He has a degree in Football Business and Media, previously working as a press and media officer at Bury Football Club. Some fighters were more feared than others. He could have had the greatest career in history, but the circumstances above which Ive barely touched on, were against it. Max Schmeling (1924-1948, 56-10-4): 183, 22. Try to forget his social impact, good looks, quotes and even that unique fighting style that saw a 6ft 3in adonis float around the ring like a featherweight - his fists by his sides, daring you to hit him - what makes Ali the No 1 heavyweight ever is something far more concrete. He was wildly popular. Tyson makes lists because he talked trash with alacrity and had an unbelievable EARLY (ultra early) great run. If a fighter was ranked No. Floyd Patterson (1952-1972, 55-8-1): 321.5, 14. The poll evaluated 20 champions dating back to the dawn of gloved heavyweight championship fights. And some of Joes greatness rubbed off on Ali. The Jeffries fight was a huge event, but I didnt think this a popularity contest and I dont know how to explain that a 6-year retired ex-champion could be considered one of a guys best wins. Theyve forgotten how good Louis was when he was young. The 100 Greatest Pound for Pound Boxers Of All Time Your email address will not be published. He was black Americas first black hero. Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975, 40-12-1): 114.2, 47. You can check out the heavyweights that finished outside of the top 50 over at BoxRec. Bobs downfall was what made him so popular, his all out approach that left him overextended, open for counter punches, and out of gas in the later rounds if the early KO did not come. He was the best ever up until his time. I hope you enjoy the list and feel free to chime in with your own thoughts on the rankings, (or call me a moron for leaving out your favorite fighter, whatever works). Louis 3. W.Klitschko 12. There couldnt be two more diametrically opposed fighters, in terms of surviving being hurt. A reasonably good list. I agree with you. Most Famous Fight(s): MD12 loss to Tim Witherspoon in 1984 for the WBC belt, KO8 win over Gerrie Coetzee in 1984 for the WBA belt. He was relentless and had a will of iron. There is no way Frazier can be ranked above Foreman. Frazier was a very carefully managed fighter who could not win against power punchers. Once upon a time, Pinklon Thomas was hailed as the next great champ who was going to save the heavyweight division from the boring and overrated Larry Holmes. He was older and slower, but hed learned to study his opponents and take advantage of what he saw. Worst list Ive ever seen Joe Frazier (No. When you squander talent like that, you dont deserve to be ranked high. When Ali first retired, in 1978, he was a three-time heavyweight champ whod avenged every defeat. Johnson never granted a title shot to another African-American boxer - maintaining the odious colour bar during his six-year reign - but he was ahead of his time in the ring. Tyson had little heart but plenty quit in him. Louis finished second in these latter three categories. Welcome boxing fans and RSR readers to the second installment of my countdown of the 100 best heavyweight boxers of all time. A gift and a curse. Best pure puncher who ever got in a ring. Frazier 6. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right Now, Named And Ranked. But can we put him up there with the absolute all-time greats just yet? This heavyweight poll has different criteria from previous exercises. Jack Johnson died on June 10, 1946, at the age of 68. No iron mike?? Underrated offense (he carried many opponents). Unarguably the divisions greatest comeback. David Haye (2002-2018, 28-4-0): 133.4, 36. Most great boxers have done this and Lennox Lewis only lost twice and then won in the rematch. Karel Sys (1932-1954, 117-15-10): 115.4, 45. Theyd be thrown around like rag dolls today. He won the first one and was robbed by the judges in the third one. Free shipping for many products! Then he got lazy. None of the fighters listed knocked out opponents the way Tyson did with speed and fury!!!! Nova found a home in the top 10 heavyweight rankings for half a decade in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Most Famous Fight (s): TKO11 over Max Baer in 1939, TKO6 loss to Joe Louis in a 1941. Tyson lost every fight that ever meant something. He reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, and is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Respect. It was avenged in devastating style: two minutes and four seconds of violence that left Schmeling with broken