powers, etc… I don’t think it’s a bad list. There is nobody outlandish on the list. Jeffries and McCall can go on but it’s fair stab at starting a debate.

I could not disagree more. It's simply deplorable.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I agree with Irene, it stinks.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I agree with Irene, it stinks.

Join me in shaking my fist in contemptuous rage

[Mr E]

I'm not sure how you list them in order but the guys this writer named -- Oscar Bonavena, Marion Wilson, Ray Mercer, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey, Randy “Tex” Cobb, George Chuvalo, George Foreman, Evander Holyfield, Muhammad Ali -- all clearly had great chins.

Some more worth considering: John L. Sullivan, Jim Jeffries, Jess Willard, Johnny Risko, Paolino Uzcuden, Max Baer, Tony Galento, Joe Baksi, Sonny Liston, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Oliver McCall.

[Ambling Alp]

That is sort of what I am saying. Almost everyone on the list you can make a decent case for. Of course, as MR E and others have mentioned there are several others who you could argue for as well. There are probably a couple of dozen guys that are fairly close. However, you can only have 10 for a top 10.

Doubtful you are going to get mcuh of a consensus ranking them in order once you settle on your top 10.

Saad and Goodnight-What are your main objections?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

It's the order more than anything. You wont find a bigger Evander Holyfield fan than I am, but his heart and will were above his chin. Not to say his chin wasn't great, but if Ali, holyfield & Foreman had better chins than Chuvalo. Paulie malignaggi punches harder than Randall Bailey.

Jeffries is a huge omission. McCall and even Witherspoon or Tua would be good choices.

Marion Wilson was certainly tough, but I think that's more of a lets show my readers how much I know pick than it is valid. And those kind of selections always come off to me as annoying. I know the guy could take it, but top 10 ever?

I'm not as outraged as Irene is over it, but I think there are some obvious order issues that aren't arguable.

[Nelson Gateau]

You can't have a top ten chin list without Oliver McCall, and having seen quite a few Marion Wilson fights I am not sure he belongs. I know he was an amazing survivor, but he hugged a lot and wasn't taking clean shots like a Chuvalo. Check out his second fight with Golota to see what I mean. Horrible fight thanks to Wilson holding on for dear life after ever single shot.

Other than that, pretty decent list. I would probably take Dempsey and Wilson out of there. McCall goes in of course.

[muray]

I would include Tommy Farr, Arturo Godoy, both took Louis's best shots and more or less stayed erect

[Ambling Alp]

It's the order more than anything. You wont find a bigger Evander Holyfield fan than I am, but his heart and will were above his chin. Not to say his chin wasn't great, but if Ali, holyfield & Foreman had better chins than Chuvalo. Paulie malignaggi punches harder than Randall Bailey.

Jeffries is a huge omission. McCall and even Witherspoon or Tua would be good choices.

Marion Wilson was certainly tough, but I think that's more of a lets show my readers how much I know pick than it is valid. And those kind of selections always come off to me as annoying. I know the guy could take it, but top 10 ever?

I'm not as outraged as Irene is over it, but I think there are some obvious order issues that aren't arguable.

Chuvalo had a great chin. He got hit a lot in many of his fights and and never seemed to be hurt.


I don't think Foreman belongs here. He almost got knocked out by Lyle. Yes, most fighters would have been knocked out by those shots. However, the guys that we are talking about would not have.
You also have to take into consideration the Ali and Young fights. Yes stamina was part of it, but if he the chin these others guys had you have to wonder.
I know much is made of Foreman's chin during his comeback. However it's not like he was taking on the hardest punchers. Holyfield had him in major trouble but the bell rang ending the round.

Hard to say about Marion Wilson. Maybe the writer was sort of showing off, I dunno. Wilson wasn't a good fighter and yet nobody could knock him out.
As for the order, it's hard to say if this guy should be #4 and this guy should # 7 or whatever. Almost all had great chins.
Agree that McCall should have been there and probably Jefrries. I think Witherspoon is a stretch.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

It's the order more than anything. You wont find a bigger Evander Holyfield fan than I am, but his heart and will were above his chin. Not to say his chin wasn't great, but if Ali, holyfield & Foreman had better chins than Chuvalo. Paulie malignaggi punches harder than Randall Bailey.

Jeffries is a huge omission. McCall and even Witherspoon or Tua would be good choices.

Marion Wilson was certainly tough, but I think that's more of a lets show my readers how much I know pick than it is valid. And those kind of selections always come off to me as annoying. I know the guy could take it, but top 10 ever?

I'm not as outraged as Irene is over it, but I think there are some obvious order issues that aren't arguable.

Chuvalo had a great chin. He got hit a lot in many of his fights and and never seemed to be hurt.


