Give me anyone's list and there will be things I disagree with...but this is a really really solid list. The one key point is I think Louis is too high.
My only real qualms are Chavez and especially Pacquiao being too high. I also think Ortiz is too low and don't get the 20 place seperation between Canzoneri and McLarnin.
The guy was 26-1 in fights for the undisputed title. No one beats this. Few even come close. That's one hell of a reason to have him in top 10.
Seems most feel I should have Fitz and McLarnin higher with maybe Chavez lower. I rate Louis as my number heavyweight which is why he is so highly ranked.
Chavez is way to high. He doesn't deserve criticism for fighting 60 cabdrivers, but he doesn't deserve a top 25 place either. Top 40 sounds good. Pacquiao is way to high. You're going to have to lift him into the top 20 if he wins this Saturday in his toughest ever battle. Top 50, Top 40 if he wins. Joe Louis. I wouldn't have him above Muhammad Ali or in the top 10, but I don't object to that as much as I do the placings of Chavez, Pacquiao, and Jones. If Jones Jr is 32 then Spinks should be 28-29.
You say that as if there's a written out definitive top 100 P4P list in existence. It's all opinion, Riko. Some people put a lot more stock in Jones making B levels look like C levels than I do. I look at the best fighters each of them defeated, and the Holmes victory is more impressive than anything on Jones resume. Sure, Holmes wasn't at his best, but he was significantly bigger than Spinks, undefeated, and all of those factors kind of nullify the fact Larry wasn't prime. Sure, Jones spanned more divisions, but the work Spinks got done at LHW is infinitely more impressive than Jones beating Tarver and Gonzalez.
I actually think the value of title defenses at HW needs to be re-emphasized. The undisputed HW title is THE richest prize in sports. Win it and you're life changes for ever. Hell, you become immortal. There's nothing like it. Ingo won it, never succcesfully defended it. Bjorn Borg won five consecutive Wimbledons. Guess which achievement is counted the greater here in Sweden? So, when one gets a shot at this prize, especially if it's against a legendary champion, they will put EVERYTHING in the attempt. Mediocre fighters can become absolute killers for this one night. Louis staved off 25 such nights. That is really something. All those guys went for the ultimate glory in sports and got **** all (well, Walcott might have a say here). This should really take a man into top 10.
So, in your view Bojak, would it be better for a Light Heavyweight to win the HW title from an undefeated all-time great and defend it three times, or for a former Middleweight to move up and beat John Ruiz in one outting?
I think I know what you're getting at.:smoke Spinks achievement was great. Holmes was aging, but still a very good fighters. It wasn't the undisputed title, but it was the lineal one. On the other hand most think that Spinks really lost the rematch and the other two defenses wasn't much. Jones wasn't hardly even a natural LHW and he beat Ruiz easily. However, Ruiz wasn't even as good as 35-year old Holmes, it was only a belt and he was taylor made for Jones. If you believe Spinks deserved winning the rematch his achievement was greater, no doubt. But if you believe Holmes clearly won it than it becomes more muddled. But I'll go for Spinks anyway, I think.
I think the first win was legitimate, and that alone is way more impressive than beating John Ruiz. Likewise, I don't think Jones would stop cooney inside 5 rounds either.
That explains why a guy like Cockell, who gets ko for ten counts more often than not, had a iron chin when the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE was on the line. That heavyweight title must have magic powers or something.