Coming to a Consensus on the #3 Heavyweight Champion

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by The Undefeated Lachbuster, Dec 4, 2018.



Who deserves #3?

  1. Rocky Marciano

    8 vote(s)
    11.0%
  2. Lennox Lewis

    32 vote(s)
    43.8%
  3. Larry Holmes

    21 vote(s)
    28.8%
  4. George Foreman

    1 vote(s)
    1.4%
  5. Jack Johnson

    4 vote(s)
    5.5%
  6. Jack Dempsey

    3 vote(s)
    4.1%
  7. Evander Holyfield

    2 vote(s)
    2.7%
  8. Wladimir Klitschko

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Mike Tyson

    2 vote(s)
    2.7%
  1. The Undefeated Lachbuster

    The Undefeated Lachbuster I check this every now and then Full Member

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    I despise Larry Holmes and I still rank him 5th and find myself defending him alot lol

    I'm also surprised by the lack of votes for Foreman. I mean, does oldest heavyweight champion, and early KO wins over Frazier, Lyle, Chuvalo, Cooney and Norton mean nothing?

    I've noticed that my placement of Foreman at 4th isn't a common one
     
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  2. PhillyPhan69

    PhillyPhan69 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Foreman comes in 5-6 for me and 4 is defendable to me. I could probably see him 3-8 and not think it was bad.
     
  3. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    I thought I was being very harsh on him ranking him at 9. 16?
     
  4. PhillyPhan69

    PhillyPhan69 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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  5. Gazelle Punch

    Gazelle Punch Boxing Addict Full Member

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    LOVE Foreman he is my third favorite fighter but achievement wise comes just short IMO. Have him tied w Holmes for 5 but have zero problems w anyone who would put him 3!
     
  6. The Undefeated Lachbuster

    The Undefeated Lachbuster I check this every now and then Full Member

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    Foreman is one of my favorite fighters as well, I rank him and Louis as #2 and #3 respectively in my favorites list
     
  7. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    16!! Someone's smokin some serious s###
     
  8. Berlenbach

    Berlenbach Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Some people also look back on Holmes with rose tinted glasses. His title reign was padded with lots of defences against second raters, plus he never fought several top contenders or the other champs. He was also involved in a number of close fights where the decision could easily have gone the other way. Ranking him the third best heavy ever is very generous IMO. It is a tough call, but I'd give it to Lewis, who fought tougher comp than Holmes.
     
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  9. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    Lewis wasnt as good a fighter as Holmes in my book. Holmes prime may not have been exceptionally long but his skill level was on par with Louis in his prime yrs in my opinion. He was as good as it gets.
     
  10. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist Full Member

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    I voted for Lewis. He's got Vitali Klitschko, Holyfield, and a lot of decent heavy handed fighters on his resume, namely Ruddock.

    As time passes, I find Holmes' resume more boring and am irritated by the fights that didn't happen.
     
  11. cuchulain

    cuchulain VIP Member Full Member

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    I vacillate between Lewis and Foreman, but if I had to rank them, I'd put Lewis ever so slightly ahead.

    Same with 5 and 6 (Marciano and Holmes) and I put Rocky ahead by the proverbial blonde fanny-hair.

    7 - 8 - 9, I haven't sorted out definitively. It depends on the day. (Liston -Frazier-Tyson).

    And Wlad just cracks my top 10.
     
  12. FrankinDallas

    FrankinDallas Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I voted Dempsey because as explicitly stated this is not H2H. Dempsey was certainly the first media superstar in boxing when boxing was the second most important sport in the US and I speaking strictly US. This is the same reason Babe Ruth was the GREATEST baseball player and Wilt Chamberlain was the GREATEST basketball player and dominated the sports pages in the 20's and 30's. Both Ruth and Wilt changed the rules of their sports. So did Dempsey who certainly has to be considered the first modern HW champ, creating the dividing line between the "Classic" period and the "Modern" period.
     
  13. The Undefeated Lachbuster

    The Undefeated Lachbuster I check this every now and then Full Member

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    Actually, due to Dempsey's incredible popularity and the black sox scandal, Boxing was THE most popular sport, with Dempsey being, head and shoulders, more popular than Babe Ruth

    https://boxinghalloffame.com/dempsey-boxing-kos-babe-ruth-in-popularity/

    Still, your decision being purely off of fame/spectatcle is a unique one
     
  14. surfinghb

    surfinghb Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Heck if you can say that about Holmes' resume, I would hate to think what you have to say about Mayweather's resume. Sorry man, you set yourself up for that one :dancer2:… just having some fun .. Holmes is a top 5 guy for me
     
  15. The Undefeated Lachbuster

    The Undefeated Lachbuster I check this every now and then Full Member

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    Honestly, you'd think with Lennox Lewis dodging Foreman, young Tyson and Holyfield, Byrd, Ike, and never fighting Bowe, Moorer or Wlad (though Bowe dodged him), he'd pick someone else.
     
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