Name best heavyweight boxer of all time

My top 5 list as follows:

1. Muhammad Ali (longevity, quality of opposition and style)
2. Lennox Lewis (beat everybody, avenged losses in an extremely competitive era)
3. Joe Louis (no explanation necessary!!!)
4. Larry Holmes (cracking record, 2nd highest amount of defences, best heavyweight jab ever IMO)
5. A toss-up between George Foreman and Evander Holyfield....

 

Marciano's between number 7-9 for me.

 

Here we go again! Ha!

Wlad was knocked out by Sanders, Brewster and Puritty, and only rematched Brewster.

He also went life and death with Sam Peter, and according to you his biggest win is Haye who was a former CW, and who'd only had 4 fights as a HW at the time.

Almost none of Wlad's opponents are bums?

You're on drugs if you think Wlad would easily have knocked out Frazier.

 

How the hell could a case be made for Wlad being the greatest of all time? Ha!

 

With the possible exception of the pre ban Ali no American Heavy in history comes close to Lewis, and the pre 67 Ali only has chances due to his tremendous footwork. I can see a scenario where Lennox misses with shots and gets hit with single counters, thus losing on points. Even then Lewis is not some dummy that would get hit with combo's.

As for the post ban Ali, he would be cannon fodder for Lennox. Again Lewis was not some plodding idiot like Foreman lashing away at Ali on the ropes and getting nowhere, or a face first fool like Frazier taking 5 shots to land 1. LL would have given even the 71 version of Ali the kind of beating Holmes gave him later in his career.

That is the thing about Lewis, he knew he was so good he was arrogant with it. He considered the likes of McCall, and Rahman as bums, and treated them with contempt, not bothering to train properly, or take advice from his trainers.

When he did take them seriously, he forced one to breakdown like a baby telling Mills Lane he didn't want to carry on, and swatted the other muppet like a fly.


As for Tyson, he did everything he could to avoid Lewis for years, until financial problems forced him to take the fight. This can all be traced back to when they sparred as teenagers, and Tyson's bully boy tactics didn't work, so dear ol Tamato said never mind Mikey, I've sent the big bad Lewis back to Canada, after 2 days in which Lewis battered Tyson.

Any Heavy, and I do mean any of them ( Ali aside ) are nonentities in comparison to Lewis, who would be quite happy to box their ears off unless they got ideas above their stations, in which case he would knock them the eff out. Holyfield had the right idea, do enough to make it entertaining but don't get too ambitious.

 

The Joe Louis that fought in the Schmeling rematch.

 

I sure would like some of that crack you're smoking! :smoke

 

If you watched Wlads fights instead of looking at boxrec , you'd know that most of his opponents were bums and he looked abysmal beating them by his jab and huggy bear routine.

 

Ali without a doubt. He'd backup what he'd say. Fought the best in their prime, while Ali's prime was wasted away during his banishment from boxing. 3 gold medalists , a top 3 pressure fighter with a monster left hook, one of the most powerful punchers of all time, one of the most intimidating fighters of all time, and even a shot Ali with Parkinsons still managed to beat Olympian Leon Spinks. Liston, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, and Spinks. The first 3 are ATG's could handle themselves any era, Big George already proved that.

 

The words "total knowledge" and "postage stamp" come to mind.

 

Ali,Liston, Foreman, Frazier, Norton, Holmes >Purrity, Brewster, and Sanders

 

Easy question to answer.........

1...... The Greatest Muhammad Ali

The best since Ali .....

2..... Lennox Lewis

 

Yeah, though in fairness, Lanford and Jeanette were on the slide by the time he came around. He did blow out Langford conqueror Fred Fulton in one, for what it's worth.

But, yeah, the lack of Wills, or even faded Lanford/Jeanette does hurt him in terms of his ranking. Hell, not having Greb on his resume doesn't help, either.

I actually don't rate him in my Top 10, based on a rather skimpy resume as champion. Gibbons was a good scalp, and Miske (though ailing) was as well. Carpantier, Brennan and Firpo were decent enough. But he sat on the title for extended periods of time, and loses some stock as a result, imo.

 

THANKS....I WAS TRYING TO RECALL COREY SANDERS A FEW WEEKS BACK....I KNOW OFF SUBJECT BUT THANKSatsch:smoke