Top 100 Heavyweights All Time

[perrycarter]

Source:
http://ringsidereport.com/?cat=2284

100. Bob Satterfield
99. Lou Nova
98. Joe Baksi
97. Tommy Farr
96. Luis Firpo
95. Jack Renault
94. Greg Page
93. Joe Choynski
92. Pinklon Thomas
91. Ike Ibeabuchi
90. Paulino Uzcundun
89. Roland LaStarza
88. Bob Baker
87. Tony Galento
86. Joe Goddard
85. Luther McCarty
84. Buddy Baer
83. Johnny Risko
82. Trevor Berbick
81. George Godfrey
80. Michael Spinks
79. Henry Cooper
78. Tommy Jackson
77. Tony Tucker
76. Leotis Martin
75. Steve Hamas
74. Rex Layne
73. Razor Ruddock
72. Joey Maxim
71. Elmer Ray
70. Nino Valdes
69. Gerry Cooney
68. Ray Mercer
67. Tony Tubbs
66. Tommy Loughran
65. George Chuvalo
64. Ernie Schaaf
63. Jimmy Bivins
62. Archie Moore
61. Zora Folley
60. John Ruiz
59. Marvin Hart
58. Earnie Shavers
57. Oliver McCall
56. Billy Conn
55. David Tua
54. Eddie Machen
53. Chris Byrd
52. Billy Miske
51. Tommy Gibbons
50. Michael Moorer
49. Tim Witherspoon
48. Ernie Terrell
47. Bob Pastor
46. Mike Weaver
45. Jimmy Ellis
44. Joe Bugner
43. Jim Braddock
42. Hasim Rahman
41. Buster Douglas
40. Fred Fulton
39. Oscar Bonavena
38. Primo Carnera
37. Ron Lyle
36. Jess Willard
35. Sam McVea
34. Tommy Burns
33. Ingemar Johansson
32. Jerry Quarry
31. Tom Sharkey
30. Joe Jeannette
29. Harry Wills
28. Jimmy Young
27. Peter Jackson
26. John L. Sullivan
25. Jack Sharkey
24. Max Schmeling
23. Bob Fitzsimmons
22. Floyd Patterson
21. Sam Langford
20. Riddick Bowe
19. Jim Corbett
18. Ken Norton
17. Max Baer
16. Jersey Joe Walcott
15. Ezzard Charles
14. Gene Tunney
13. Mike Tyson
12. Sonny Liston
11. Evander Holyfield
10. Rocky Marciano
9. Lennox Lewis
8. Jack Dempsey
7. Larry Holmes
6. Jack Johnson
5. Joe Frazier
4. James J. Jeffries
3. George Foreman
2. Joe Louis
1. Muhammad Ali

What do you guys think? Who is too high? Too low? Anyone missing who should be there?

[Flump]

Difficult to makle these lists but on first glance I would say Schaaf, Tom Sharkey, Fulton and Bugner are too high, Michael Spinks and Floyd Patterson certainly too low.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

As much as I detest the Klitschko's they belong in the top 100.

[Ezzard]

I don't think it's so bad. Most of the right names are there.

Witherspoon is better than many guys rated above him.

[perrycarter]

As much as I detest the Klitschko's they belong in the top 100.

The author started off one of the columns with this:

"I should note before we go any farther down the list that today’s active top heavyweights were not considered. To be included, boxers don’t necessarily have to be retired, but their legacies have to be secured and their careers are, for all intents and purposes, over. For example, Evander Holyfield is eligible despite his continuing ring campaigns. David Haye though, is not eligible because he is still right in the thick of his career and his legacy is still very much up in the air. Sorry UK fans! Though if you are a UK boxing fan you will be very interested to see who comes in at #79 in this week’s column.

The Klitschko brothers, like Haye, were also not considered for the list so please don’t hold your breath if you are expecting to see where they land. Vitali and Wladimir are terrific boxers and dominate their era so they would surely make it somewhere on my top 100 list once their careers are effectively over. However since they are still actively campaigning I omit them from the list.

