BoxRec

Below is a list of ALL the World Heavyweight Champions there has ever been: (The old universal Champs and the WBC, WBA, WBO & IBF Champs).

Out of the following, who would be your top 10 WORST Heavyweight champions?

Akinwande Henry
Ali Muhammad
Baer Max
Bentt Michael
Berbick Trevor
Bowe Riddick
Braddock James J.
Brewster Lamon
Briggs Shannon
Bruno Frank
Burns Tommy
Byrd Chris
Carnera Primo
Chagaev Ruslan
Charles Ezzard
Coetzee Gerry
Corbett James J.
Damiani Francesco
Dempsey Jack
Dokes Michael
Douglas James “Buster”
Ellis Jimmy
Fitzsimmons Bob
Foreman George
Frazier Joe
Hart Marvin
Haye David
Hide Herbie
Holmes Larry
Holyfield Evander
Ibragimov Sultan
Jeffries James J.
Johansson Ingemar
Johnson Jack
Jones JR. Roy
Klitchsko Vitali
Klitchsko Wladimir
Lewis Lennox
Liakhovich Sergei
Liston Sonny
Louis Joe
Maskaev Oleg
Marciano Rocky
McCall Oliver
Mercer Ray
Moorer Michael
Morrison Tommy
Norton Ken
Page Greg
Patterson Floyd
Peter Samuel
Rahman Hasim
Ruiz John
Sanders Corrie
Savold Lee
Schmeling Max
Seldon Bruce
Sharkey Jack
Smith James “Bonecrusher”
Spinks Leon
Spinks Michael
Sharkey Jack
Sullivan, John L.
Tate John
Terrell Ernie
Thomas Pinklon
Tubbs Tony
Tucker Tony
Tunney Gene
Tyson Mike
Valuev Nikolai
Walcott Jersey Joe
Weaver Mike
Willard Jess
Witherspoon Tim

Most of those names were not 'champs' but simply titleholders . .

In no particular order:

Herbie Hide
Sergui Lyakovich
Shannon Briggs
Michael Bentt
Tommy Morrison
David Haye
Sam Peter
Oleg Maskaev
Nicolai Valuev
Bruce Seldon

Tony Tucker? Not an inspired reign by any means but at least he had boxing skills and had good conditioning until he went deep into the nose candy. I'd favor Tucker at his peak over any of the HW titlists of this past decade not name Lewis or Klitschko (and he'd have a big shot of beating Wladimir . . ) Although if you're going to go by straight resume he could surely make the top 10 . .

You both forgot to include arguably the worst of them all, Neon Leon.

dempseyfire wrote:Most of those names were not 'champs' but simply titleholders . .

In no particular order:

Herbie Hide
Sergui Lyakovich
Shannon Briggs
Michael Bentt
Tommy Morrison
David Haye
Sam Peter
Oleg Maskaev
Nicolai Valuev
Bruce Seldon

Thank you. The list is meaningless, because the titles were mineaningless.

Spinks wasn't a bad fighter, he was a skilled pressure fighter who unfortunately didn't carry the big punch neccesary for a fighter with his style, and of course after he got that quick success post winning the title he got into the 70s party scene a little too much. But wins over even a washed-up Ali, Mercado, Evagelista are better than anything the likes of Shannon Briggs, Bruce Seldon or Sam Peter ever did . . .

Not in order

Akinwande
Bentt
Briggs
Carnera
Chagaev
Hide
Peter
Lyakhovich
Savold
Seldon

Akinwande
Bennt
Hide
Seldon

stand apart...

dempseyfire wrote:Spinks wasn't a bad fighter, he was a skilled pressure fighter who unfortunately didn't carry the big punch neccesary for a fighter with his style, and of course after he got that quick success post winning the title he got into the 70s party scene a little too much. But wins over even a washed-up Ali, Mercado, Evagelista are better than anything the likes of Shannon Briggs, Bruce Seldon or Sam Peter ever did . . .

He wasn't a bad fighter, none of these guys were bad fighters, but he was a bad heavyweight champion. He did, as you stated, beat a washed up Ali and fringe contenders Mercado and Evangelista. Seldon, to pick one from your list, beat a washed up Greg Page and a washed up Tony Tucker in addition to fringe contenders Hipp and Ribalta (who btw. sparked Spinks). I would say their resumes are about equal. Head to head I would favor a prime Seldon over a prime Spinks, Seldon had the better tools.

A prime Briggs would probably knock Spinks out in the first round but if Leon could last 4 rounds I guess he would have a chance. Peter would knock Spinks out, Leon would give up 40lbs and he would be right in Peters wheelhouse pushing forward, made to order.

dempseyfire wrote:Tony Tucker? Not an inspired reign by any means but at least he had boxing skills and had good conditioning until he went deep into the nose candy. I'd favor Tucker at his peak over any of the HW titlists of this past decade not name Lewis or Klitschko (and he'd have a big shot of beating Wladimir . . ) Although if you're going to go by straight resume he could surely make the top 10 . .

x2

Tucker was a very good fighter. The 80's HWs were much better than most now give them credit for, and Tucker was one of the more skilled and dedicated of the lot.

The Great John L wrote:

dempseyfire wrote:Tony Tucker? Not an inspired reign by any means but at least he had boxing skills and had good conditioning until he went deep into the nose candy. I'd favor Tucker at his peak over any of the HW titlists of this past decade not name Lewis or Klitschko (and he'd have a big shot of beating Wladimir . . ) Although if you're going to go by straight resume he could surely make the top 10 . .

x2

Tucker was a very good fighter. The 80's HWs were much better than most now give them credit for, and Tucker was one of the more skilled and dedicated of the lot.

