The Top 20 Heavyweights of All Time!

20: Floyd Patterson
Why?: Was a very powerful puncher with great handspeed. He lost badly to the likes of Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali on more than one occassion, but has great wins over Ingo and others.

19: Max Schmeling
Why?: Overall a very excellent and great fighter, his status is improved because of his upset win over Joe Louis. A great, perfectly timed right hand that often connected with knockout power, and had a quite a chin as well.

18: Jersey Joe Walcott
Why?: This man was of the trickiest boxers and fighters out there? He was certainly not feather - fisted, and was generally known for amazing one punch knockouts that he magically pulled out of the hat. A truly great fighter.

17: Ezzard Charles
Why?: I feel that Charles gets quite overrated by some in heavyweight lists. His exploits at light - heavyweight are the stuff of the legend, but at heavyweight he just didn't cut it. He gave Rocky Marciano two very tough fights, and beat Jersey Joe Walcott a few times as well. A very slick fighter, but his resume isn't the best.

16: Wladimir Klitschko
Why?: You cannot deny Wladimir Klitschko's greatness. He has dominated the current heavyweight division for years! He also posesses legendary power and one of the greatest jabs of all time. He's a smart fighter, and almost every move he makes is perfect.

15: Riddick Bowe
Why?: Bowe's legacy gets marred for not fighting Lennox Lewis - and for often slacking off during training camps! But without a doubt, the Big Daddy on his best day was a force to be reckoned with, and also beat a prime Evander Holyfield in one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time! He posessed great infighting ability and a very good resume, but his potential was certainly wasted.

14: Gene Tunney
Why?: Head to head, I feel that the Fighting Marine is very capable of taking on anybody! He completely dominated Jack Dempsey on two occassions, and also beat Harry Greb four times! A true master class boxer.

13: Sonny Liston
Why?: Sonny Liston was one of the most intimidating and frightening heavyweights of all time. He possessed an absolutely beautiful jab and one of the most chockingly powerful right hands of all time! He badly lost to Muhammad Ali, but that is not something to be ashamed of. He fought many great heavyweight boxers, and most times fought the #1 contender. I feel that his best win was his first round destruction of Floyd Patterson when he challened him for the heavyweight title.

12: Jim Jefferies
Why?: Jim Jefferies only lost once in his long career, to Jack Johnsnon when he was old and had just come back from a very long layoff. But he was certainly one of the toughest and most gritty boxers of all time! He often went 20+ rounds in hard fought contests, and knocked out the best of the best including the likes of Bob Fitzsimmons and Gentleman Jim Corbett.

11: Mike Tyson
Why?: Iron Mike Tyson's legacy is injured because of his losses to Buster Douglas, Kevin McBride, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis to name a few. He was a wild man, and this was often his downfall when he partied instead of training. But a prime, focused Mike Tyson would be a fight and a tough challenge for anybody! He went on a long unbeaten streak at the top, beating the absolute best of his era including the likes of Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Larry Holmes, Carl Williams, and other very capable and great heavyweights.

10: Jack Dempsey
Why?: The Manassa Mauler was one of the most ferocious and powerful heavyweights of all times. His absolute domination of Jess Willard and the war that he won against Luis Firpo were brutal, fast paced action fights. He had great speed, timing and accuracy with suprerb head movement and an animal like ferocity never before seen. A true legend, but perhaps is legacy is injured because of never fighting Harry Wills or Harry Greb, but certainly one of the greatest.

9: Joe Frazier
Why?: Smokin' Joe Frazier was a tough as nails, gritty boxer who liked to get up close on personal! He only lost four times, twice to Big George Foreman and The Louisville Lip Muhammad Ali, which is not that bad at all. He had one of the greatest left hooks in the business, and had a lot of courage and heart which was sometimes his downfall. He beat great heavyweights like Bob Foster, Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry, and one of the best in Muhammad Ali.

8: Evander Holyfield
Why?: Holyfield was a great combination puncher, with a steel chin and the ability to box and go to war! He has great wins over Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, and other amazing heavyweights of his era. Perhaps he sometimes fought the wrong fights, slugging when he should of boxed, and boxed when he should have slugged. But he had a warrior mentality, a lot of courage and some legendary wins.

