BoxRec

Top 20 HW's by Decade, Part 3. (1940-1969)

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The 1940's I found the hardest to assign ratings to once I left the top six or so. I could easily juggle the next 14 anyway. I rated Charles and Walcott as 1940's fighters, feeling thats when they did their greatest body of work, you could make a case for putting them in the 1950's.
I included Joe Louis as I feel he has a strong fan-base! In the 50's I have LaStarza, Valdez and Williams lower than many might rate them, I feel their accomplishments does not match their potential or some peoples perception of them.
the 60's I am happy eneough with, Patterson and Ali could easily belong to the 50's or 70's, I just felt they did their best stuff in the 60's. Below is the intro I included with Part 1 of these ratings by way of explanation.

"I am in the process of rating the top 200 Heavyweights of alltime, a daunting task. The methodology I am applying is to rate the top 20 for each decade, a total of 260 boxers and then use this template to do up the 200.
I intend to post my ratings for the decades in four parts as the total would be too big a post for forum readers to absorb in a short span of time and offer their criticisms and opinions.
NB A fighter is rated in only one decade, the one in which IMO he did his best work. Sometimes this can be arbitary, think Jeffries, Louis, Doughlas for example but in the final shake-up it wont matter.
NB2! While I have rated the men by decade I'm rating them on them on their career body of work.
The main criteria is career accomplishments, not potential or peak performance. Head to head comes into play only when I find it hard to split two fighters and I'm sure the biggest factor is my own biases and lack of knowledge."


1940-49
1 LOUIS
2 CHARLES
2 WALCOTT
4 BIVINS
5 RAY
6 CONN
7 GODOY
8 TOLES
9 BETTINA
10 MURRAY
11 B.BAER
12 BAKSI
13 THOMPSON
14 SIMON
15 MAURIELLO
16 OMA
17 SAVOLD
18 LESNEVICH
19 MAXIM
20 FRANKLIN


1950-59
1 marciano
2 liston
2 moore
4 johansson
5 h.johnson
6 machen
7 folley
8 Cl.Williams
9 Henry
10 Baker
11 LaStarza
12 Jackson
13 Valdez
14 DeJohn
15 Layne
16 Satterfield
17 Harris
18 Summerlin
19 Sys
20 Cockell


1960-691 ali
2 frazier
2 patterson
4 quarry
5 ellis
6 terrell
7 bonavena
8 chuvalo
9 cooper
10 d.jones
11 cleroux
12 mildenberger
13 martin
14 spencer
15 peralta
16 mathis
17 m.foster
18 a.jones
19 london
20 clarke

Woodcock is missing, Bruce held victories over Oma, Lesnivich & Savold reigned in Britain & Europe and was a top 10 for years!

He was ruined by the long needed British desire for a bigman to be world champion. Rushed, but otherwise he was the business.

Decagon wrote:Patterson, Cleroux, Simon and Mildenburger are too high. Williams, Thompson and LaStarza are too low. I'd put Ray above Bivins, for sure.

Ray beat Obie walker and Leroy haynes before Turkey Thompson starched him. He went on to get a split decision over Walcott who later avenged that to win the series 2-1. He won a poor decision over Charles who later stopped him. his next best win-Lee Savold?
Bivins win list includes Mauriello, Bettina, Moore, Henry, Murray, Pastor, Maxim, Lesnevich etc. Wouldn't go beating anyone over this call but I think Ray a tad overated.

jimglen wrote:Woodcock is missing, Bruce held victories over Oma, Lesnivich & Savold reigned in Britain & Europe and was a top 10 for years!

He was ruined by the long needed British desire for a bigman to be world champion. Rushed, but otherwise he was the business.

Actually had Woodcock in but he only had those good wins and on closer examination they are not as .The Oma fight looked dodgy (like a lot of Oma's fights) and he lost to an aging Savold when it counted. He also got bombed out by Mauriello. You are right he had promise but I'm not rating on promise.

Very interesting lists: Great work!

There are few great Heavyes from South America, why no this?

Campolo
Lovell (Olympic Champion, win over Rosenbloom)
Brión
Lavorante
Miteff
Corletti

Martin Sosa Cameron wrote:There are few great Heavyes from South America, why no this?

Campolo
Lovell (Olympic Champion, win over Rosenbloom)
Brión
Lavorante
Miteff
Corletti

Firpo, Peralta, Bonavena and Godoy are in there, Lovell I considered and I'm sure he is as good as some of the lower1930-40's guys. The rest wern't good eneough IMO.

donnellon wrote:

jimglen wrote:Woodcock is missing, Bruce held victories over Oma, Lesnivich & Savold reigned in Britain & Europe and was a top 10 for years!

He was ruined by the long needed British desire for a bigman to be world champion. Rushed, but otherwise he was the business.

Actually had Woodcock in but he only had those good wins and on closer examination they are not as .The Oma fight looked dodgy (like a lot of Oma's fights) and he lost to an aging Savold when it counted. He also got bombed out by Mauriello. You are right he had promise but I'm not rating on promise.

Jimbo always disregards the losses for his heroes.

Donnellon- this is very well researched. I really have only one major difference in opinion. Archie Moore shouldn't be tied for #2. Liston was a much better heavyweight. Johannson has to be higher, and Folley and Machen as well. If you look soley at what Moore did against heavyweights, he shouldn't be that high.

Otherwise the list is very good. No two people will have done it exactly the same way, but it looks very realistic. It doesn't look like you overlooked anyone.

Alp thanks for your kind comments, and SORRY about Moore at two, that was a missprint and I have to admit on film and on their records i really rate Folley and Machen, just look how the did when they met Quarry and Bonavena, normally good up-and -coming fighters win out over fading contenders.
Morre did beat prime HW's in Henry, Baker and Valdez and I factor in wins over Johnson and Maxim, good l/h that fought a lot at Hw to give him an edge over Folley and Machen, however it down to a matter of opinion and I could easily see it your way. Ingo you have convinced me on and I will revise my ratings to place him over Moore.