The Greats: Larry Holmes Mike Tyson Evander Holyfield Lennox Lewis Wladimir Klitschko The Borderline: Riddick Bowe Vitali Klitschko The Near Men: Mike Weaver Tim Witherspoon Pinklon Thomas Michael Moorer Chris Byrd John Ruiz Hasim Rahman
Going by whom could beat whom: 1-Lewis 2-V. Klitschko 3-W. Klitschko 4- Holmes 5-Tyson 6-Holyfield 7-Bowe 8-Corrie Sanders (yup you read right) 9-Tua 10- Moorer / Cooney (tied)
Yeah, Byrd and Ruiz weren't the best per se, but their resume is what I'm looking at here. Byrd over Vitali, Tua, old Holyfield, draw w/ Golota, a tiny bit better than a few others. Personally I couldn't stand Ruiz, but he has a solid resume on paper. Holyfield, Kirk Johnson, Rahman, Golota...hard to see anyone else off the top of my head better than this. Dokes? Tucker? Douglas? All 3 mentioned whips Byrd and Ruiz. But their resumes pale I think. Maybe Tubbs up there? Who do you think belongs in their place?
I wonder if McCall realises that he made himself an enormous pain in the arse for a bunch of Internet historians who are trying to rate people. To be perfectly honest, that punch was kind of a dick move, in retrospect. He should've known better. Granted, the Internet wasn't what it is now but have a little foresight, man. Come on. Manners.
I've been thinking about this and your right that he should be higher. It think you and Magoo are right that he is neck-and-neck with Ruddock.
01 - Lennox Lewis 02 - Larry Holmes ------------------------ 03 - Evander Holyfield 04 - Mike Tyson --------------------------- 05 - Wladimir Klitschko ---------------------------- 06 - Vitali Klitchko 07 - Riddick Bowe ---------------------------- 08 - Tim Witherspoon 09 - Chris Byrd 10 - Pinklon Thomas 11 - Michael Moorer ----------------------------- 12 - James Douglas 13 - Ray Mercer 14 - Oliver McCall 15 - Razor Ruddock 16 - Trevor Berbick 17 - Hasim Rahman 18 - Mike Spinks 19 - David Tua 20 - Mike Weaver 21 - John Ruiz 22 - Tony Tucker 23 - Michael Dokes 24 - Gerry Cooney 25 - Corey Sanders? 26 - Lamon Brewster? 27 - Greg Page? 28 - Ike Ibeabuchi? 29 - Ruslan Chagaev? 30 - Tommy Morrison? 31 - Bonecrusher Smith
I have no clear ideas. It does get a bit wishy-washy past the first nine or ten. I'd be tempted to throw M.Spinks or old Foreman in there, just because they legends.
1. Holmes 2. Holyfield 3. Tyson 4. Lewis 5. V. Klitschko 6. W. Klitschko 7. Bowe 8. Foreman (old Foreman) Some other decent Heavyweights- Ibeabuchi, Byrd, Tua, Moorer, Witherspoon, McCall, Rahman, Bruno, Toney, Maskaev and some others.
Out of interest if your ( not you in particular ) grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe the late 19th / early 20th century, and your parents and you were born in America, does that make you American or say Russian, Polish, or whatever?