I don't think Foreman belongs here. He almost got knocked out by Lyle. Yes, most fighters would have been knocked out by those shots. However, the guys that we are talking about would not have.
You also have to take into consideration the Ali and Young fights. Yes stamina was part of it, but if he the chin these others guys had you have to wonder.
I know much is made of Foreman's chin during his comeback. However it's not like he was taking on the hardest punchers. Holyfield had him in major trouble but the bell rang ending the round.

Hard to say about Marion Wilson. Maybe the writer was sort of showing off, I dunno. Wilson wasn't a good fighter and yet nobody could knock him out.
As for the order, it's hard to say if this guy should be #4 and this guy should # 7 or whatever. Almost all had great chins.
Agree that McCall should have been there and probably Jefrries. I think Witherspoon is a stretch.

I would certainly include Spoon over Marion Wilson, Farr is another good mention. Lists are far from easy.

[dempseyfire]

My top 10 HW chins:

1) George Chuvalo: Took the best for over 20 years and was never off his feet. Only time I ever saw him even shook was against Foreman and that was only momentarily. Amazing chin.

2) Muhammad Ali: Could be hurt but incredible recuperative abilities. Took some good clean shots from Liston, Folley, Frazier, Bonavena, Foreman, Lyle, Norton, Shavers and of those fighters was only put on his ass once by Smokin' Joe at the end of a 15 round classic. Amazing chin.

3) Oliver McCall: Like Chuvalo, can seemingly take flush bombs without flinching. Never been down or seriously hurt. The one caveat I have with McCall is the lack of quality comp. Lewis and Bruno are really the only world class punchers he's ever faced, and Bruno did hurt him a few times early in their fight, while Lennox's extra cautious nature ensured that he never really opened the heavy artillery on a cracked out McCall in their rematch. Great chin but perhaps a little over-rated by some.

4) Arturo Godoy: 124 fights against some of the top HWs of the 30s and 40s, and was only truly knocked out once by Louis in their rematch. Had an ugly style which was similar to a 1930s version of Ruiz but the man had a chin and head of granite, along with incredible stamina.

5) Max Baer: 79 fights, only knocked out by Louis and Nova in his very last fight. Took bombs from the likes of Carnera, Schmeling and Galento and laughed at his opponents. Took the kitchen sink from Louis before going down. Extremely durable and hard to hurt badly. His stats are all the more amazing considering his defense was pedestrian.

6) Evander Holyfield: Took big bombs from much bigger men including Bowe, Lewis, and Tyson without going down. Was hurt by the likes of Dokes, Bowe, Stewart and Foreman but like Ali had incredible recuperative powers. In his mid 40s still going the distance with the likes of 310 lb Valuev.

7) Ray Mercer: At his peak, could walk through hellfire and back seemingly without pain or consequence. Took frightening power shots from the likes of Morrison, Lewis, Witherspoon and Holyfield without flinching. Only put down at his peak by Evander off a perfect counter-punch. Incredible chin.

8) Tommy Farr: Never down or stopped at his peak. Only stopped 5 times in 127 fights, 3 of those when he was a teenager and the other two coming after his ill-fated comeback in the 1950s. Went the distance vs Louis, Nova, Baer and Foord. Incredibly tough and always in supreme condition.

9) Tex Cobb: At his peak, had a Chuvalo-like chin. Took some real crunchers vs Norton, Shavers, and Mercado and absorbed it all, and always with good humor in the post-fight interviews.

10) Jack Dempsey: Stopped only once in over 70 fights, often with much larger men. Incredibly tough and like Holyfield had incredible recuperative abilities.

Hon. mentions: George Foreman, Jim Jefferies, Oscar Bonavena, Rocky Marciano

[SaadOffTheDeck]

much better list,

[Goodnight, Irene]

much better list,

Indeed, it is.

[jaclem2]

..joe louis said hitting max baer "was like trying to drive bricks through a wall."

[overhand_right]

I don't think Foreman belongs here. He almost got knocked out by Lyle. Yes, most fighters would have been knocked out by those shots. However, the guys that we are talking about would not have.
You also have to take into consideration the Ali and Young fights. Yes stamina was part of it, but if he the chin these others guys had you have to wonder.
I know much is made of Foreman's chin during his comeback. However it's not like he was taking on the hardest punchers. Holyfield had him in major trouble but the bell rang ending the round.

Ron Lyle was a devastating puncher, so getting knocked down by his clean square power shots is hardly a crime. Foreman's chin was proven to be absolutely A+.

As for punchers in the second career... Smokin' Bert Cooper, Gerry Cooney, Evander Holyfield, Alex Stewart, Tommy Morrison, Michael Moorer, Lou Savarese and Shannon Briggs... are you saying these guys couldn't hit??