Joe Frazier?

Although Smokin' Joe is my favorite HW in the History of the division, I don't have him in my top 10 list. I have him in my top 15.
A true ATG, a legend and an inspiration for so many. It's one of those fighters that doesn't really matter how one rank him, cause one will always brought his name in a decent conversation about HW boxing.

 

I think sometimes too much gets looked into the order of a top 10 heavyweight, or even those from 10-20.

What I do know is Joe Frazier was a relentless, exceptional ATG fighter.

He was a wrecking machine. Legend

 

Top ten. I don't have a definite top ten, but I can only think of 6 heavyweights (Ali, Louis, Lewis, Holmes, Foreman, and Marciano) that I would 100% rank above him though I probably would rank one or two more ahead.

While I do think the FOTC victory was one of the greatest in history, I think I'd rate it lower than some other people. I think it's better to use it as a H2H perspective for how much of a nightmare Frazier would be for most fighters. I don't discredit him at all for any of his losses either and I don't think anyone else should.

His acts of courage and attempted but failed defiance against Foreman and Ali are among the most remembered in boxing history. He wasn't truly in his prime for any of the losses and was totally blind in one eye for Ali 3 and Foreman 2 if I remember correctly (and partially blind in that eye for the other two fights). Losing to the fifth or sixth greatest heavyweight of all time and a man who I consider to be the second greatest fighter of all time (behind Armstrong) is no where near a black mark on your legacy.

 

Frazier is top ten IMO, only Louis, Dempsey, Ali, Holmes, Marciano and Foreman are definitely ahead of him. He wasnt as dominant as Tyson, but he did more than Liston and never got dropped by a single shot like Lewis did twice. Almost no padding on his record hes one of my all time favs.

 

For me a great heavyweight during an insanely good period. Someone, who was for a long period with the help of much of the press, appallingly treated by Ali on a world stage. I think his peak years were his late 60s run and including the FOTC, that Frazier would have been hard work for most. Frazier's style meant he was likely to have a relatively short prime and he was a diminished fighter after that. That he did it all with eye problems is all the more remarkable. As has been mentioned he helped make the era what it was and head to head at his best he beats most who came before him and a good many after. Could be vulnerable to being hurt early sometimes. I think somewhere in the lower half of the top ten, but varies on where on any given day.

 

Low end of Top 10. I have said people here sometimes go overboard about him because they gravitate to his particular style, and I stand by that, but he was absolutely a mic drop no brainer ATG.

 

Winner fights 1992 Riddick Bowe?

 

Not arguing against it but I'm curious the reasoning for having Marciano over Frazier. Just curious since I'm seeing like 3 ppl stating that. Also noting, it is your list we all have different criterias so I keep reminding myself of that when I see them. It is never my intention to make ppl deviate from that I'm open to different perspectives that can b explained in detail.

 

I was thinking…how about making it an even 4. How about the 1988 Tyson that obliterated Tony Tubbs in 2 rounds in erm Tokyo!! Mike was unstoppable that night.
So we’d have Tokyo Tyson vs Tokyo Douglas! That sounds terribly familiar…

 

Can not have a top 10 without Smokin Joe in it

 

Ali > Foreman > Frazier

 

Douglas would have gotten murdered.

 

IMO Fergy, he has the best win in HW boxing history .

I have him 7 - 9, probably 7.

Very interesting.
We have similar lists, down to the back-and-forth over Lewis Foreman.

Clearly you are a very astute and incisive aficionado of the manly art !

My top ten at HW.
I have trouble wit the order within the colour groups. But at this point, tis is ow I ave them.


1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

This content is protected

This content is protected

This content is protected

10. Wladimir Klitsche

 

Very nice list...I have a lot of trouble putting Lewis and Foreman over Holmes, though. Just me, I love all of them.

 

I have Frazier winning a competitive fight against that fully focused and top of his game Douglas, but nah, nobody’s getting murdered