bones in his back. More athletic and aggressive than Liston. Id probably say Tommy Burns, a good but small heavyweight from whom he took the crown. Thanks for signing up! Tyson could not get past the defense of Lewis and he got knocked out. Wills 16. But he has the O and none of the other fighters on this list do. World News, Social Issues, Politics, Entertainment and Sports. Foreman 5. Anyone know Bernard Hopkins? One elector ranked Ali as low as fourth. Given Alis generosity of spirit, I dont think hed mind sharing the No. He had a stocky, durable build and was a solid all-around technician. Henry Cooper (1954-1971, 40-14-1): 118.8, 42. Tyson at 12 is good. He beat every available contender. He beat four other guys on this list: Tyson, Bowe, Holmes, and Foreman. July 4, 1910 - The world was looking forward to popular, but way past his prime, Jim Jeffries to annihilate Jack Johnson. If only every era of heavyweight boxing had a few Bob Satterfields, the sport would never have lulls in popularity like we are currently experiencing. Montreal is The Fight City. Ali finished his career with a 56-5 record with 37 KOs. Eddie Machen (1955-1967, 50-11-3): 157.1, 26. Sam happily watches and avidly follows all sports, whether its his beloved Lancashire Cricket Club, Kolkata Knight Riders or Wigan Warriors! 47. ESPN.com: ALL-TIME GREATEST BOXERS Page would often cut corners in training camp, or refuse to train at all. Kick ass on half that page at least. Thomas had heavy feet, but a good jab, a stocky frame, good chin, and a knack for cutting off the ring. Marciano never fought Joe Louis. Johnny Dundee 77. And dont forget Terrell, Shavers and Chuvalo. Heavyweights Jared Anderson, Zhan Kossobutskiy to meet - ESPN He was old, washed up beyond even patching, had NOT wanted to fight any more for at least 7-8 years, Lewis either took him to court or threatened to ,to make the fight which had a predetermined conclusion. Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time. 8. He ducked Shavers, Lyle and even an old Sonny Liston. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. Dominant wins over Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo, Jimmy Ellis, Oscar Bonavena, Doug Jones, Bob Foster, Buster Mathis, Jerry Quarry and Joe Bugner prove the point. A decade later he had captured a couple British titles and established himself as the islands top heavyweight contender. Despite being black, Johnson refused to meet the best black contenders while he was champion. Most Famous Fight(s): UD15 loss to Joe Louis in 1937. Notable Wins: 15 round points win over Ben Foord in 1937, 12 round points win over Max Baer in 1937, KO3 over Walter Neusel in 1937. He learned some rudimentary techniques to accentuate his physical gifts and compensate for his limitations. Simple: no heavyweight in history faced, let alone defeated, a trio of deadly greats like Liston, Frazier and Foreman. Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. He could take a punch. Johnson 12. I think he is one of the greatest boxers not only because of the fact he was a champion or because of his title defenses but also because of his unique style. Tyson spent all his time in Tokyo with Geisha prostitutes, and I saw him myself walking down the Ginza with 3-4 of them. Dominant in his era? Joe Frazier and Ernie Terrell can attest to that. 17), and James Corbett (No. Mike Tyson was the best fighter I ever saw. Ibeabuchi was a beastly hulk of a man with a granite chin, endless stamina, and fought with the fury of mad man. And they are similar in age so how can you talk about their primes? Ken Norton should get at least an honorable mention. At a very leisurely pace over the last couple of years, The Fight City has offered its own idiosyncratic rankings of the all-time greatest boxers in each of the eight traditional weight classes. Most Famous Fight(s): KO27 loss to Jim Corbett, 20 round draw to James J. Jeffries in 1897. Notable Wins: KO3 over Jack Johnson in 1901, KO15 over George Godfrey in 1892, KO2 over Peter Maher in 1903. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. Vitali Klitschko (1996-2012, 45-2-0): 349.2, 11. Are you joking? A loyal Liverpool FC supporter who has experienced the highs and lows of supporting the Mighty Reds! A four time heavyweight champion (not to mention cruiserweight champion), The Real Deal never ducked anyone and fought through adversity too many times to count. Tyson is a video-game. Clarence Henry (1948-1954, 34-6-1): 167.9, 25. Willie Pep 72.. But they, too, are among the greatest of all time, so thats not too shabby. One of the more underrated British fighters of all time in Joe Calzaghe gets some recognition in this list, being ranked 1 place above Manny Pacquiao, the Brits perfect 46-0 record definitely goes some way to his ranking in this list, with Saul Canelo Alvarez narrowly above him. And a peak Tyson would have obliterated a peak Lennox Lewis too. