That sounds VERY reasonable and I am glad that you included Lewis in there. People tend to underestimate Mr. Lewis' skilled size. I personally rank Ali # 1, but Lennox and Larry are up there, no doubt about it.
Head to head, Joe Louis would have been beaten by MANY heavyweights in the history of boxing. He had next to no foot movement, NO head movement and a bit of a shaky chin, though he recovered fast. He had an amazing career, but his opposition enabled him to be the long reigning champion that he was. Oh yeah, and his punching power. No doubt Joe Louis was a great fighter, but people tend to overrate him based on his great accomplishments. When I see Joe Louis on some people's top ten pound for pound lists, I have to shake my head.
Kind of a pointless thread really since you can only judge a fighter by his acheivements in his own era. And by this measure there really is no higher achiever than Ali. If he had faced Tyson in their prime what would have happended? ............... I suspect Ali would have found a way to win, that was what made him so good, he always found a way to beat his opponent. Fact is we will never know. :good
Others have said it, but for me it has to be Lennox Lewis. Not just because he's a 3 time world champion, has a great record and was very skilled with good punching power, but the size advantage he would have had over other ATGs would have been too much to overcome.
i guess you didnt see the part of my post where i said (in his prime and on his night) which it clearly wasnt when he fought douglas
Ali always found a way to win. Holmes was very similar in style. Tyson though dangerous was not mentally tough and found a way to lose a tough fight where as Ali did not. Hard for me to see Tyson beat Ali. He beat Foreman and Frazier and that was post exile. He embarrassed Liston and Patterson. He took punches From Lyle Shavers and Quarry. Ali to me hands down. Lennox Evander and Bowe in their primes were also very complete fighters.
Foreman doesn't make it for the same reason inversed that Frazier doesn't make it. Frazier would beat all boxers and lose to many punchers. Foreman would beat most punchers but lose to many boxers. He was thrashed by Ali in his absolute prime and out-boxed by Jimmy Yong - by distance - just past it.