Lewis, Bruno, Butler, Maskaev. Supposing that Lance Whitaker and Henry Akinwande were no punchers. Surely they were no Jerry Quarry, but still.
I completely understand what you are saying. Yes--MCall had a better chin. However if you factor in recuperation powers and mental toughness, I would say Ali is harder to stop, which is very different that who is easiier to floor or hurt. Without a doubt, Ali fought better punchers, and had his chin tested more often by harder punchers who landed some of their best stuff.
I cant remember ever seeing McCall hurt. In the rematch with Lewis I remember him putting his arms down by his side and Lewis hitting him with a couple of clean shots... nothing! The dude could take it. V. Klitschko had a great chin. Never down, the closest man to drop him was Corrie Sanders who definately could swat... but he really didn't come all that close to dropping him. Mercer had a great chin. Holyfield dropped him (Mercer got rocked and took a knee) and later in his career he got dropped and even stopped a couple of times but at his best his chin was among the best ever. He took bombs from Morrison right on the chin and didn't go down. He was able to stop Morrison in the 5th round. He went toe to toe with Lewis for 10 rounds and didn't buckle. He also took solid shots from Cooper, Witherspoon, and others. Holyfield's chin was awesome. Took great shots from Qawi, Dokes, Stewart x2, Douglas, Foreman, Cooper (did have to use the ropes to keep from going all the way down, so that's a knockdown), Holmes, Bowe x3 (Bowe dropped him and stopped him but he took many of Bowe's shots just fine), Moorer x2, Mercer, Tyson x2, Lewis x2, Rahman, and others. Marion Wilson could take a shot. Ali had a jaw as well. That man took shots from Liston, Patterson, Bonavena Frazier x3, Norton x3, Foreman, Lyle, Shavers, and others. Sure, he was dropped a few times but he got right up. Marciano had a good chin. He was only down twice in 49 pro fights despite taking many shots right on the chin. Walcott dropped him early in their first fight and Moore dropped him early in their fight. He stopped Walcott in the 13th (1st round of their rematch) and he dropped Moore 5 times and stopped him in the 9th. Tua never seemed hurt in his prime. He was down once but it was very late in his career. He took many clean shots from Izon, Maskaev, Ibeabuchi, Rahman x2, Lewis, and others. Rahman dropped him with a shot after the bell to end their rematch (D12) and Barrett dropped him in their first fight (D12) (the only knockdown of his career).
Until his lifestyle and the fact that he had no defense took its toll, I'd put Randall "Tex" Cobb at least in the conversation for high honorable mention.
I don't see Ali having fought better punchers than McCall, and I don't see his chin being tested more often unless you want to make a Micky Ward of him as regards his defensive skills.
McCall signed the rematch contract while still hospitalized in a rehab institution for crack. IDK if he got the craze during their 2nd fight or not, but he did not get the necessary time and other conditions to train properly. Also, it is possible that he tried to tempt Lewis to stop fighting cautious and try to take him out and by doing this, leaving himself open, or maybe he tried to get himself angry enough to let it all out on Lewis. Maybe he just got paid before the fight in order to throw it. Cowardice is not the reason.
It looked very strange when I first saw it on video. It looked like he had a serious emotional breakdown
You really think McCall fought better punchers? I can't agree. Lewis, Maskeav, and Bruno were the best puncher's McCall fought. However, Maskeav was out in 1 round, and Lewis in 2. Oliver didn't have his chin tested in these two fights. McCall opted out early vs. Lewis in the re-match, which leaves Bruno as the lone 8+ round fight where he took heavy leather. Ali fought Shavers, Foreman, Frazier, and Lyle. Ali took heavy shots in these fights, far more than what McCall was hit with when he fought his punchers.
I wouldn't call it cowardly. I can't pretend to know the reason, other than he had a meltdown of some sort. Still one of the most bizarre moments I've ever seen in boxing.
The best I've seen are Chuvalo Mercer McCall Cobb Chuvalo and Mercer were the two most tested ... U basically can't get hit more or harder than Chuvalo did against a young Foreman .. every time I see the cop I'm amazed .. We all know Lewis hit about as hard as anyone and he dropped bombs on Mercer than were astonishing .. yes Ray took a knee v Evander and at 41 was dropped v.s. Wlad, another murderous hitter but Ray was astonishing .. the bombs he took v.s. Morrison early were huge as well .. Cobb walked through an older but still dangerous Shavers , Bernado Mercado who was a big hitter, laughed off Norton and Holmes who each hit him flush dozens of times but was not tested the same as the others .. McCall is legendary for almost never having been really hurt .. his sparring eosins w Tyson are legendary, he took Lewis best, took monster shots from Bruno who was also a huge hitter ... These guys stand out to me ..
Frazier had mediocre power. Lyle was a mediocre puncher that gets overrated because of his war with Foreman, he failed to KO close to half of his opponents. McCall fought plenty of super heavyweights who had a high Wins-KO ratio (at hw; as high or higher than Frazier's or Lyle's). He also had lots of sparrings with Tyson and reportedly was never down or close to going down in them. Ali was knocked down in sparrings.
He looked quite unstable before 1st Lewis fight which he won. He seemed the same way after the Maskaev fight which he also won. I either do not remember, or have not seen them so far, but I read that he seemed that way in other fights as well.
They pulled him out of crack house a day or two before the fightÂ… He was an addict with other related problems.
Glen McCory sparred many times with Tyson and was never put down by him, does that give him an ATG chin?