Come 2012: How Will The British Heavyweights Be Remembered?

This content is protected

1. Lennox Lewis WBC/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight Champion
2. Bob Fitzsimmons (3 Weight) Undisputed Heavyweight Champion
3. David Haye KOing Vitali
4. Audley Harrison KOing Wladimir, Guinn, Rogan, Sprott
5. Frank Bruno WBC Heavyweight Champion
6. Henry Akinwande WBO Heavyweight Champion
7. Herbie Hide WBO Heavyweight Champion
8. Henry Cooper European Heavyweight Champion
9. Matt Skelton European Heavyweight Champion
10. Danny Williams British Heavyweight Champion

 

I see what you did there :rasta

 

No one pissed off I left out Joe Bugner and Alex Stewart?

 

Nope.. But im pissed off you've mentioned Audley Harrison on here, he should just be fogotten about!

 

Skelton gets number 9 for being Euro champion?

 

By 2012...........

1. Lewis
2. Fitzsimmons
3. Cooper
4. Haye/Bruno
5. Haye/Bruno

None of your others worth a real mention, as much as I like Danny Williams.

 

Cooper sometimes gets underated when compared to Bruno/ Akinwande/ Hide etc for failing to win version of the world title but the option wasn't open to him. I wouldn't have him as a cert for number 3 (I think Bruno has enough good, world class wins to be considered) but theres def. a very good case for him being there.

 

I think the fact that Cooper was fighting for a non-fragmented title.... and always fought the best available regardless of whether he was getting splattered......

Had he not had the vulnerability to cuts he may have done much better.

Lets face it..... most (well, nearly all) of the guys that beat him were world class.

Bruno was a strange case. His resume isn't particularly good - certainly doesn't reflect his abilities..... giving Lewis a real fight, schooling James Smith, competing with Witherspoon and being the first to put Tyson in real danger..... yet he lost all of those fights!

 

Pretty sorry lists except for Lennox and Fitzsimmons, aren't they?

 

yup, its also a poor list IMHO but the guys I'd draft in from 3-10 wouldn't be a damn sight better TBH.

 

Who would make your list?

I can't say I've been well informed on the British heavyweights historically. Or well...heavyweights in general.

 

http://www.boxrec.com/ratings.php?country=UK&sex=m&division=Heavyweight&status=E&SUBMIT=Go

The top 10 seem about right actually.

 

I'd have Bruno as number 3 because im not convinced that Haye can beat either Klitschko .. Haye has to get it done early otherwise he'll be in for a long night eating the jabs, as Haye doesnt have any recogniseable head movement. He'll be giving away 2 stone and while i dislike the Klitschko's style, it is cautiously effective.
Bruno was a fantastic British heavyweight fighter, ok he was a little robotic and he didnt know what to do when he was hurt but he took on the best, lost a few but eventually got to the summit. Thats a great story.
I'd have Lewis, Fitzsimmons, Bruno .. Haye is an unknown and the rest are domestic/european level fighters.
Henry Cooper has made a living out of 1 punch against Ali, its the reason why he's a Sir and its the reason why he still appears on Tv all the time, i find it crazy that they always show that 1 shot but dont show the next round were Ali annihilated him or the 2nd Ali fight, howabout when Patterson or Johannson destroyed him .. I have the highest respect for all boxers but Henry Cooper being lionised because he threw 1 great shot against Ali is typical of our British need for heroes

 

Don Cockell got KO'd by Randy Turpin for christ sake :-(

 

As said, Cooper is way too low because Hide/ Akinwande won 'world titles'. Skelton hasn't achieved anything that Dunn, London, etc didn't. Theres no world beaters but after Lewis, Fitz, Cooper, Bruno and maybe Hide theres not a lot to pick from. The next best is probably Bugner and the people like Moir etc...