Top 15 Greatest Heavyweights In History (Please Participate)

That's usually the way it is. One way around it would be to make multiple lists in various categories with a certain amount of weighting and then combine them at the end. So one might have a top 10 or top 15 of the following categories and then combine them at the end.

For example

1. Quality of opposition (25%)

2. # of title defenses (20%)

3. Longivity (ie how long in the top 10) (15%)

4. Win/Loss Record (15%)

5. H2H guestimate (15%)

6. Intangibles (heart, coming back from knock downs, defeats etc) 5%

7. Notable achievements (ie Marciano undefeated) 5%

You could probably combine the last two together, but you get the point.

Monte Cox did something similar in his rating scheme.

 

I base those list mostly on resume, longevity, dominance and achievements. I don't rate h2h, ability or intangibles because I think those are either too hard to compare or too much speculation. That's why I rate them in tiers and not in a list.

 

Ali
Louis
Holmes
Foreman
Lewis
Frazier
Marciano
Holyfield
Jeffries
Johnson
Liston
Tyson
Dempsey
Tunney
Patterson
V. Klitschko

 

James Douglas
David Tua
Oliver McCall
Ike Ibeabuchi
Vitaly Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
and Chris Byrd would be uncomfortable being ranked that high.

Uncomfortable to the point of embarrassment.

Listen if you're new to boxing take time to learn about the sport because I'm not sure if this list is a joke or you're being serious.

 

It's Frankie. He's just a crazy man.

 

Was that supposed to be an insult? Because we just found out you still live with your mum and you discuss different types of **** with her.

 

1. Louis
2. Ali
3. Holmes
4. Marciano
5. Foreman
6. Lewis
7. Frazier
8. Dempsey
9. Johnson
10. Jeffries
11. Holyfield
12. Liston
13. Tyson

 

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Larry Holmes
5. Lennox Lewis
6. Jack Johnson
7. George Foreman
8. Joe Frazier
9. Jack Dempsey
10. Sonny Liston
11. Evander Holyfield
12. Mike Tyson
13. Ezzard Charles
14. Floyd Patterson
15. Jim Jeffries

 

I hope this wasn't a serious argument.

Past it, faded, what's the difference? Holyfield wasnt in his prime when he met Lewis.

Top contenders my ass. Rahman and McCall were both complete no-hopers for a heavyweight strap that mattered.

More consistent and dominant? Holyfield lost three times in his prime days, and Lewis lost twice. The difference was that Holyfields losses came against Riddick Bowe and Michael Moorer, whereas Lewis lost to two much lesser guys and in much more crushing manner. And if it is worth anything, Holyfield also avenged his losses against those guys.

In terms of quality of opposition in the heavyweights Holyfield has a prime Riddick Bowe x3, a fresher version of Mike Tyson (x2) than the one Lennox faced, Michael Moorer x2, Buster Douglas who was coming on straight from the Tyson victory, Larry Holmes who was coming on straight from a victory over Ray Mercer, George Foreman, Ray Mercer, a prime Lennox Lewis twice.

Lennox has David Tua, Andrew Golota, Henry Akinwade, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer, a faded but still very game Evander Holyfield twice, Mike Tyson of 2003, and Vitali Klitschko.

Holyfields record and quality of opposition is better in my opinion.

 

1.louis
2.ali
3.marciano
4dempsey
5holmes
6johnson
7lennox lewis
8hollyfield
9foreman
10tyson
11 baer
12jeffries
13 schmeling
14liston
15charles

and here is how i rate the rest, i feel that the level outside 20 is more of a gulf but between 10-18 is very close.:

16 walcott
17 patterson
18frazier
19ingo johanason
20primo carnera
21buster douglas
22gene tunney
23bowe
24 willard
25 sharkey
26 rahman
27 tommy burns
28 moorer
29 mike spinks
30 braddock
31` leon spinks
32 shannon briggs
ive posted my whole list here. hope you like it.

 

yes, thats a fair way to decide but many fans will decide an unfamiliar opponent is "weak oposition" without knowing all the history of the division. tommy gibbons, roscoe toles, johny risco, carl morris, joe baksi could be dismissed out of hand. longivity could also mean that an era with an old guy on top is weak.
personaly a champ must dominate the era he is in. thats all he can do. great champs show domination in key fights, a guy squeaking through on points is not as good as the champ who nails a good champ to the floor to get his title. likewise there is no shame in an old champ losing a title on points to lesser champs or even going down fighting so long as he is past his best AT THAT TIME.
head to head is a house wifes bet. remember ali was 7-1 underdog to liston?
i prefere to rate a champ on his record as a champ and count those who defeat more linesr champs by KO highest. its the fairest way, otherwise its speculation.

 

my thoughts exactly.

 

maybe about james douglas you're right. still he beat mccall and stopped tyson. and has some more worthy wins.
mccall has some embarassing losses but so does almost everyone , and they were decisions. ibeabuchi could be claimed to be not proven enough but still had a close affair with tua and stopped byrd , both in their prime.
byrd has an impressing list of wins over much bigger and physically superior opposition which must even gain him P4P status. why greb is considerred ATG and byrd not ? and greb never even faced langford. byrd faced one of the fiercest oppositions any fighter ever faced. and HW was never even his place.
about tua and the klitschkos (especially vitali) i'd say that you are the one who should study before he comments.

 

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Evander Holyfield
6. Jack Johnson
7. Larry Holmes
8. George Foreman
9. Joe Frazier
10. Lennox Lewis
11. Vitali Klitschko
12. Mike Tyson
13. Sonny Liston
14. Gene Tunney
15. Wladimir Klitschko

 

1. Muhamad Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Larry Holmes
4.George Foreman
5.Evander Holyfield
6.Mike Tyson
7.Jack Johnson
8.Rocky Marciano
9.Joe Fraizer
10.Lennox Lewis
11.Sonny Liston
12.Gene Tunney
13.Jack Dempsey
14.Riddick Bowe My opinion he beats Lewis in a HTH matchup,but I cant rate him higher based on resume.
15.Ezzard Charles- Jersey Joe Walcott