BoxRec

I just found this old list I had found on-line and printed out about 7 or 8 years ago. The URL it came from is long gone now, which is a shame because there was a quick analysis that went along with each pick, but here is the list itself. Keep in mind, it only covers up to the year 2000 (so don't go asking me where John Ruiz is!! ).

1) Damiani
2) Morrisson
3) Bentt
4) Leon Spinks
5) Carnera
6) Marvin Hart
7) Seldon
8) Braddock
9) Dokes
10) McCall
11) Coetzee
12) Bruno
13) Douglas
14) Herbie Hide
15) Shannon Briggs
16) John Tate
17) Jess Willard
18) Mike Weaver
19) Ernie Terrell
20) Greg Page

What do you guys think? Personally, I think spots on here could be made for Moorer, Bonecrusher, Berbick, or Pinklon Thomas. Maybe Michael Spinks could be knocking on the door of this list as well?

I think such a list is valid only if it focuses on linear title-holders, as they're the true champions in the most forthright, honest sense of the word. Once you start to include names like Bentt, Hide & company, such a list becomes markedly less compelling, IMO.

That said, Moorer & Spinks don't belong on such a list, be it in linear or fragmented context. They weren't among the top-echelon of Heavyweight champions, but they each deserve more respect than that.

Spinks and Hart in my opinion, were probably the worst. Spinks 'prime' in all intents and purposes, was against a guy who in less than a year after his "retirement" would be ultimately destroyed by Larry Holmes. Spinks best win, imo, was against Alfio Righetti, not Muhammad Ali. He was destroyed by Coetzee, dominated by Holmes, and sat somewhere between Cobb and LeDoux as far as heavyweight contenders were concerned.

You can argue, like Goodnight Irene did, that he won the lineal title, but really, I think at that stage in Ali's career nine out of ten heavyweights on the radar at the time could have duplicated the feat that Spinks did. Surely Righetti, Coetzee, Tate and others at that time would have beaten Ali as well.

I was thinking of Michael Spinks. Silly me