BoxRec

Please rank (in your opinion) the top 10 heavyweights ever.
(It's a who-beats-who list)

1. Rocky Marciano. (1947-1955).
Rocky fought 4 dozen fights and never adjusted his style once. He is the perosnification of power, grit, balls and a never-say-die atttitude. Rocky landed roughly 2 hundred digs a fight, and any one of those punches could spark you out...

2. Muhammad Ali. (1960-1981).
Ali's done more for the sport of boxing than any other heavyweight in history. He developed a style of boxing where he was very difficult to hit and didn't rely on toe-to-toe combat to win every fight, his handspeed was a marvel to behold but he lost fights to average boxers on occasion.

3. Joe Louis. (1934-1952).
Joe Louis held the world heavyweight title for an amazing 13 years. He had a strong punch and is perhaps the greatest combination puncher the divison has ever seen. Louis was both brave yet intelligent, he knew how to grind down opponents but alternatively could kncok a man out in one round.

4. George Foreman (1969-1977) + (1987-1997).
George Foreman's puching power was terrifyingly destructive. He could put an average boxer in hospital in less thanh a round and he was a monster in his hayday. Foreman could've been the greatest however he never had the stamina nor the heart to have been the best ever.

5. Joe Frazier (1965-1981).
Joe Frazier had a rare left hook which was rattling and his KO punch. Joe exhibated this punch against Ali in rd 15 of their first fight, but Joe could be wore odwn and (unlike Rocky) did stop throwing punches through extreme tiredness, nonetheless if Frazier trapped your in a corner it would take an exceptional boxer to escape.

6. Jack Dempsey (1914-1927).
Dempsey is one of the greatest brawlers in heavyweight history. In many ways he's similar to Rocky, however he was defated by Gene Tunney which shows that a bozer who can perfect the basic skills of doging, ducking, blocking and had a huge range of punches could've stood a chance against him. Dempsey lost the re-match but won through the "Long Count".

7. Jack Johnson (1894-1938).
Johnson was the first ever black world champion and received ridicule and slander all through his title reign. Johnson was an excellent boxer (whose style was later further developed by Ali) with a hard puch. Johnson foought to professional fights on THE SAME DAY and had been through the wars reportedly fighting while he was stabed and on another fighting with a broken left arm.

8. Mike Tyson (1985-2005).
Mike Tyson in his hayday was a feared monster with a hunger not seen since the days of Liston. He destroyed everything in his path and he was the man who no-one wanted to fight. He had a seriuosly hard punch which destroyed fighters almost in a conveyor belt-like routine. Tyson's dominance was stopped by Evander Holyfield twice and later he was KO'd by Lennox Lewis. But Tyson will always be remembered as the beast of his day.

9. John L. Sillivan (1879-1892).
John L Sullivan will always be remembered as the greatest ever bare knuckle champion, although he lost his world title bid, he was the man who nnobody could defeat. Sullivan was one of the hardest men ever scene on the heavyweight scene and a true legend of the ring.

10. Sonny Liston (1953-1970).
Sonny Liston burst on to the Heavyweight scene destroying all competiors in his path. During his world title bid he embarrased the then world champion, Floyd Patterson and did it again in the re-match. Liston didn't want to defeat opponents he fought as though he wanted to punish them for draing to step into the ring with him. It took Ali to end Sonny's title reign.



Anyway these are my top 10 heavyweights of all time!
Please feel free to write your opinions down and create your own top 10 explaining why...

I think you'll find this subject has been done a few times before. Search the forum and you'll find probably 10 posts on the same subject.

As for your list I disagree with the fighter on it and the placings. Any top ten list with Tyson on is not worth much IMO. Sorry!

1.) Jack Johnson: Defeated both the greatest white and black fighters of his era. He was unstoppable in his title reign, despite how many head butts Jim Flynn gave him or how many white hopes came along---he could dance and be never touched---and he could slug with the best of em. His importance is greater than Ali's and any other black athlete that ever was. He was truly a man who broke all molds and barriers.

2.) Muhammad Ali/Rocky Marciano: Both men are tied here. Marciano was undefeated, and beat virtually every best Heavyweight there was in his time. He over came a lot start, short reach, limited skills, and clumsiness to become Heavyweight champion, and showed that heart and determination truly could out match skill. Muhammad Ali was the fastest Heavyweight in history, a Heavyweight with the speed of a Middleweight. He was dominate in both the 60's and 70's over a wide array of champions and contenders---his ring record is almost as big as his social and international importance. First man to be a 3x Heavyweight Champion.

3.) Joe Louis: 25 title defenses, and 11yrs as champion. Defeated 8 of 10 Champions (past/present/future) before and during and after his reign. He only needed 6" of space between his punches to knock a man out. His record is tremendous, despite many of his challengers were 2nd rate. And his political/social/international importance for breaking color barriers is almost bigger than the man himself.

4.) Jack Dempsey: The Manassa Mauler was the biggest icon in the sport since the late John L. Sullivan. His rough and tumble style, and toughness and sheer brute mentality and prowess made the sport popular once again. He was a giant killer. He was a record breaker. First man to partake in a Million Dollar prize fight event, was a huge celebrity in both boxing and in Hollywood. His fueds with Gene Tunney made him a legend.

