BoxRec

Now I'm not saying these guys werent good, or perhaps even close to great, but I'm saying that their reputations have generally been overhyped past their actual abilities and performances....

1. Mike Tyson
2. Rocky Marciano
3. Roy Jones
4. Bernard Hopkins
5. Felix Trinidad
6. Julio Ceasar Chavez
7. James Toney
8. Lennox Lewis
9. Joe Calzaghe
10. Ricky Hatton

.............comments anyone!... 8)

Arguments are welcome but lets keep it clean!... 8)

Marcinao is one of those fighters who is over-rated by a dying breed but massively under-rated by newer boxing fans who think he was just a small living version of Rocky Balboa with a matching skill-level. I used to think Marciano was massively over-rated as well but the more I've studied him he's grown in my regard. Definetely a top 8 Heavyweight of all time, could very well be higher. He would've been hell for pretty much any Heavyweight in history.

I agree with Tyson,Trinidad, and Chavez. Those would be my top 3.

dempseyfire wrote:Marcinao is one of those fighters who is over-rated by a dying breed but massively under-rated by newer boxing fans who think he was just a small living version of Rocky Balboa with a matching skill-level. I used to think Marciano was massively over-rated as well but the more I've studied him he's grown in my regard. Definetely a top 8 Heavyweight of all time, could very well be higher. He would've been hell for pretty much any Heavyweight in history.

I agree with Tyson,Trinidad, and Chavez. Those would be my top 3.

I would put Marcinao in the top ten just about, but many would still have you believe that he was the best and that he'd stand a chance with the likes of Ali, Holmes and Louis...

silkov wrote:

dempseyfire wrote:Marcinao is one of those fighters who is over-rated by a dying breed but massively under-rated by newer boxing fans who think he was just a small living version of Rocky Balboa with a matching skill-level. I used to think Marciano was massively over-rated as well but the more I've studied him he's grown in my regard. Definetely a top 8 Heavyweight of all time, could very well be higher. He would've been hell for pretty much any Heavyweight in history.

I agree with Tyson,Trinidad, and Chavez. Those would be my top 3.

I would put Marcinao in the top ten just about, but many would still have you believe that he was the best and that he'd stand a chance with the likes of Ali, Holmes and Louis...

I don't think he'd beat those 3 but they'd surely have to be on the top of their game and 100% prepared. It would be no cake-walk.

I think most people these days have a fair persepctive on Tyson and Marciano. A while back they seemed overrated but these days few people put these 2 in a top 5.

I can't see why Chavez is on the list. The others I can all accept but Chavez???

Hopkins is not overrated, but even if he was, Trinidad is less overrated than Hopkins? Jones more overrated than Toney? Fascinating. And not just because they lost to them, though that's part of it.

Anyway, I voted for Tyson.

Do you know what's really overrated? Threads about how everyone is overrated. There are twenty five a week. Is there anyone who isn't overrated?

...despite his gracefull footwork, slick left jab, over all cleverness and ring generalship and being famous for being a clean fighter, plus fighting great fighters in their useful prime, i still thnk marciano is a bit overrated, which is why i made him my only choice in the poll.

Tyson is only over-rated by peoples who claim he is a top five heavyweight of all-time. He is considerably better than any heavyweight out there now, and he did not piss about. His prime may have only been nineteen months but he still won a tripple crown and a lineal heavyweight championship. What one would not give for a three year rage in the heavyweight division right now. A Tyson like career is exactly what is needed.

1. Mike Tyson
2. Rocky Marciano
3. Roy Jones
4. Bernard Hopkins
5. Felix Trinidad
6. Julio Ceasar Chavez
7. James Toney
8. Lennox Lewis
9. Joe Calzaghe
10. Ricky Hatton

I agree fairly well with the ten fighters you chose. I don't think Tyson is nearly as overrated as he used to be, most tend to agree these days that he belong just out of the top 10. A few people overrate Marciano, but I am seeing less and less of that these days.

Roy Jones was very overrated while he was in his prime, and is possibly a little underrated now IMO. Trinidad also used to be very overrated, but most people know where he stands now. Chavez I would agree with for the most part, Toney was very overrated as a HW, but not now. Lennox Lewis is very overrated by some, but underrated by more IMO. In the following months I think we will find out exactly how overrated or underrated Calzaghe (who I think may win or lose a close decision, or get KOd) and Hatton (who I think will be hugely outpointed) really are.

Personally, my #1 & #2 would absolutely have to be Muhammad Ali & Ray Robinson. No disrespect or faulting of either of them, let me say. Robinson is my #1 all-time Welter & P4Per, & Ali is my #2 all-time Heavy, but no fighter was ever, will ever, or could ever be as good as these guys' mythology would have you believe.

jezzamundo wrote:Calzaghe (who I think may win or lose a close decision, or get KOd)

Amazing prediction. I agree he will probably win or lose. But I'm not counting out a draw or a no-contest, either.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Personally, my #1 & #2 would absolutely have to be Muhammad Ali & Ray Robinson. No disrespect or faulting of either of them, let me say. Robinson is my #1 all-time Welter & P4Per, & Ali is my #2 all-time Heavy, but no fighter was ever, will ever, or could ever be as good as these guys' mythology would have you believe.

thay were both two of the greatest fighters ever,but i have to agree
with you that no one could ever live upto the hype that has been bestowed upon them.for gosh sakes if you ask most people on this forum they are gods.and infailable.

I Feel Fine wrote:Hopkins is not overrated, but even if he was, Trinidad is less overrated than Hopkins? Jones more overrated than Toney? Fascinating. And not just because they lost to them, though that's part of it.

Anyway, I voted for Tyson.

Do you know what's really overrated? Threads about how everyone is overrated. There are twenty five a week. Is there anyone who isn't overrated?