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right. Baksi traveled around the east coast circuits building his record and learning his craft in the early 1940s, but was not a highly regarded prospect. Boxing is a world sport. Marciano finished third among the trainers. Sullivan was Americas first massculture hero and the most idolized athlete who had lived up until his time. The best pound-for-pound boxers of all time | Yardbarker Thankfully, respected boxing stats website Boxrec have compiled the list of the greatest fighters across all divisions and time periods, so lets dive into the list and see who they believe to be the greatest boxer of all time. Topics:.css-wpf514{color:#72B97D;}Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Arsenal fan has bizarre theory to decide 'true' Premier League champions, Man City fans have a theory behind why Erling Haaland looked so emotional after scoring his 50th goal of the season, Mark Selby scores the first ever 147 break in a world championship final, BREAKING: Graeme Souness leaves Sky Sports after 15 years as a pundit, Virgil van Dijk had his left ankle and entire reputation shattered by Ivan Perisic's run, Anthony Joshua confirms Deontay Wilder will be his next fight, The Result Of The Greatest Boxer Of All Time Has Been Revealed, Eddie Hearn Branded A 'Casual' By Oscar De La Hoya After He Names His Top Heavyweights Of All-Time, The five best sporting GOATs of all time were ranked on ESPN, Stephen A Smith did NOT agree with No 1 pick, Mike Tyson invites Muhammad Alis grandson to see his pigeons, they changed his life. Maybe Tyson would beat prime Lennox Lewis, but a prime Larry Holmes? But Tyson in his prime would have been competitive against anyone. This is more than who would have beaten who. Holmes destroying Tyson? 49-0! Wilbur's 100 Greatest Heavyweights of all Time: Top 10! Cant get upset by your list, since I cant even take you seriously.. Was he the best of his era? 1. Marciano would have beaten Tunney down. How do you say Tyson beats Lewis when Lewis actually beat Tyson? Sonny Liston, Floyd Paterson (twice), Foreman, Frazier (twice), Norton (twice) and many more hall of famers around that. Top 10 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers Of All Time | Sportshubnet 2023 RING TV LIVE. Media: Al Bernstein, Ron Borges, Gareth A Davies, Norm Frauenheim, Jerry Izenberg, Harold Lederman, Paulie Malignaggi, Dan Rafael and Michael Rosenthal, Historians: Craig Hamilton, Steve Lott, Don McRae, Bob Mee, Clay Moyle, Adam Pollack and Randy Roberts. In the end, Alis edge over Louis in this poll was that many electors felt he was simply the better fighter. Fourteen of the 19 electors who ranked Ali first ranked Louis second. Jack Johnson was the father. 10. Or Williams, Ellis and Folley. When Louis (the symbol of American democracy) knocked out Schmeling (Adolf Hitlers favorite fighter), Louis became white Americas first black hero. Throw in Norton, Quarry, Patterson, Lyle and Bonavena too. He never gave any of the three rematches in their heavyweight primes. Prison? Primo Carnera (1928-1946, 89-14-0): 111.2, 48. Whether it was avenging his loss against Joe Frazier with two victories over his rival,taking the steam out of George Foreman at The Rumble in the Jungle or earning hard-fought wins over the rugged likes of Floyd Patterson and Ken Norton, Alis GOAT legacy resides on the heavyweight throne as the best. Mike Tyson is number 10 in our list of top 10 greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Ive read a couple of bios and researched that era. Boxing News is an award-winning, British weekly boxing magazine which contains reviews on fights and fighters, as well as a detailed examination of the world of boxing. Every punch was thrown with full power, and what devastating punches they were. One fight can go a long way toward defining a fighters legacy. Sandy Saddler. He did what not one of the above mentioned ever did! Well, at least Foremans hands. His Promoter, the brother og hisnmanager was definitely connected, His first 10 opponents had a combined total record of ZERO wins, 19 losses and 1 draw. A lot of guys on this list would have discouraged Tyson real fast. In his short prime, Tyson is a serious challenge for anyone. Mike Tyson earn his stripes. ESPN.com: ALL-TIME