BoxRec

We've had some awesome heavyweight champions since the Ali era & I
wanted to know who's the BEST heavyweight champion we've had since
the "The Greatest."

Ill say mike tyson and i liked holyfail too

Tyson was not the greatest Heavy wt., it's not even a matter of opinion. IMO he shouldn't be up there.

I put Tyson on the list because he was/is the youngest heavyweight
champion ever & generated the more millions than any other fighter
ever.

Yes. He deserves to be on that list.

you have some hate for mike dont you dec

Holmes, and it's not even close. Holmes was the best from 78-85 with 20 title defenses, in a weak division, but which was still stronger than all that have come since. He was even a factor in the early 90's, when the others listed were active. He's listed in most top 5 rankings, while the rest fall 5-10 spots lower, at best.

Tyson, with Holmes a close second...At his best he was great. He had argueably the fastest hands ever, excellent bob and weave defense, worked in with a jab and threw the most devestating hooks and uppercuts once inside. Had that one-punch, make you look stupid power, he could take one hell of a beating and was physically just a monster. At his very best Tyson could have beaten anyone. He knocked Holmes silly and the result would be very similar with both fighting at their best. Tyson was just too fast and hit too damn hard and unlike Shavers and Renaldo Snipes, after Tyson put Holmes down he would have finished him, just like did!

Holmes, easily. No one has been greater since.

Very good list.
I voted for Holmes, but at his best, Tyson was awesome!

barry wrote:Tyson, with Holmes a close second...At his best he was great. He had argueably the fastest hands ever, excellent bob and weave defense, worked in with a jab and threw the most devestating hooks and uppercuts once inside. Had that one-punch, make you look stupid power, he could take one hell of a beating and was physically just a monster. At his very best Tyson could have beaten anyone. He knocked Holmes silly and the result would be very similar with both fighting at their best. Tyson was just too fast and hit too damn hard and unlike Shavers and Renaldo Snipes, after Tyson put Holmes down he would have finished him, just like did!

Well, it's all fantasy, barry, so I guess we can pretty much say what we want. Still, reading your description it's hard to imagine the bloke you are describing getting the tar beaten out of him by someone like Buster Douglas. Is it really Tyson you are describing or King Kong?

I have gone to the mountain and conferred with God Almighty on this question AND.....

Answer is.......Larry Holmes

we can now lock the thread and go home since the definitive answer has arrived.

barry wrote:Tyson, with Holmes a close second...At his best he was great. He had argueably the fastest hands ever, excellent bob and weave defense, worked in with a jab and threw the most devestating hooks and uppercuts once inside. Had that one-punch, make you look stupid power, he could take one hell of a beating and was physically just a monster. At his very best Tyson could have beaten anyone. He knocked Holmes silly and the result would be very similar with both fighting at their best. Tyson was just too fast and hit too damn hard and unlike Shavers and Renaldo Snipes, after Tyson put Holmes down he would have finished him, just like did!

i agree, in a head to head sense tyson was the best with holmes in 2nd. in an accomplishments list, holmes is clearl # 1.

As far as dediated to the sport, longer prime, & always staying in shape I
would say Larry Holmes. Mike Tyson at his best was a pure knockout
machine.

I read one of Larry Holme's interviews where he said quote "In The
Dressing Room Before The Tyson Fight...That Was The First Time I've
Ever Had Thoughts Of Pulling Out Of A Fight."

lol! A man of Larry Holmes accomplishments with comments like that
makes me believe Mike Tyson was something rare & unique.

I'd put my 5 in this order:

1. Larry Holmes
2. Evander Holyfield (I've changed my mind about him in the last month or so)
3a. Lennox Lewis
3b. Mike Tyson
5. Riddick Bowe

Decagon wrote:

barry wrote:He knocked Holmes silly and the result would be very similar with both fighting at their best.

Even Mike Tyson said that he wouldn't have been able to beat a prime Holmes.

he was being humble. joe louis also said he would have never beat rocky marciano on his best day.

Decagon wrote:Joe Louis was a heroin addict.

louis saying he thinks marciano would beat him is the same thing as tyson saying holmes beating him.

>>>Even Mike Tyson said that he wouldn't have been able to beat a prime Holmes.<<<

If you believe that then I've got some land in the fifth dimension that might interest you!

Decagon wrote:Why? Joe Louis was hooked on heroin when he said that. Mike Tyson was World Heavyweight Champion.

joe louis was not hooked on heroin when he said that. u just like to downplay marciano.

Decagon wrote:Tyson loses to any big, talented fighter with a jab. How can he beat Larry Holmes when he couldn't beat Buster Douglas?

tyson was not the same fighter he was when he fought douglas. he was out of shape, unmotivated, he didnt mix up his combinations, he didnt have his once stellar unpredictable defense, and he became a head hunter. tyson suffered when he left rooney.


I could say how could holmes beat tyson when he couldnt even beat ken norton or tim witherspoon?


holmes was knocked out only once in his career, by a mike tyson. 5 years later, a slower and older holyfield gave holyfield a close fight.

>>>How can he beat Larry Holmes when he couldn't beat Buster Douglas?<<<

Well if I remember correctly Tyson beat the shit out of Holmes, who may have been older, but he still had that awesome jab and was still one of the top heavyweights...Tyson destroyed him, but I forgot how could Tyson beat Holmes when he couldn't beat Douglas? That's some genius analyzing there.

If you want to start with the excuse for Holmes, then you need to apply those same excuses to Tyson when he fought Douglas!

barry wrote:>>>How can he beat Larry Holmes when he couldn't beat Buster Douglas?<<<

Well if I remember correctly Tyson beat the shit out of Holmes, who may have been older, but he still had that awesome jab and was still one of the top heavyweights...Tyson destroyed him, but I forgot how could Tyson beat Holmes when he couldn't beat Douglas? That's some genius analyzing there.

If you want to start with the excuse for Holmes, then you need to apply those same excuses to Tyson when he fought Douglas!

Had Tyson been out of the ring for almost 2 years when he met Buster?

Was Tyson almost 40 when he met Buster?

Was Tyson coming off 2 losses when he met Buster?

dont know was he =???=?=?

No one must like lennox lewis.... Vote Mike Tyson

If you want to compare the Holmes that fought Tyson to any version of Tyson, it'd be the 38-year-old Tyson who quit against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride.

bullshit,


5 years later an older holmes beat ray mercer and tookl holyfield 12 close rounds. i would say tyson beat a much better version of holmes than the version of tyson mcbride beat. [/u]

Out of the fighters mentioned I put Larry Holmes at number 1, with Lennox Lewis (no surprise if you read my other posts) a close number 2. Id give a peak Tyson a reasonable chance against Holmes or Lewis but he was only at his awesome best from 87-89. Holyfield and Bowe were also excellent fighters, the fights between all these 5 would be very close.