The best 3 heavyweights in boxing history...

Hard to take in how many votes there are for Lennox Lewis.Great fighter yes, but top 3? Not for me

 

Beat a bunch of tomato cans, a scared and past his prime Spinks and an old past his prime Holmes.

Tysons best pre-prison win IMO was Tony Tucker.

Match his resume with the resume of Lennox. He didn't beat Lennox or Holyfield and all were around the same age. Holyfield and Lewis had longer primes because they were better fighters.

 

Holyfield and Lewis had longer primes because they didn't spend 3 prime years in prison nor did they have the mental health issues that tyson had. But in the end, it's hard to argue hypotheticals. We'll never know how much better Tyson could have been.

 

Yeah looking back i dont think it was even possible to keep tyson on the straight and narrow for a whole career...even with cus.

But i dont really see anyone stopping him if he did manage it.

I think people underplay him now....but he stood out. They we,re training the guy harder than any professional from about 14 years old...with one goal in mind. The situation was almost perfect to create a heavyweight champion.

 

In terms of longetivity....theres no arguments they both achieved more. But in terms of who could have been better and who was better for a period of time. I,d say tyson...by a good way as well. Theres a reason they all hyped tyson more than lewis and holyfield. They never got it wrong...its just that he started training like an amatuer with drink and drug problems. It basically finished the fighter he could have been.

Think from the whole thing tyson lasting as long as he did....kind of showed how good a job cus done with him. He shouldnt have been beaten anyone after a certain point...the guy wasnt training properly for years. Thats on mike....no ones making excuses on his behalf. Just explains why he never remained the fighter he once was for long.

 

I rate Tyson a little bit higher than Lewis.

 

Missing Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano.

 

Basically what other guys have already said. Louis, and Ali. And the 3rd one you can make your pick.

Marciano, frasier, foreman, liston, wladimir... I like a lot charles "sonny" liston, nobody loved him, so I have a weak spot on him, imho liston is underrated. But nobody (apart from louis) has been 11 years in a row champion of the world, so I think that the third spot belongs to wladimir, even if I feel more simpathy for other fighters (I like a lot wlad too, dont get me wrong).

 

Well apart of Louis, were only Hopkins and Calzaghe 10 years or more world champion in row. But that doesn't matter how long, if you don't defend the title, respective 1 - 2 times in a year (Lasker was 27 years world champion, but didn't do a title defence between 1910 and 1921, so nobody rate him over Fischer). Only the number of successful title defences are important and if you achieve this in less time, then it is even more impressive, as you are bussier. Therefore has Ottke the record of title-defences in Super-Middleweight, not Calzaghe, as he did always 4 per year and achieved it in 5 and a half years, instead of over 10 (the first was 1999 and 21th. March 2004, the other had his first 1998, but his last in November 2007).
Being long champion means nothing, when you havenot many fights, only shows that you are inactive/ lazy (as Fury and Ward are, with very little defences).

 

Being a long time champion means that you are not a matter of luck, nor something temporary, it means you are the real deal for truth. Even aging, you are still the best. Plus you prove to be the best of many generations of players.

Opening 1000 tomato cans in a row during X years period means ****. It's not only that you have to defend your title, you have to defend it vs somone, not vs a tomato can. Only one schmelling fight is worh more than the whole otke carrer (which was a ****ing joke, btw), not to talk about the 11 years (and 25 defenses) louis was a champion. Career wise, it's ridiculous to compare someone like otke with joe louis. Ridiculous. Have I said it's ridiculous? well, it is.

 

You didn't understand the point: if you win the title and doesn't defend it for 2 - 3 years, you might be regarded as long time champion, ala Ward and Fury.
Louis challengers were often used to be named bum of the month, so it was not always high quality, as Calzaghe had many poor challengers too and just improved at the end of his career his opposition (was a hometown boxer); there were Tucker Pudwills, Jimminezes, Evan Ashiras (that was even after Lacy), Peter Manfredos (dito), Branko Sobots and Mger Mkertchians among others. Until 2006 he would have been rated as a protected homeboxer who never showed what he is able to do against the best/ prove himself. There can Ottke a better opposition during their paralell reigns. Also had the first just the lower regarded WBO title (what was not much higher recognized than the WBU).

Who compard Sven Ottke with Joe Louis (I don't know any otke)? I only read this from you, you are the only one who did this.

 

2-3 years is a long term champion? really? since when?

Joe Louis fought "bums of the month", really? people like schmeling, jersey joe walcot or max baer look like bums of the month to you?

You said that the number of defenses were worth more, and you used bum of the month otke (yes, otke is not half the boxer max baer was, for instance. And only max baers is worth more than the whole oposition otke fought in his whole freaking life) not me. I assumed you were trying to compare them both, glad to know you were not, because it's ridiculous, joe louis is an ATG and sven otke is nobody.

Anyway, what am I doing talking with a guy saying that joe louis made his career by fighting "the bum of the month", man? I'm wasting my time. Good night sir.

 

Did you enter boxing last year? It is common sense that Louis' fought a bum of the month tournee and the newspapers were titled this. Ask any of the older routineers here, which are familar with boxing history. I don't like to waste my time with children...

It says more about you than anything else, that you only can name one opponent of Louis and can't spell the names correct, about you refer...

 

Otke. Esven Otke.

Though, it is properly spelled "BUM". Only max schmeling victory is worth 10 times more than the whole Esven Otke's, sorry, BUM's full career. Twice.

 

Current ranking

1- Ali
2-Louis
2- Lewis
3-Holmes
4-Foreman
4-Tyson
5-Wlad
6-Dempsey
7-Holyfield
8-Frazier

Why is sugar nik not on the poll? Ah I get it. What's the point.