To satisfy those curious, if I did rank the Klitschko brothers they would probably land somewhere in the top 30-20 range because of the dominance displayed in their, albeit weak, era."

So guess they weren't considered because they are still "active".

[perrycarter]

I don't think it's so bad. Most of the right names are there.

Witherspoon is better than many guys rated above him.

Yeah, I posted it because it's better than most official ones I've seen. I think Henry Cooper is overrated and Ezzard Charles is underrated. But other than that I don't have much problem with it.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I honestly think this is a terrible list.

I usually hesitate to criticise lists so expansive, because of the difficulty in building them, but in this case I'm moved to agree with you.

[dempseyfire]

Not the worst list I've seen, but modern paper champs such as Byrd, Ruiz, Douglas, McCall along with Tua are WAY too high . . .

[Flump]

Not the worst list I've seen, but modern paper champs such as Byrd, Ruiz, Douglas, McCall along with Tua are WAY too high . . .

Hate to be pedantic dempseyfire but regardless of what else he did or didn't do Douglas was no paper champion, he earnt his the hard way against the undisputed champ.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Not the worst list I've seen, but modern paper champs such as Byrd, Ruiz, Douglas, McCall along with Tua are WAY too high . . .

Hate to be pedantic dempseyfire but regardless of what else he did or didn't do Douglas was no paper champion, he earnt his the hard way against the undisputed champ.

He's got it right about Byrd, Ruiz & McCall in calling them paper champs, though. Tua, typically, is again massively over-rated here.

[Crease]

I don't like criticising lists, because it's difficult to create them and no-one ever gets them 100% right. But there are a few things which are glaring errors to me.

Mike Tyson- should be in the top 10, no questions asked.
Floyd Patterson- should be in the top 20.
Max Schmeling - should be in the top 20.
Hasim Rahman- at 42? I'm amazed, what has he done to be there?
Chris Byrd- I'm a big fan of his, but he's ranked way too high. And how is he ahead of Conn or Shavers?
Archie Moore - at 62? Absolutely disgraceful... There's a shout for him to be in the top 20, and if not definitely the top 30.

Greg Page is underrated, I'd have him in the 60s or 70s.
And why is there no Tommy Morrison?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I think Patterson & Tyson are fairly placed.

Wills would be in my top 20.

[dempseyfire]

Not the worst list I've seen, but modern paper champs such as Byrd, Ruiz, Douglas, McCall along with Tua are WAY too high . . .

Hate to be pedantic dempseyfire but regardless of what else he did or didn't do Douglas was no paper champion, he earnt his the hard way against the undisputed champ.

My bad, you're right Douglas should not be in that same category, I meant to simply include him in my list of those ranked too high.

[NazNaci1]

The list is not too bad, although as stated some strange ones in there, Tua? Cooney? Ruddock?

Witherspoon is a little underrated.

Also I do believe Holyfield is Top 10 material, with Tyson maybe just in there (couldn't argue if he is just outside it either - people tend to diminish his standing, in light of his post Douglas performances and have a general dislike for him).

[perrycarter]

Mike Tyson- should be in the top 10, no questions asked.
Floyd Patterson- should be in the top 20.
Max Schmeling - should be in the top 20.
Hasim Rahman- at 42? I'm amazed, what has he done to be there?
Chris Byrd- I'm a big fan of his, but he's ranked way too high. And how is he ahead of Conn or Shavers?
Archie Moore - at 62? Absolutely disgraceful... There's a shout for him to be in the top 20, and if not definitely the top 30.

Tyson in the top 10 is not a given because who did he beat that ranks anywhere close to the top 20? (excluding a washed up Holmes)

What did Archie Moore really do at heavyweight? He traded wins and losses with Jimmy Bivins, beat Bob Baker, Nino Valdes and some second rate guys. Most of his best work came outside of heavyweight. Top 20 is stretching it. I can see top 20 pound for pound, even top 10, but not top 20 heavyweight.

Rahman and Byrd are too high though, I agree with you there.

[Ezzard]

Is this guy going to post his top 10?

