These fellas were not top 100 all-time Hwts.

I would say Bruno belongs.
Williams beat whom? Just one top 10 person.
McCarty died young.
Braddock lost too often
Layne was DOA in big fights
Henry at his best was very good, but did he do enough? Maybe top 85-100
Ruhlin beat some name guys, and drew with name guys. Maybe top 85-100
Buddy Bear? Not likely.
Bugner? Maybe top 85-100
Valdez? Lost too often

After the top 60 or so, there are cases can be made for 100 men!

 

Layne and Braddock are the best listed.

 

I think that Braddock would simply have to make the cut, based on winning the lineal title, and having any sort of world class wins outside that.

Rex Layne is in the select group of contenders, who have defeated two lineal heavyweight champions, so I think he has to fit somwhere.

Gus Ruhlin was undoubtedly one of the top contenders of his era, and you can make a case for him being as good as Tom Sharkey.

Beyond that I will not throw my toys out of the pram.

 

Many years ago ( around 2006-2007 ) I came out with a top 100 list with tons of data on it. The list is a mix of accomplishments and head to head match ups.

I would change a few things now.. At any rate here's how I saw #$50-100. If nothing else it can be used to make sure you did not forget anyone!

The names in green were younger active fighters that had not done enough to rate, but I thought had the ability to rate once their career is over.


#50 P Thomas
M Dokes
R Mercer
F Bruno
T Morrison
C Sanders
R Ruddock
J Smith
Clev Williams
#60 T Berbick
T Gibbons
Z Folley
G Cooney
P Carnera
G. Godfrey
H Griffin
B Douglas
J Willard
A Moore
#70 T Burns
J Ruiz* Active
J Bivins
T Loughran
B Miske
G Page
J Choynski
J Ellis
M Hart
Gunboat Smith
#80 E Machen
G Coetzee
B Pastor
L Fripo
E Ray
K. Johnson
M Weaver
L Donald
G Ruhlin
F Slavin
#90 F Fulton
O Maskev
J Clark
J. Goddard
H Aikenwande
J Bugner
C Henry
H Hide
P Maher
D Williams
B. Bear
#100 M Dooley

This content is protected

 

Marion Wilson, Orlin Norris, Mark Wills, Dee Collier, Mike White, Chris Byrd, Mike Hunter, Andrezj Golotta, Michael Grant, Lance Whitaker, Kirk Johnson, Larry Donald, Dominick Guinn, Joe Mesi, Oleg Maskaev, Hasim Rahman, Lee Q Murray, David Bey, Renaldo Snipes, Trevor Berbick, Jose Ribalta, Mitchel Green, James Tillis, Jesse Ferguson


r ol lox

I wud hev Joe Hipp, Everrett Martin, Garing Lane, Brian Nielsen & Dicky Ryan in.
I woz surpraizd 2c Nielsen stoping e gud end considerably yanger Jeremy Williams.

And u probably even managed 2 leave Lamon Brewster, Jameel McCline, Ross Puritty out. Et list 1 of dem.

smoler HWs demanding considereishen r Gregorio Peralta , James Bivins end Bert Cooper.

Nosing 2 irli ebaut inkluding Haye & Ibragimov.

Stil i left meny aut

End i so Bugner menshend ez tafer dan Bruno.
Bugner shurly wud hev lasted longer faiting egeinst e praim Tyson.

 

Just on Layne

"Layne was DOA in big fights."

With wins over two champions? Also Satterfield. And the LaStarza fight was a dead even affair which went by split decision to LaStarza, but the UPI voted for Layne, and the AP voted a tie. Not a bad performance. Layne was a sloppy trainer who gave some flat performances when he was not in the best of shape, but few of the others on these lists did as well against top competition until he began going back.

"Rex Layne is in the select group of contenders who have defeated two lineal heavyweight champions."

And the even more select company of those who beat two champions who were at the top of their game. Take Schaaf by contrast. He beat a green Baer and a Braddock moving up into the heavyweight division, but my guess was neither was even rated at heavy when he fought them.

*On the list posted, Layne is rated way down at #27 because he "lost to a lot of no-name fighters."

Well, how no-name were they? Here they are with the highest rankings attained.

Marciano (1)--heavyweight champion
Charles (2)--heavyweight champion
Pastrano(1)--light-heavyweight champion
Harry Matthews(1)--#1 light-heavy contender, #5 heavy contender
Roland LaStarza(1)--#1 heavyweight contender
Hurricane Jackson(2)--#1 heavyweight contender
Bob Baker(3)--#2 heavyweight contender
Heinz Neuhaus(1)--#4 heavyweight contender
Earl Walls(2)--#5 heavyweight contender
Dave Whitlock(1)--#7 light heavyweight contender

That's 15 of his 17 defeats and mostly men at the peak of their careers.

The other two. Well, Willie James was a promising young fighter, but his career didn't ever take off and he lost interest after killing Ed Sanders in the ring. I guess he could be called a no-name. Hans Friedrich lost to Layne when Layne was younger but beat him in his last fight. Certainly could be called a no-name, but did beat Franco Cavicchi who was once European champion.

 

Braddock has to be on a top 100 list for me. The poorest lineal heavyweight champ is still a lineal heavyweight champ. If you're writing the history of the division, he might not have a whole chapter dedicated to him, but he can't be ignored.

 

Layne should make the cut. Elmer Ray is tricky he has the long win streak and the high KO percentage but his win over Charles was a gift and he lacks big names. Turkey Thompson would probably miss the cut.

I would still put Schaaf far above Layne. Baer was 24-3 when they first fought and he defeated Schaaf in the second fight 17 fights later in his career by a majority deciscion so he was a tough out even if the bell saved him in the final round. Schaaf also has quality wins over Young Stribling a hall of famer, 2 over tommy Loughran another hall of famer, paulino Uzcudun, tony Galento, unknown Winston, dynamite Jackson, Jim Maloney and several other contenders. He could be argued for latter half of top 50.

 

This is from Christ Pontius' list.

This was made in 2008.

 

Even in 2008, it was ridiculous to leave the Klitschko's off of a top 100 list.

I wonder if unifying the titles and having one of the longest reigns in history since then was enough to bump Wlad above Turkey Thompson for him.

 

I would move Danny Williams out for sure.