Fine,

being overrated is not about how good a fighter is, it's about how good they were/are in comparison to how they're recieved by fans, pundits, fellow fighters, etc... You could be the greatest fighter ever and still be overrated. I think Ali is the greatest HW ever but I also think he's a little overrated.

If anything I think Ali is underrated these days, a lot of people seem to be Alied out by the praise and publicity he has had (deservedly I think!) over the past few years and have responded in the way that many do when someone is built up, by seeking holes and ways of knocking him down. As well as that there is still in existence a strain of Ali haters who would still like to see him jailed for not going to Nam!.... just look at another thread on this forum for the evidence!. So for me if anything Ali is underrated now, people dont really appreciate how he came back after losing his best years, they dont really appreciate the skills he had early on and they dont really see the character that he had which took him back to the title even when most of his talent had been lost....

Chavez fought everyone out there. He excelled at a time when the Lightweight division was considered to be the best in boxing and he was already out of his best weight class by then.

Lockridge
Taylor x 2
Camacho
Rosario
Laporte
Ramirez

Mayweather x2
Castillo
Martinez
Lopez
Haugen
Smith

That's a good list of fighters. In a period of 15 round fights Chavez would probably have fared even better.

silkov wrote:If anything I think Ali is underrated these days, a lot of people seem to be Alied out by the praise and publicity he has had (deservedly I think!) over the past few years and have responded in the way that many do when someone is built up, by seeking holes and ways of knocking him down. As well as that there is still in existence a strain of Ali haters who would still like to see him jailed for not going to Nam!.... just look at another thread on this forum for the evidence!. So for me if anything Ali is underrated now, people dont really appreciate how he came back after losing his best years, they dont really appreciate the skills he had early on and they dont really see the character that he had which took him back to the title even when most of his talent had been lost....

Ali wins every vote, every tournament and every fantasy match up I've ever seen posted on these boards. How could he be rated any higher?

Ezzard wrote:

silkov wrote:If anything I think Ali is underrated these days, a lot of people seem to be Alied out by the praise and publicity he has had (deservedly I think!) over the past few years and have responded in the way that many do when someone is built up, by seeking holes and ways of knocking him down. As well as that there is still in existence a strain of Ali haters who would still like to see him jailed for not going to Nam!.... just look at another thread on this forum for the evidence!. So for me if anything Ali is underrated now, people dont really appreciate how he came back after losing his best years, they dont really appreciate the skills he had early on and they dont really see the character that he had which took him back to the title even when most of his talent had been lost....

Ali wins every vote, every tournament and every fantasy match up I've ever seen posted on these boards. How could he be rated any higher?

So you dont see the Ali haters that constantly trawl this forum???. When people still discuss whether he would have beaten Marciano, Ali is underrated!...

silkov wrote:

Ezzard wrote:

silkov wrote:If anything I think Ali is underrated these days, a lot of people seem to be Alied out by the praise and publicity he has had (deservedly I think!) over the past few years and have responded in the way that many do when someone is built up, by seeking holes and ways of knocking him down. As well as that there is still in existence a strain of Ali haters who would still like to see him jailed for not going to Nam!.... just look at another thread on this forum for the evidence!. So for me if anything Ali is underrated now, people dont really appreciate how he came back after losing his best years, they dont really appreciate the skills he had early on and they dont really see the character that he had which took him back to the title even when most of his talent had been lost....

Ali wins every vote, every tournament and every fantasy match up I've ever seen posted on these boards. How could he be rated any higher?

So you dont see the Ali haters that constantly trawl this forum???. When people still discuss whether he would have beaten Marciano, Ali is underrated!...

I read points that criticise Ali. I don't agree with them all but I welcome them.

How many times has Ali lost a vote or been rated below Marciano? I don't think I've ever seen one poll Ali lost and those who rate Rocky above him are few and far between.

"If anything I think Ali is underrated" - Silkov

There is something I can truly say I've never heard in a forum before.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

"If anything I think Ali is underrated" - Silkov

There is something I can truly say I've never heard in a forum before.

Well you learn something every day!... 8)

I guess so :)

Dear friends, excused me, but Marciano isn't overrated: he was really greatest

Robinson and Ali's career's speak for themselves. Robinson is the best welterweight of all time and Ali was obviously the best heavyweight of all time.

What happens is that the #1 guy usually gets 10 times the attention as the #2 guy.
Tiger Woods is the best golfer, but he isn't 10 times better than the #2 guy.
Babe Ruth is the best baseball player ever, but he wasn't 10 times as good as the #2 guy.
Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player ever, but he wasn't 10 times as good as the #2 guy.
Pele is the best soccer player ever, but not 10 times as good as the #2 guy.

That is just the way it usually is. What often happens is that at a certain point some people get sick of hearing about the #1 guy so much, and there is a backlash. People will pick at things and try to bring the top guy down.

Ali in particular gets ripped by people because he was so controversial.

Ambling Alp wrote:Robinson and Ali's career's speak for themselves. Robinson is the best welterweight of all time and Ali was obviously the best heavyweight of all time.

What happens is that the #1 guy usually gets 10 times the attention as the #2 guy.
Tiger Woods is the best golfer, but he isn't 10 times better than the #2 guy.
Babe Ruth is the best baseball player ever, but he wasn't 10 times as good as the #2 guy.
Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player ever, but he wasn't 10 times as good as the #2 guy.
Pele is the best football player ever, but not 10 times as good as the #2 guy.

That is just the way it usually is. What often happens is that at a certain point some people get sick of hearing about the #1 guy so much, and there is a backlash. People will pick at things and try to bring the top guy down.

Ali in particular gets ripped by people because he was so controversial.

That's pretty much how it is. The top guy becomes a legend out of all proportion.