BoxRec

no alhpa champions, only official world heavyweight champions

1. muhammad ali
2. larry holmes
3. evander holyfield
4. george foreman
5. mike tyson
6. James Jeffries
7. Rocky Marciano
8. joe frazier
9. jack dempsey
10. sonny liston
11. jack johnson
12. john L sullivan
13. Joe Louis
14. James Braddock
15. Gene Tunney
16. Max Baer
17. Tommy Burns
18. Jersey Joe Walcott
19. Jess Willard
20. Ezzard charles

Can't argue with number 1, Ali possessed the best chin. Tyson was surprisingly high, but I do aagree...he had a magnificent ability to shakle a punch. I think the fact his neck was 20+ inches played a part.......

Foreman didn't seem to have a granite chin in the 70s but when he came back he could take a shot.

I think Tyson and Jeffries should be above George. Both of those guys had to be ebaten up to be stopped or dropped.

It's difficult tor ate Tunney because he didn't get hit by many HWs.

Sonny should be higher up, probably top 5. He was really only kayoed once, late in his career against Leotis Martin. The Ali "phantom punch" is very controversial, and Liston got up anyway. The punches he took against Cleveland Williams would have floored most heavyweights for the count. Only other knockdown I know of was early on against Marty Marshall.

Jeffries is a solid top 3 IMO, if not #1. Took beatings, having his nose smashed in, eyes cut up, and fought Tom Sharkey, a huge puncher. Even took a beating from Johnson and stayed on his feet, not falling till late from an accumulation of shots.

Holmes I wouldn't say had an excellent chin that would warrant a #2 ranking, probably lower half of the top ten. He fell a few times, but he did recover from a knockdown as better as anyone.

Other than that, and maybe Burns and Braddock a little higher, its a solid list.

Gerrie Coetzee should also be in that list, took Snipes best right and never stopped back - same punch than floored Holmes, Took Pinklon Thomas's best jabs and right hands and again never took a step back. Took Weaver's best punches through out the fight but lost on a TKO due to exhasustion rather than Weaver's power.

Gil Clancy said Coetzee had one of the best chins he had ever seen in the heavyweight division.

RazorKO wrote:Gerrie Coetzee should also be in that list, took Snipes best right and never stopped back - same punch than floored Holmes, Took Pinklon Thomas's best jabs and right hands and again never took a step back. Took Weaver's best punches through out the fight but lost on a TKO due to exhasustion rather than Weaver's power.

Gil Clancy said Coetzee had one of the best chins he had ever seen in the heavyweight division.

Coetzee did have a great chin, but BB stated that he didn't include any alpha champions. Of course, Holmes was never undisputed champ, so should also not be included in this list.

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:no alhpa champions, only official world heavyweight champions

1. muhammad ali
2. larry holmes
3. evander holyfield
4. george foreman
5. mike tyson
6. James Jeffries
7. Rocky Marciano
8. joe frazier
9. jack dempsey
10. sonny liston
11. jack johnson
12. john L sullivan
13. Joe Louis
14. James Braddock
15. Gene Tunney
16. Max Baer
17. Tommy Burns
18. Jersey Joe Walcott
19. Jess Willard
20. Ezzard charles

not a bad list. Youve got Marciano and Liston quite low.

Decagon wrote:Sorry, but Ezzard Charles above Lennox Lewis? Charles had a good defense, but a mediocre chin.

?? he was only knocked out once in his prime by walcott, which was one the greatest sucker punches left hooks in history. u see some of the punches charles took in the first marciano fight?

RazorKO wrote:Gerrie Coetzee should also be in that list, took Snipes best right and never stopped back - same punch than floored Holmes, Took Pinklon Thomas's best jabs and right hands and again never took a step back. Took Weaver's best punches through out the fight but lost on a TKO due to exhasustion rather than Weaver's power.

Gil Clancy said Coetzee had one of the best chins he had ever seen in the heavyweight division.

Page and Bruno both kayoed Gerrie.

Nile4000 wrote:

RazorKO wrote:Gerrie Coetzee should also be in that list, took Snipes best right and never stopped back - same punch than floored Holmes, Took Pinklon Thomas's best jabs and right hands and again never took a step back. Took Weaver's best punches through out the fight but lost on a TKO due to exhasustion rather than Weaver's power.

Gil Clancy said Coetzee had one of the best chins he had ever seen in the heavyweight division.

Page and Bruno both kayoed Gerrie.

I dont count the Bruno loss as Coetzee was past it, Coetzee has been fighting since Bruno was a mere 13 year old kid and Page floored Coetzee at the 3:51 mark, during that time Coetzee should of been in his corner attended to by his seconds, and Coetzee was having a good round 8 and nearly stopped Page in round 7 so the fight was still up in the air.

Coetzee wasnt the same after the shots he took from Weaver, Weaver hit him with same left hooks he hit Tate with and Coetzee took them and only exhastioun beat Gerrie as Coetzee like Shavers had bad stamina.

Charles was the #1 contender at middleweight around the time he was knocked out by Lloyd Marshall. And in their rematch, when almost anyone would consider Charles in his prime, Marshall, who was way past his prime

decagon get ur facts straight, charles knocked out marshall within one year of his loss to marshall. marshall was still very much in his prime in both fights, while charles was still very much green. charles didnt reach his peak till a couple years later

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:no alhpa champions, only official world heavyweight champions

1. muhammad ali
2. larry holmes
3. evander holyfield
4. george foreman
5. mike tyson
6. James Jeffries
7. Rocky Marciano
8. joe frazier
9. jack dempsey
10. sonny liston
11. jack johnson
12. john L sullivan
13. Joe Louis
14. James Braddock
15. Gene Tunney
16. Max Baer
17. Tommy Burns
18. Jersey Joe Walcott
19. Jess Willard
20. Ezzard charles

Good list. Of course I have to nitpick a little.
Tyson is too high. He had a good chin, but not a great one.
I would put Lewis in the top 20. his reputation as having a glass jaw isn't fair. True he got knocked out a couple of times. However, the Rahman punch would have knocked out almost anyone on this list.
He did atleast get up from the punch from McCall. He did fight some guys that could punch and rarely was in serious trouble.
I don't know if Bowe was just an oversight, but he had a pretty good chin and should be in the top 20.
Tommy Burns is a good pick, I wouldn't have thought of him.