My all-time Top 15 HWs' wins against The Ring's Top 10

I did a little preview of my latest project with the Ezzard Charles Ring resume post. Today, I present you the full list of my Top 15 ATG heavyweights' wins against Top 10 opponents rated by The Ring Magazine.

Opponent's rank is taken from the most recent Ring ratings before the fight date. If the description reads "number X" it means that The Ring's championship was vacant. If it reads "contender number X" it means there was The Ring's champion above number 1 rated contender.
Best available opponent is usually the number 1 rated contender if the fighter was the champion, number 1 ranked HW if the championship is vacant or number 2 if the fighter is number 1. Sometimes, it may be the number 2 rated contender, if the fighter already defeated the number 1 rated contender in the recent past, f.e. Michael Grant on Lewis' resume or Zora Folley on Ali's resume.

Disclaimer: The Ring didn't award its championship in the 90's.

15. Ezzard Charles

Elmer Ray (contender number 3)
Jimmy Bivins (contender number 9)
Joe Baksi (contender number 6)
Joey Maxim (contender number 5)
Jersey Joe Walcott (best available opponent)
Gus Lesnevich (number 7)
Pat Valentino (number 6)
Joe Louis (returning lineal champion)
Lee Oma (contender number 9)
Jersey Joe Walcott (contender number 6)
Joey Maxim (contender number 3)
Rex Layne (contender number 7)
Jimmy Bivins (contender number 6)
Rex Layne (contender number 4)
Coley Wallace (contender number 9)
Bob Satterfield (contender number 9)

14. Sonny Liston

Roy Harris (contender number 6)
Zora Folley (contender number 2)
Eddie Machen (contender number 2)
Floyd Patterson (champion)
Floyd Patterson (best available opponent)
Henry Clark (contender number 9)

13. Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua (contender number 1)
Anthony Joshua (number 2)
Tyson Fury (champion)
Tyson Fury (best available opponent)
Daniel Dubois (best available opponent)

10. Joe Frazier

Oscar Bonavena (contender number 9)
George Chuvalo (contender number 4)
Buster Mathis (contender number 10)
Manuel Ramos (contender number 4)
Oscar Bonavena (contender number 3)
Jerry Quarry (contender number 3)
Jimmy Ellis (best available opponent)
Muhammad Ali (championship claimant, best available opponent)
Joe Bugner (contender number 10)
Jerry Quarry (contender number 3)

It's good to acknowledge that Muhammad Ali was The Ring champion throughout most of Frazier's run, so f.e. Oscar Bonavena was the number 3 rated contender, but realistically, he was the second best available opponent for Smokin' Joe.

9. George Foreman

George Chuvalo (contender number 3)
Boone Kirkman (contender number 10)
Joe Frazier (champion)
José Roman (contender number 9)
Ken Norton (contender number 4)
Ron Lyle (contender number 5)
Joe Frazier (contender number 3)
Michael Moorer (champion)

8. Wladimir Klitschko

Chris Byrd (number 8)
Jameel McCline (contender number 6)
Samuel Peter (number 8)
Chris Byrd II (best available opponent)
Calvin Brock (number 9)
Lamon Brewster II (number 8)
Sultan Ibragimov (number 6)
Tony Thompson (number 9)
Ruslan Chagaev (number 3)
Eddie Chambers (contender number 3)
David Haye (contender number 2)
Tony Thompson II (contender number 10)
Alexander Povetkin (best available opponent)
Kubrat Pulev (best available opponent)
Bryant Jennings (contender number 5)

7. Mike Tyson

Trevor Berbick (contender number 1)
Bonecrusher Smith (contender number 2)
Pinklon Thomas (contender number 2)
Tony Tucker (contender number 7)
Tyrell Biggs (contender number 6)
Michael Spinks (champion)
Carl Williams (contender number 2)
Razor Ruddock (number 3)
Razor Ruddock (number 4)
Frank Bruno (number 7)
Bruce Seldon (number 8)

Mike Tyson was the number 1 rated contender after the Berbick win.

