Chuvalo has to be one of the best, because he got hit flush on it by Foreman,Frazier,Quarry, and was not dropped Ltheavy...Joey Maxim had a good one Middle....Jake Lamotta had the best(GRANITE)..Hagler had the 2nd best and Monzon
You're right. Chuvalo wasn't champ. I should've read more closely. I change my vote to McCall for HW. Stil a nod to Toney.
It's hard to judge chins at heavyweight. Even a guy with a great chin can get knocked down or even out by a good shot from a 200 pound guy. I'll say Muhammad Ali. Billy Conn at light-heavyweight. Jake LaMotta at middleweight. (Hagler and Monzon are good alternative choices)
Soruce? Corbett said Jeffries could not be hurt, not even with an ax. I doubt he dropped him in sparring. Fitz and Sharkey hit a ton, in 50+ rounds, they did not come close to scoring a knockdown.
Dropping a guy and hurting him are two different things. I've read that Jeffries started sparring with Corbett when he was almost completely inexperienced, a rank novice. I'd be surprised if Corbett, the "dancing master", didn't put him down. Corbett should've been able to feint him off-balance and send him over with a mere tap, assuming Jeffries was as inexperienced as I've been led to believe.
Jeffries was never off his feet in any profesional fight, pre Johnson, despite being thrown to the wolves early in his career and taking beatings from some helacious punchers. I think his chin is at least top3 among the lineal heavyweight champions.
Well if all heavyweight champions past him faced as best punchers supermiddleweights and feather fisted lightheavies/cruisers who were at the wrong side of 30, i'd say they would look a lot better.
Although I respect Janitor's opinions, I have to agree with you Chris. Joe Choynski was a dangerous fighter to be sure, but he was basically about the size of the average modern day middleweight, and he managed to break Jeffries nose. Fitzsimmons was not a particularly big fighter nor in his best days, and he gave Jim a pretty good whipping too. James Jeffries is one of my favorite fighters and I've always respected his toughness, but to rate his chin over men who's durability have been far better tested over the evolution of the division is not appropriate.