GREATEST BOXERS Another boxings greatest robberies. A three-time world heavyweight champion, Lewis outpointed Evander Holyfield (essentially twice), laid Mike Tyson flat on his back via a devastating knockout and let Vitali Klitschko know that hes not to be messed with as part of his polished resume. Neither fighter ranked himself. Only 2 losses, and he came back and rectified them. The same is true of Wladimir Klitschko (No. No one better to learn from. Ali is also consistently ranked among the greatest athletes of the century. Ive read all the criticism of Tyson and it is, in my opinion, not merited. Lewis corrected things with Rahman in the rematch. Bowe was a super talent and a super waste. Only reasonable because you have mostly good fighters on it, except for One. The Klitschkos are two big, well-conditioned guys fighting in an era when the best big guys are going into sports other than boxing. How great was each fighter within his era? Frank Warren EXCLUSIVE Mike Tyson responds to Wilder's claims about knocking him out Top 50 fighters of 21st century named 50-31 50:. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 70-61. And both components of his fighting game have been on display in all three of his fights against Deontay Wilder one of boxings biggest punchers of all time and his unanimous decision points win over Wladimir Klitschko. So much potential down the toilet, it is enough to make your stomach turn. Go to YouTube and watch his comeback wins (after nearly being stopped) vs Mike Weaver, Earnie Shavers, Renaldo Snipes. Wheres Tyson? Vernon Forest 74. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. Doughlas got lucky and Lewis no match to him . Instead, Lennox Lewis represents their era as an all time great, and the 11th best ever? And lets not forget: Ali was past his prime when he beat Joe Frazier and George Foreman. At twenty, he couldve beaten anyone on the list EXCEPT Ali. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Picking just 10 great heavyweights from 100+ years means some elite champions have to miss out. He made the most of his modest skills by jabbing once then clinching his opponent to . Wills are you crazy? The Dempsey who fought Jess Willard was a stone-cold killer. Tyson ADMITS he bit EH (classy) out of frustration not knowing what to do when he knew hed lose). 1A. But they were avenged and the degree to which Rahman and McCall were supposed to stand no chance is exaggerated. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. With so much raw talent you cannot help but wonder what he could have achieved if he had the training spirit of Manny Pacquiao. Against Williams I heard his ligament snap when he was gong in to finish him off. He had one great fight, the first fight against Evander Holyfield. Which elite fighters who were in their prime did he beat? As I count down from 100 we are going to run into some heavyweights who made an impact but could have been much more if things had been different. And when youre fighting, punching means a whole lot. A prime Holmes would have battered Tyson into submission. No substance. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. One elector stated a preference for replacing Vitali Klitschko and Fitzsimmons on his list with Max Schmeling and Sam Langford. Foreman was a much better boxer the second time around. The Fifty Greatest Light-Heavyweights of All Time Part One - 50-41 Published 8 years ago on May 27, 2015 By Matt McGrain Constructing a top 100 pound-for-pound was a difficult task, but far more tortuous was my attempt last year to construct a top 100 at heavyweight. Couldnt agree more. Muhammad Ali (1960-1981, 56-5-0): 757.9. Ernie Terrell (1957-1973, 46-9-0): 117.5, 43. Yeah the same one who lost his title to a light heavy? Current heavyweight superstars Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder also made the top 50. 100 greatest Heavyweight boxers (Boxing.com) Quiz Stats - By Dickycanio Popular Quizzes Today 1 Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield 2 Companies Spelling Bee 3 Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield 4 Countries of the World Sports greatest QUIZ LAB SUBMISSION Random Sports or greatest Quiz Many have failed at this. He was the mad experiment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxing minds ever in Cus Damato. 5. Tommy had humble beginnings, fighting with intermittent success on the local pro circuit in Tonypandy, Wales during the 1920s. Remove altitude and behavior, he is the greatest. After George won the belt at that age you had the idea that he could have done anything..