Who was the most overrated heavyweight boxer of all time?

Cooney

 

Jack Dempsey.

 

There is no shame in losing to Lewis as an amateur. Bowe was a damn good fighter.

 

The list is very long... choose these...good fighters but a bit overrated by press and fans:

Ken Norton, Herbie Hide, Valuev, Bruno, Peters, Briggs, Leon Spinks, Rahman.

 

Yep, Holyfield for one!

 

With dedication he may have been Lewis' equal,imo.

 

Relative to the press and praise they get here, Jack Johnson. Many see him as top 10 heavyweight. Good grief, watch the films, not a chance.

 

That "many" includes
Herb Goldman
Nat Fleischer
Dan Daniel
Charley Rose
Nat Loubet
Teddy Atlas
Harry Carpenter
Hugh McIllvanney
Reg Gutteridge
Denzil Batchelor
Gilbert Odd
Monte Cox
Eddie Futch
Jack Blackburn
Tommy Burns
Sam Langford
Mike Lockley
Don Elbaum
Don Turner
Virgil Hunter
Bob Mee
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Steve Lott
Randy Roberts
Clay Moyle
Adam Pollack
Ron Katz
Jerry Izenberg
Mike Casey
Harold Lederman
Bert Sugar
Donald McRae
Robert Portis
Micheal Rosenthal
Bruce Trampler
Don Chargin
Bobby Goodman
Jerry Izenberg
Russell Peltz
Kevin Smith
Jersey Jones
Peter Wilson
Tracy Callis
Sports Illustrated
Gareth Davies
Box Rec
That's what? 47 Boxers and boxing people.I could have added more ,but that will do for now I think.
Point being 47 well known boxing people place Jack Johnson in their top ten. So to dismiss their opinions out of hand with the words ,"not a chance," especially when your own qualifications are ,just being a poster on a boxing forum,would seem to "many" not only conceited, but downright fatuous.
To steal a line from Ernest Hemingway's Pulitzer Prize winning speech.
"Everyone will have his own list according to his knowledge and his conscience".
According to his knowledge and his conscience being the operative words .
Not his bigotry and his hatred!

 

I watched and I disagree. I also disagree with a lot of your Johnson comments - for example:

He didn't struggle against Moran on the outside, he dominated him.
He didn't have problems with a jab, he had excellent left hand.
He toyed with Ketchel and wasn't hurt by a knockdown.
He didn't get tired in Flynn fight.

I mostly agree with your points andI like your posts but for some reason you are clearly biased against Johnson. If he was as bad as you claim, even old and washed up Jeffries would beat him. Because Jeffries was definitely a great fighter.

 

I agree Bowe is overrated as heck.

I'd also say that Ali (gasp, heresy) is overrated too.

For a guy who arguably lost a bunch of fights against Norton, was a punchbag against Foreman and went life and death with guys that would be considered midgets nowadays, he's unjustifiably got an aura of invincibility. Nowhere has a man's reputation rested more on favourable judging in close contests or been a single punch away from oblivion in his fights. I get why people love him, I get he had huge heart, I get his skills, and yes - I get why he's rated #1 - but he was just a man, not a god, and beatable.