Tucker was quite good, mainly because he usually kept himself in shape. Most of the 80's HWs were fat lazy slobs with drug habbits. No need to give them credit for what might have been.

Not including WBO Champs...

1. B Seldom
2. P Carnera
3. N Valuev
4. H Rahman
5 O Maskeav
6. S Peter
7. O McCall
8. J Ruiz
9. M Moorer
10. R Jones

Could put Haye in there. But he is still young and kind of active! Must give him the benefit of the doubt.

hhaehre wrote:Tucker was quite good, mainly because he usually kept himself in shape. Most of the 80's HWs were fat lazy slobs with drug habbits. No need to give them credit for what might have been.

He had a bit more than his conditioning going for him.

Guys like Tucker, Weaver, Smith, Williams, Berbick, Tillis and Snipes were hardly fat unmotivated fighters. And while chubby, Tubbs usually showed good stamina and fought effectively into the Holyfield era, losing a disputed decision to Bowe.

The 80's certainly had it's share of underacheivers, but it was a fairly deep list of quality fighters, and on their best nights most of them would have faired quite well in any era.

Since apparently we're just counting titlists, pretty much all of the titleholders of the last 10 years could be argued to be on the list. All those guys would've been lucky to crack the Top 15 in the 70's.

gilgamesh wrote:Since apparently we're just counting titlists, pretty much all of the titleholders of the last 10 years could be argued to be on the list. All those guys would've been lucky to crack the Top 15 in the 70's.

Trust me, Carnera would be right at home with these newer bums.

You'll get no argument from me that Carnera was garbage, but at least he came at a time when there was only one champion, and of course his reign didn't last long.

Carnera was better than Marvin Hart. I think he gets put down too harsly because of his mob ties, but he won the title on merit.

Duran Fan wrote:10. R Jones

That's a bit of a shocker right there! I've seen people name Jones Jr in their All-Time top 35 Heavyweights of all time!

Crease wrote:

Duran Fan wrote:10. R Jones

That's a bit of a shocker right there! I've seen people name Jones Jr in their All-Time top 35 Heavyweights of all time!

Top 35 is definitely more shocking.

Just looking down that list of Heavyweight and there's a great wealth of talent in that division. Some great, great fighters in there. I find this topic very, very interesting, and as of this moment I can't pick a top 10 WORST but I'm going to make a few comments to reply to some of the others.

dempseyfire wrote:Tommy Morrison

I wouldn't put Tommy in there among the worst of all time... He was a very good boxer, and this whole aids thing has destroyed his boxing career.
He's one of my favourite boxers to watch, I wouldn't put him in there.

dempseyfire wrote:David Haye

Say what you like about Haye, but he's an exciting fighter. I do think he needs 3/4/5 title defences to cement his Heavyweight legacy, but in all honesty he hasn't done enough ast the weight to be considered an all-time Heavyweight Great.

dempseyfire wrote:Nicolai Valuev

Valuev's sheer size and mass would give loads of Heavyweights on that list problems, I wouldn't put him in as one of thw worst Heavies.

Here is my take on a few of the worst:

Sergei Liakhovich:
I watched his title fight, and this guy is a decent fighter, but he isn't anything special.

Michael Dokes:
I don't mean to be disrespectful to Dokes by putting him in this list, he was a talented boxer. He had an exceptional Amateur career and he showed great pedigree, but I just don't think he lived up to his early bidding. Plus he was destroyed by Riddick Bowe. That is the reason I put him in here.

Michael Bentt:
Bentt was another boxer who had an amazing amateur career. He just didn't look that incredible in his pro career.

Bruce Seldon:
Seldon is a decent boxer, but one of the weaker ones on that list, he has got a good pro record, but personally I think that he overachieved in his career.

Maybe John Tate could be put in there, but I think he's a pretty good boxer, so I'm reluctant to put him in there.

BarryWashington wrote:Also, you forgot to list Tony Tucker.

You're right, I did forget him.

Crease wrote:

dempseyfire wrote:Tommy Morrison

I wouldn't put Tommy in there among the worst of all time... He was a very good boxer, and this whole aids thing has destroyed his boxing career.
He's one of my favourite boxers to watch, I wouldn't put him in there.

dempseyfire wrote:David Haye

Say what you like about Haye, but he's an exciting fighter. I do think he needs 3/4/5 title defences to cement his Heavyweight legacy, but in all honesty he hasn't done enough ast the weight to be considered an all-time Heavyweight Great.

dempseyfire wrote:Nicolai Valuev

Valuev's sheer size and mass would give loads of Heavyweights on that list problems, I wouldn't put him in as one of thw worst Heavies.

Morrison had ok boxing skills (nothing special) but a mediorce defense, suspect chin, and horrible stamina. He was an exciting guy but nothing special. He caught Foreman on a night that the old man was completly lethargic, and his only other win of note is beating a past-it Ruddock.

Haye is exciting . . .so what? He has yet to do much of anything in the HW division besides beat an old Ruiz, barely edge Valuev and duck any dangerous opponent.


Valuev . . not only did he need the judges' help vs Larry Donald and Ruiz the first time, but his gift decision vs a 46 year old Holyfield firmly places him among the worst. Carnera, who despite boxbuzz's unbacked assertions that his whole career was fixex (while the facts say differently) was a very good fighter, was far better than Valuev.