[jezzamundo]

Not a terrible list, though there are some glaring poor decisions.

Off the top of my head, the top 10 must be in some sort of order:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Larry Holmes
George Foreman
Rocky Marciano
Joe Frazier
Lennox Lewis
Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
James J Jeffries

These are the rankings I have a problem with:

80. Michael Spinks - could argue he belongs higher with two wins over Holmes.
60. John Ruiz - too high
57. Oliver McCall - too high
55. David Tua - too high
53. Chris Byrd - too high
42. Hasim Rahman - WAY too high
41. Buster Douglas - a little high, but watching his demolition of Tyson shows he had the ability to be higher
24. Max Schmeling - should be a little higher
23. Bob Fitzsimmons - too high, considering it's a heavyweight list
22. Floyd Patterson - should be a little higher
12. Sonny Liston - should be a little higher

[Crease]

If this list is set on a head-to-head basis, then I would stick Tommy Morrison in there somewhere. I would have him beating about a dozen boxers in there.

[Ezzard]

Not a terrible list, though there are some glaring poor decisions.

Off the top of my head, the top 10 must be in some sort of order:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Larry Holmes
George Foreman
Rocky Marciano
Joe Frazier
Lennox Lewis
Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
James J Jeffries

These are the rankings I have a problem with:

80. Michael Spinks - could argue he belongs higher with two wins over Holmes.
60. John Ruiz - too high
57. Oliver McCall - too high
55. David Tua - too high
53. Chris Byrd - too high
42. Hasim Rahman - WAY too high
41. Buster Douglas - a little high, but watching his demolition of Tyson shows he had the ability to be higher
24. Max Schmeling - should be a little higher
23. Bob Fitzsimmons - too high, considering it's a heavyweight list
22. Floyd Patterson - should be a little higher
12. Sonny Liston - should be a little higher

Hi jezza

I'm in agreement except for Mike Spinks and Floyd Patterson (both about right IMO)

[Rocky Balboa]

Liston at 12? Come on, he's higher than that!

I think Tyson should be in the top 10, no doubt!

I'll say right now, I bet Ali is NO.1, but I don't think he should be ranked as such! We shall see...

[perrycarter]

Is this guy going to post his top 10?

I would think so! The list had been revealed 10 fighters each week. I'm guessing it will be released in a few days? I'll update my original post when it is.

[perrycarter]

If this list is set on a head-to-head basis, then I would stick Tommy Morrison in there somewhere. I would have him beating about a dozen boxers in there.

According to the author this is based on accomplishment, not head to head (which is a little bit head scratching since Tua and Byrd are so high).

[perrycarter]

I'll say right now, I bet Ali is NO.1, but I don't think he should be ranked as such! We shall see...

I wouldn't have a problem with Louis or Ali is at #1. They are good arguments for either one so putting either guy at the top spot certainly isn't wrong. Anyone other than Ali or Louis would make me raise an eyebrow.

[Ambling Alp]

Really, ther top 35 is not too bad. Obviously there are some close calls, but there isn't anything ridiculaus up that point.

After that, there is a lot of problems.
However, Jess Willard at #36, Carnera at #38, Fulton at#40 are way too high. Valdes is at #70 and probably should not be in the Top 100.
Rahman at #42 and Byrd at #53, and Ruiz at #60 are beyond ridiculaus.

Satterfield should not be #100. Too many guys not mentioned that were better.
Spinks is hard to rate since he didn't have many fights at heavyweight. However, surely he has to be higher than #80.
several guys who were mostly lightheavyweights were listed, but I don't see Harold Johnson. He should be in there.
Cleveland Williams seems to be missing as well.
Nice to see Ernie Schaaf at #64. He is way underrated by most people.

Some guys that should have very close are very far apart. For example, Witherspoon is rated at #49 while Pinklon Thomas is only #92.

[jrc26]

I'm not going to pick apart the list, but Tony Galento? He was a novelty at best. I don't think Ibeabuchi should even be on the list but Ike would impregnate Two Ton Tony in about 2 minutes.