7: Jack Johnson
Why?: The Galveston Giant was huge for his time, and often towered over his opponents. But he also the first ever black heavyweight champion of the world! He beat legends like Stanley Ketchel, Jim Jefferies, Tommy Burns and the like. He had catlike movements and reflexes, and a very underrated defense. He attacked people with powerful bombs and was one of the greatest of all time!

6: Lennox Lewis
Why?: Lewis completely dominated and cleaned out the division. The amount of boxers that he fought and beat is outstanding! He managed to take down Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, David Tua, Ray Mercer, Shannon Briggs, Tommy Morrison, Vitali Klitschko, among others. He fought like a very tall fighter and definitley had one of the greatest jabs of all time.

5: Rocky Marciano
Why?: My only problems with Marciano is the fact that the division he fought in was quite weak - but he still completely cleaned it out and dominated it! He has 49 fights, 49 wins, with 43 KO's which is an outstanding record. He beat Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Archie Moore, Joe Louis and Roland LaStarza. Of the five that I mentioned, three already feature on this list! Albeit they weren't young princes, but rather older veterans. But Marciano still beat him and nobody can discredit that.

4: George Foreman
Why?: Ah, good ol' Big George Foreman! Foreman destroyed Joe Frazier, who beat Muhammad Ali. Foreman also destroyed Ken Norton, who beat Muhammad Ali! Unfortunately for Big George, Muhammad Ali managed to outsmart him in the Rumble in the Jungle, but Foreman still beat legends of the heavyweight division such as Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Michael Moorer, and in my opinion he beat Shannon Briggs and was robbed! But he also became the oldest heavyweight champion of all time, and before Bernard Hopkins beat Jean Pascal, Foreman was THE oldest heavyweight champion of all time.

3: Larry Holmes
Why?: The Easton Assassin Larry Holmes gets vastly underrated by too many. The fact is, he had it all. He stood at 6'3, weighed in over 200 lbs in his prime, had an 82" arm reach, and had the greatest left jab of all time. It was sort of like a shotgun. He had mesmerising handspeed, an all time great chin, and above average power. Combine all those attributes with his will, fighting spirit, courage and just plain balls, you have the complete package! He beat a wide selection of heavyweight fighters and boxers, and was certainly one of the greatest.

2: Joe Louis
Why?: The Brown Bomber speaks for himself. He made an amazing 25 title defences! He dominated the division for a decade, and was never beaten in his prime! He had pinpoint accuracy, legendary power and blazing handspeed with the fastest heavyweight combinations of all time.

1: Muhammad Ali
Why?: Ali always fought beautiful fights, and beat everybody there was to beat in the greatest heavyweight era of all time. Enough said.

 

Bump

 

Who's reznick?

And thanks.

 

Thanks mate. :good
Do you feel that Liston is too low?

 

No, I don't rate H2H. If I did, though, Liston would be top 8 for sure.

 

When Marciano won the title, he defended it six times. An immediate rematch with Walcott, a rematch with LaStarza, a fight with Charles, a rematch with Charles, Cockell, and finally finishing up his career with a final win against Moore. :bbb

Prior to winning the championship, he faced: Harry Matthews, Bernie Reynolds, Lee Savold, and Rex Layne.

Harry Matthews: A skilled, but very limited veteran with a lot of fights. A tough challenge.

Bernie Reynolds: A tough and gritty boxer, a tough challenge.

Lee Savold: A very good win.

Rex Layne: A semi - great win.

Jersey Joe Walcott I: A great win, down on the cards after 13 rounds of boxing when he ended it all with a brutal looking straight right hand.

Jersey Joe Walcott II: Walcott merely tasted one of Marciano's right hands and gave up in the first round. He could of gotten up - but he just didn't want to. Not a very good win at all.

Ezzard Charles I: Charles was a bit old and over the hill, but a great win nonetheless.

Ezzard Charles II: Charles was well past it by now, but still a very good win.

Don Cockell: He was a contender from England. Alright win.

Archie Moore: Moore was in his 40's and was dominated, except in the first round where he managed to score a flash knockdown with one of his laser accurate straight right hands. A semi - great win.

This is good competition and some golden wins on there, but not on the level of the 70's, 90's, 60's, or 40's. :conf