5.) George Foreman: Undoubtedly the Heavyweight division's greatest Heavyweight puncher---if not that, he certainly was the most devastating. His size and strength and fearful look had many an opponent scared before the opening bell. He literally smashed men's faces and dropped even the most experienced and tough men.....In his comeback from 1987 to 1997 he regained the Heavyweight title at 45, showing that his power and experience proved well against the younger men. His longetivity was amazing. Could have been the greatest hadn't he not been so mentally weak in his prime.

6.) Larry Holmes: Will never get the credit he is due for he followed Ali. But 20 title defenses and a 7yr title reign is impressive, despite the lack of great competition. His comeback in the 90's was impressive as well, as he defeated Ray Mercer and did well against Holyfield.

7.) John L. Sullivan: The link between the gloved and the fist era. He made boxing a respectful sport, rather than the illegal spectacle it was before. He was the division's first real showman with his "I can lick any son of a bitch in the house!" and burbon drinking cigar smoking attitude. Undefeated for virtually 20yrs while fighting both under the London Prize Ring Rules and Marquis of Queensbury.

8.) James J. Jefferies: Though his record looks miniscule today, his rise throught the Heavyweight division has seldom been matched---in 2yrs he was the Heavyweight champion and already done faced men like Tom Sharkey and Joe Choynski. He is often, sadly, thought of as the slow and brutish fighter on the basis of the Johnson fight---but in his prime he was quite athletic and chased down movers like Corbett for 20+ounds and could slug it out with the best. He still holds the record for quickest knockout in a Heavyweight title match (54 seconds).

9.) Lennox Lewis: 3x the Heavyweight champion. Faced every top name or suitable name in his era---with the exception of Tyson and Bowe, whom he faced later or not at all. His size, reach and speed where tremdnous attributes---perferring to box rather than to slug, which didn't bring him many fans, but gave him wins. He is like the Holmes of our era, and I truly believe he won't be as appreciated as he should be.

10.) Joe Frazier/Mike Tyson

1. Rocky Marciano
No coment

2. Joe Louis- almost 12 years world champion and 25 title defences. But it includet WW2 4,5 years and second rate "contenders". Was knocked out by old Shmelling in his prime before champioship fight vs. most plain undisputed champ in history Bradock, who even knocked down him.
Also Charles dominated over Joe and Rocky knocked out him, ofcourse.
That is way can't be number one.

P.S And Walcott outpointed him in their first fight. But it is not count for me, becouse officialy Joe Louis "win".

3. Muhammad Ali :P
4. Mike Tyson
5. Joe Frazier
6. Ezzard Charles
7. George Foreman
8. Jack Johnson
9. Jack Dempsey
10. Sony Liston

P.S. I'm sure about positions only of Marciano and Louis and maybe 3-th for Ali. All other are debatable and controversial question.

I can't grade Holmes and Vitali Klitschko, becouse they are also great, but not undisputed champs in their time. Fact!

Intersting, Irish Rufus, Thanks for replying to my post.

Anyone else have opinions?

Or is it just us big-outh paddys

As Arsenal mentioned, we have talked about this topic quite a bit in the past. Some people may feel that we have talked it to death, atleast for awhile.
Most people had Ali,Louis,Foreman,Johnson,Marciano,Frazier,Holmes, and Dempsey in the top 10. The exact order varied quite a bit;most people had Ali or Louis as #1.
As for the rest of the top 10, it usually consisted of 2 of the following: Liston, Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, Tunney, or Jeffries.
Occasionally someone would put it someone else in like Charles, or Langford.

Agreed!

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Foreman
5. Marciano
6. Frazier
7. Lewis
8. Johnson
9. Dempsey
10. Liston

1. Muhammad Ali- fought in the deepest heavyweight division of all time, came back against the #2 contender (Who does that nowadays?) Swept the division several times.
2. Joe Louis- dominated his division for 12 years, won almost all of his defenses by KO 25 defenses
3. Jack Dempsey - brought the sport into new heights, first real KO king
4. Larry Holmes - underappreciated heavyweight, 20 defenses, 7 year reign, first loss at 36, had a decent comeback challenging Holyfield at 42
5. Rocky Marciano - tremendous heart, devasting power, of course only retired undefeated champ, his only fault is his lack of boxing skills and rancid resume
6. Joe Frazier - Overshadowed by Ali, fought in the deepest heavyweight division, Knocked Ali on his butt
7. Jack Johnson - First of the truest defensive fighters,
8. George Foreman - Heavy handed feared boxer, dominated Frazier and Norton. Best comeback of all winning the title at age 45!
9. Gene Tunney- I can't believe no one said him!!! He dominated Dempsey in his era.... good all-around boxer
10. Evander Holyfield - Tremendous heart, fought all of the greats in his era, is going to be overshadowed by the Tyson bite

Just making off my list is Sonny Liston because he only had ONE defense, despite being the most feared man in his era