Ranking the Heavyweight Champions

Our top 5 are very close. Mine, as recently done in a top 50 heavies thread...

Ali
Louis
Marciano
Lewis
Foreman

I don't rank Johnson so high because he did not defend against the best, but it is within reason.

 

That's nigh spot on with mine

Ali
Louis
Marciano
Foreman
Holmes

And I agree about jack johnson. Not to mention his inconsistency

 

I always do separate lists with the colour television era 1970-2018 and then the black and white era 1884-1969. Sorry if people hate it but I find judging black & white tv fighters so different.


1970-2018
1. Holyfield
2. Tyson
3. Ali
4. Lewis
5. Foreman
6. Bowe
7. Frazier
8. Holmes
9. Wlad
10. Vitali

1884-1969
1. Louis
2. Dempsey
3. Tunney
4. Johnson
5. Jeffries
6. Marciano
7. Liston
8. Charles
9. Walcott
10. Schmeling

 

This is a "nightmare" terrible list. I can't believe what you did .I hope this list is just a joke, isn't it?
Briggs was better than Michael Spinks by your mind ... OMG !!!!!

 

1. Ali
2. Holmes
3. Lewis
4. Tyson
5. Holyfield
6. Wlad
7. Frazier
8. Foreman
9. Bowe
10. Vitali

1884-1969
1. CW
2. CW
3. CW
4. CW
5. LHW
6. LHW
7. CW
8. LHW
9. LHW
10. CW

 

I think an okay list. The top five makes a lot of sense. While I agree that Jeffries should rank above Dempsey, I find ranking Jeff #6 rather high, considering that he drew the color line in his defenses. I have docked him more over the years for that. Still, in fairness, until 1903 or so I don't think it mattered that much as the men he was fighting were considered the best out there.

The other quibble is Jackson, Langford, and Wills and where they are placed, which is very difficult as they didn't really get the chance to prove exactly how good they were.

On balance, a good list.

 

Jackson is really tough. I just don't have enough info. Langford should be behind Johnson. Wills I would personally put ahead of Dempsey. I think he fought and beat better men over a longer period.

I can see Langford over Wills, but my main thrust would be both Wills and Langford above Dempsey.

 

Question for the uninformed or less informed such as myself. I don’t really find a credible list of rating boxers or the eras prior to Rings in 1924.

Are there credible rankings similar to that from Sullivan to Dempsey and where can some of us go to learn more and gain a better understanding and appreciation for those fighters and eras.

 

Def think Patterson ranks above the likes of Schmeling, JJ, Walcott and Charles (HW Charles not career as a whole). I personally would put Foreman and Holmes ahead of Tyson but I suppose it’s just my personal opinion (can’t really be wrong when discussing those greats). I do have a bias against pre 30s fighters though.

 

I rank on skill level, the eye test, h2h, winnability, whatever you wanna call it.

Also I rank the CW sized guys separate to the HW guys as in I compare then against like sizes opponents. So the list I'm gonna post now is a p4p list. It's also a dynamic as I might end up ranking Usyk and Joshua higher/lower

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Olexsandr Usyk
Evander Holyfield
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Joe Frazier
Rocky Marciano
Jack Dempsey
Jack Johnson
Sam Langford
Wladimir Klitschko
Anthony Joshua
Sonny Liston
Larry Holmes
George Foreman
Floyd Patterson
Vitali Klitschko
Jersey Joe Walcott

 

As for your list, it's perfect because it reflects the way you view the sport.