Top 10 white heavyweights

Dempsey
Wlad
Vitali
Jeffries
Tunney
Marciano
Fitzsimmons
Baer M
Schmeling
Sharkey J

 

in historical stature and achievement

1-----Rocky Marciano
2-----Wlad Klitschko
3-----Jim Jeffries
4-----Jack Dempsey
5-----Max Schmeling
6-----Vitali Klitschko
7-----Bob Fitzsimmons
8-----Gene Tunney*
9-----Max Baer
10----Jack Sharkey

*I would rate Tunney in the top echelon of white light-heavies along with Fitz, Conn, and possibly Greb. His resume at heavy is rather thin so I rated him down a bit, but I am conflicted about where to rate him at heavy.

Vitali lost to the only two really top men he fought, but I would favor him over all the others head to head.

 

It's a pity Fury imploded, as he would have made a very interesting addition to this debate.

 

The White Buffalo getting no love here.

 

Hm, I always think to belong on any of those lists you either need to have been THE champ or must have been illegitimately locked out of championship fights (like Wills). So, the list of potentials is actually quite short: John L., Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, Hart, Burns, Willard, Dempsey, Tunney, Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Marciano, Wlad.

Of those 5 were seen by their peers as the dominant forces who truly defined an era: Sullivan, Jeffries, Dempsey, Marciano, Wlad. IMO Wlad should be no 1, Dempsey and Marciano interchangable behind him. Jeffries, then Sullivan.

Afterwards, it's a bit more diffucultbut IMO Schmeling was the most accomplished of the rest. After this maybe Fitzsimmons and Corbett, both beat quite a number of recognized competition of the time (Corbett especially with so few fights) and only lost to Jeffries and Tom Sharkey in their primes. Then probably Baer and Sharkey, both beat numerous competition but were inconsistent and also lost to some not so good ones - wonder why they never fought and how that would have played out.

So, the result:
1. Wlad,
2. Dempsey
2. Marciano
4. Jeffries
5. Sullivan
6. Schmeling
7. Fitzsimmons
8. Corbett
9. Baer
0. Sharkey

Vitali is a dark horse. He never was THE champ but for a while he was the best hw around. If you wanna count him I guess around 8/9 and Sharkey dropping out. He has a decent resume but lost to the best guys he fought, so, I'm not sure you can rank him any higher.

 

I have a soft spot for Botha and think he tends to get a bit overlooked, but no way should he ever be considered a top class HW. Very good second tier guy though.

 

Defending joe louis and enlighting some fool about joe louis dosent make me an alt bub.

 

Wlad had a great run as champion. You must be a huge fan.

 

The correct answer to my post is "Who is Dino and what is an alt?"

 

Wlad really had the longevity down pat. Always came to fight in terrific shape and was a gentleman. Only outright scummy thing I ever saw him do was throw that hilariously blatant (and ineffective) headbutt at Fury out of frustration. Over a whole career, that's pretty good. Who wouldn't be a fan?

 

Alexander Zolkin deserves a mention.

 

Ranked in order of classic section man-crushes:

Marciano
Dempsey
Baer
Corbett
Tunney
Galento
and 4 of the following (Jeffries, Fitzsimmons, Sullivan, Loughran, Willard)

 

F O!