Sullivan Jeffries Johnson Dempsey Louis Marciano Liston Ali Frazier Foreman Holmes Tyson Holyfield Lewis Can he beat anybody?
I do guess that he's in the lower half head to head rather than the top half. On the other hand, he did plenty to prove that he belongs in this company. I would make him underdog against Jackson, Lewis, Tyson, Holmes, Ali, Liston and Louis. I think he might be bad news for Jeffries, Foreman and Marciano. The rest, I would have very close, or have gaps in my ability to guess. Sometimes unpicking the finer points is not easy.
Diplomaticaly, you did not mention Dempsey. In fact, I forbid further mention of Dempsey because I don't wan't to make this into another Dempsey Wills thread!
Dempsey-Dempsey-Dempsey. Phew, got that off my chest. Sorry Janitor, I felt a little rebellious today>
I would pick him over John L, but not sure I would over anyone else on the list although I think he is in all the fights!!
I'm not sure I can pick him to beat any off the list. I think he may be overated a bit because of his wins over Langford,who was giving him around 7/8 inches in height,and unless he was fat ,[which he often was], a lot of poundage too.
Here's what we do know ... Rickard and Kearns, Dempsey's top two advisors, wanted no part of Harry Wills ... they deemed him as too much of a risk for a prime Dempsey even thought Harry would be giving up seven years ...
J, I will not use the D word, but why did you omit Jack Sharkey, who licked an older Wills,and when good, was very GOOD ?
Probably because Sharkey isn't great, inspite of his outboxing both an older Dempsey and an older Wills.
in my opinion.... I would pick him over Marciano and Frazier........ That Wills (1918 ) could beat Marciano, he beat Langford by ko, who was better and more polished than Rocky on the inside game..... Against the swarming style I give the edge to Harry, stylistic advantage maybe, because by all accounts Wills had a very good jab....Frazier I´m not sure, because Joe was more fast and had better head movement and more relentless... Wills had enough power to stop a green Lewis....maybe I think he could beat Sullivan too.....
A prime Riddick Bowe could probably beat most Heavyweights of all time. Yes, that was off topic. I think Wills loses to all assuming all are in their primes.
I think he gets KO'd by Louis,Marciano,Frazier,Liston and Lewis and Tyson If he could outlast a young Foreman he has a chance..has a chance against Johnson and Jeffries but not a favorite. Ali,Holmes,Holyfeild decision him and I am not sure about John L. Sullivan, honestly do not know enough
Truly impossible to know without footage, he could be as average as Ruiz or as good as say Larry Holmes. If we didn't have any Ruiz footage he looks pretty good on paper - Holyfield, Rahman, Valuev (nearly winning), Golota, Kirk Johnson