Who is the most underrated heavyweight Champion between 1920-1970?

So who do you rate him over? This is not about the fluke, one out of ten shot. If he's under rated, who do you rate him over ?

 

Explain your pick.

Liston went 50-4 (39) overall... not bad.

He was stopped 3 times, twice by Ali and once by Leotis Martin late in his career.

He dropped a decision to Marty Marshall, Liston suffered a broken jaw in this fight. He beat Marshall 2 out of 3, once by KO.

He went 2-2 (2) in World Title fights. The 2 wins were vs. Patterson (both 1st round KOs). The 2 losses were vs. Ali (both by stoppage).

Let's look at the rest of the resume-

Early in his career he won two close decisions over Johnny Summerlin. He went on to beat the usual trial horses like Wayne Bethea KO1, Frankie Daniels KO1, Ernie Cab KO8, and Bert Whitehurst (who went the distance with Liston in both of their fights) among others. He beat a past prime Mike DeJohn KO6 and a washed up Nino Valdez KO3. He also beat average fighters like Willi Besmanoff KO7, Howard King KO8, Roy Harris KO1, and Albert Westphal KO1 (Westphal was usually much more durable, credit to Liston). He was supposed to look impressive vs. these men and he was. Beating them, even in impressive fashion, doesn't make you an all-time great.

He beat Cleveland Williams KO3 and KO2. A good win but Williams is one of the most overrated HW contenders of all-time.

He stopped Zora Folley in 3 rounds. Folley was very good but not a big HW and not the most durable.

He won by decision over Eddie Machen. Machen was on the level with Folley but usually more durable. Good win by Liston but it wasn't easy.

What else is there?

On the level with Ali, Louis, and others??? I don't think so. Where's the evidence that points to such a claim?

Louis went 26-1 in HW World Title Fights and beat HW Champs Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, and Walcott. He also beat Hall of Famers Jimmy Bivins and John Henry Lewis as well.

Ali went 22-3 in HW World Title Fights and beat HW Champs Liston, Patterson, Terrell, Frazier, Ellis, Foreman, Norton, and L. Spinks. He beat plenty of ther good fighters as well.

 

Ezzard Charles--My take is none of the 1930's champions except Joe Louis would have kept him from being champion in the 1930's. He simply looks to me like a much better all-around fighter than that group.

Most overrated--no one asked, but Jack Sharkey in my judgment. His big wins were over Wills (who might have just hit the wall off his next performance against Uzcudun), Loughran and Schmeling (Hamas beat Loughran as decisively, and Schmeling much more so, and who considers Hamas top-notch), a Carnera who was also beaten by Maloney and Gains, etc. LIke Walcott, totally in and out. Unlike Walcott, he didn't deserve the victory in the fight which made him champion.

 

:huh 1920-1970

 

Bozo the Clown gets overlooked.

 

They're so underrated they transcend both time and space.

 

I don't rate him over many. He's not that kind of fighter. He is like tons of other guys and is never going to string together a successful long title reign. That's a whole different skillset and mindset to pull that off. He is not the type guy that will ever keep the title long. Some guys are like that but they do win a few big fights along the way.

Ingo was more like a Weaver type. A guy figured to lose all his fights. But he is a guy that would get the upsets here and there.

That's why he's underrated.

 

I'm a big admirer of Marciano, but I think Jersey JoeWalcott was 2 rounds from beating Rocky. The rock has plenty of respect but Joe is rarely mentioned.

 

Interesting take ... I'd say he had the puncher's chance in many bouts if not much else .. It happened against Machen, a fight that I don't think he'd repeat in another 9 out of 10 ... yet it did happen.

 

i've always thought it about carnera too......not saying he is great champion at all...but history seems to remember him as terrible, really terrible, which doesnt go along with what i have seen of him.....so, therefore..for me...underratted.

 

Ingo was never a Weaver type. He was never figured to lose all his fights.
Ingo was a fulltime businesman and a parttime prizefighter.
Fighting for the money - he completely changed his attitude towards boxing when he won the championship.
He invested in busines, became a film actor and simply lost his Desire for the hurt busines.
Ingo could have chosen the easy way. Stayed back home in Sweden - he had European challengers lined up. Defending the title in London, Hamburg, Rome and Copenhagen. He could have stayed champion for a long time.
But he chose the dollars, the return versus Patterson and he was knocked out. A career ending loss. But he ignored well intentioned advises for him to retire and took the dollars from the third fight against Patterson - an overweight Ingo close to regaining the title in the finale, flooring Patterson but getting stopped prematurely by the referee.
A very underrated thrilogi -
He was Swedish and Americans renember him as the man who earned his title-challenge by upsetting no. 1 challenger Eddie Machen on KO1 and then took the Championship in an upset by KOing Floyd Patterson in 3.
What an achievement !
Had it been a Californian collegeboy like Jerry Quarry in stead of the Swede, Quarry would´ve been praised as the best since Dempsey. No talk of an upset !
Ingemar Johanson lost 2 fights out of 28. In his 22. fight he became the champion of the world. It is called an upset. It was not. It was a surprice for those who ignored his record of his 21 victories going in to the fight.
Ingo was a Winner - never a guy figured to lose.
No World Heavyweight champion has ever enjoyed beeing a champion as much as Ingo did. For him it was an adventure and a step in to a comfortable life without worries.
On his day at his best shape, Ingo and his Thors Hammer could´ve surpriced any of the great champions.

 

The first man to recapture the heavyweight title.

 

Greetings janitor! I'd forgotten about that stat.
Let's see...top 10 end of year ranking in the HW division.
Correct me if I'm wrong-55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69 inactive, 71,72? 17years? That's saying a lot.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RR89B4kcOM

Simply the best.