Some do rate Maricano over Louis, just like some rate Tunney over Dempsey. The point is, MORE times than not, if somebody has already beaten somebody else numerous times, they don't keep fighting. That is just a fact. Nobody is saying it never happened, but it doesn't happen NEARLY as often as the inverse i.e. they simply don't fight again. Even the fights you listed, Johnson fought some of them more than the ones you listed. He had no reason to fight them again. Maybe Langford, cause he only fought him once, and he was the most deserving, the others, no way. None of the HOFers were prime when Jeffries beat them. Not one. He didn't beat a single one when he was in his prime. You have peter Jackson above Johnson, tell me the wins he has that places him that far above Johnson? So Jeffries being old for Johnson doesn't count for much, but Jeffries beating an old Corbett and Fitz basically makes him in your top 5. That is a blatant double standard. If wins against Corbett and Fitz could for so much, then Johnson dominating and destroying and Older Jeffries should could the same. What's worse, Johnson destroyed Jeffries much worse than Jeffries did to his best foes.
Combinations of attributes. As examples Ali's overall physical advantages and skill set as well as his career achievements make him No 1. Tunney although a short stay at hwt IMO was hwt boxings greatest technical champion. Louis technical skills surpass every other champion and his stay as champion unparalleled. He is only No 2 because Ali had the speed and durability to beat him. Etc.
Ali Louis Dempsey Holmes Marciano Liston Holyfield Foreman Lewis Tyson The first 3 are interchangeable I call them the "ultra" heavyweights. I think that at there best they beat everyone else in boxing history. Marciano and Holmes are interchangeable also. Foreman would have a chance at beating Marciano. Everyone else is concrete. Surprised Dempsey isn't in that many people's top 10 especially if they have Marciano in there. Then again what can you expect, he gets mostly hate on here anyway.
My ratings are h2h. For me Sonny in his prime was an absolute beast and coming up short to Ali doesn't change that. His ability to cut off the ring, finish an opponent and his incredible jab make him a match for anyone.
Sub 200 (Classic HW) Rank First Last 1 Jack Dempsey 2 Rocky Marciano 3 Evander Holyfield 4 Jersey Joe Walcott 5 Floyd Patterson
1 Muhammad Ali 2 Joe Louis 3 Lennox Lewis 4 Larry Holmes 5 Rocky Marciano 6 Mike Tyson 7 Riddick Bowe - Evander Holyfield 9 Joe Frazier 10 Deontay Wilder 11 Sonny Liston 12 George Foreman 13 Buster Douglas 14 Tim Witherspoon 15 Burt Biggs
1.Joey Louis 2.Ali 3.Larry Holmes 4.George Foreman 5.Rocky Marciano 6.Vander Hollafeld 7.Mike Tyson 8.Lennox Lewis 9. Joe Frazier 10. Riddick Bowe 11. Jack Dempsey 12. Jack Johnson 13. Jersey Joe 14.Sonny Liston 15.Gene Tunny 16. Max Scemling 17. Ezzard Charles 18. Tyson Fury 19. Patterson 20.Ken Norton 21.Tommy Morrison 22. Jerry Quarry
As of this very second... 1) Louis 2) Ali 3) Lewis 4) Tyson 5) Holmes 6) Waldo 7) Marciano 8) Evan Fields 9) Frazier 10)Jack Johnson
It's odd cause I think Sonnys lack of footwork and movement to cut of the ring waa a big negative for me... you have it as a positive... just goes to show you how opinions can vary seeing the same tapes lol
1. Joe Louis 2. Muhammad Ali 3. George Foreman 4. Evander Holyfield 5. Larry Holmes 6. Jack Johnson 7. Mike Tyson 8. Joe Frazier 9. Rocky Marciano 10. Lennox Lewis 11. Sonny Liston 12. Jack Dempsey
Tunney has no goddamned business on a Top Ten or even Top Twenty heavyweight list. He beat NO ONE in the division aside from a rusty, old, wrung out, softened Dempsey, who himself was only debatably worth a sh8t.