6. Evander Holyfield

Pinklon Thomas (contender number 10)
Michael Dokes (contender number 5)
Adílson Rodrigues (contender number 3)
Buster Douglas (champion)
George Foreman (number 10)
Larry Holmes (number 4)
Riddick Bowe (champion)
Mike Tyson I (best available opponent)
Mike Tyson II (number 3)
Michael Moorer (number 3)
Hasim Rahman (contender number 4)

5. Rocky Marciano

Roland La Starza (number 10)
Rex Layne (contender number 3)
Joe Louis (contender number 2)
Harry Matthews (contender number 5)
Jersey Joe Walcott (champion)
Jersey Joe Walcott (best available opponent)
Roland La Starza (best available opponent)
Ezzard Charles (best available opponent)
Ezzard Charles (best available opponent)
Don Cockell (contender number 2)
Archie Moore (best available opponent)

4. Lennox Lewis

Razzor Ruddock (number 3)
Tony Tucker (number 5)
Phil Jackson (number 9)
Lionel Butler (number 10)
Tommy Morrison (number 10)
Henry Akinwande (number 6)
Andrew Golota (number 4)
Shannon Briggs (number 7, lineal champion)
Evander Holyfield (best available opponent)
Michael Grant (best available opponent)
David Tua (best available opponent)
Hasim Rahman (champion)
Mike Tyson (contender number 2)
Vitali Klitschko (number 10)

3. Larry Holmes

Earnie Shavers (contender number 6)
Ken Norton (contender number 2)
Alfredo Evangelista (contender number 6)
Ossie Ocasio (contender number 5)
Mike Weaver (contender number 8)
Earnie Shavers (number 3)
Lorenzo Zanon (number 7)
Leroy Jones (number 6)
Scott LeDoux (contender number 10)
Muhammad Ali (returning lineal champion)
Trevor Berbick (contender number 7)
Leon Spinks (contender number 3)
Renaldo Snipes (contender number 10)
Gerry Cooney (contender number 2)
Tex Cobb (contender number 9)
Tim Witherspoon (contender number 10)
Marvis Frazier (contender number 10)
Bonecrusher Smith (contender number 9)
David Bey (contender number 3)
Ray Mercer (number 5)

2. Joe Louis

Lee Ramage (contender number 10)
Patsy Perroni (contender number 6)
Natie Brown (contender number 10)
Primo Carnera (contender number 4)
King Levinsky (contender number 10)
Max Baer (contender number 1)
Charley Retzlaff (contender number 4)
Jack Sharkey (contender number 4)
Al Ettore (contender number 3)
Bob Pastor (contender number 5)
James J. Braddock (champion)
Tommy Farr (contender number 3)
Nathan Mann (contender number 3)
Max Schmeling II (best available opponent)
Tony Galento (contender number 3)
Bob Pastor II (contender number 2)
Johnny Paychek (contender number 6)
Arturo Godoy II (best available opponent)
Red Burman (contender number 3)
Buddy Bear (contender number 5)
Billy Conn (contender number 2)
Lou Nova (best available opponent)
Buddy Baer II (contender number 7)
Abe Simon II (contender number 6)
Billy Conn II (best available opponent)
Tami Mauriello (best available opponent)
Jersey Joe Walcott (best available opponent)
Jersey Joe Walcott (best available opponent)
Lee Savold (contender number 4)
Cesar Brion (contender number 8)

1. Muhammad Ali

Alejandro Lavorante (contender number 10)
Archie Moore (contender number 10)
Doug Jones (contender number 3)
Henry Cooper (contender number 9)
Sonny Liston I (champion)
Sonny Liston II (best available opponent)
Floyd Patterson (best available opponent)
George Chuvalo (contender number 9)
Henry Cooper (contender number 4)
Karl Mildenberger (contender number 3)
Cleveland Williams (contender number 4)
Ernie Terrell (best available opponent)
Zora Folley (best available opponent)
Jerry Quarry (contender number 1)
Oscar Bonavena (contender number 1)
Jimmy Ellis (contender number 7)
Mac Foster (contender number 6)
Jerry Quarry (contender number 2)
Floyd Patterson (contender number 3)
Joe Bugner (contender number 8)
Ken Norton II (contender number 2)
Joe Frazier II (contender number 2)
George Foreman (champion)
Chuck Wepner (contender number 8)
Ron Lyle (contender number 8)
Joe Bugner (contender number 4)
Joe Frazier III (contender number 2)
Jimmy Young (contender number 3)
Ken Norton III (best available opponent)
Earnie Shavers (contender number 5)
Leon Spinks II (champion)

My number 12 and 11 were Jack Dempsey and Jack Johnson respectively. There were no Ring ratings throughout Johnson's career and the majority of Demspey's career, so I did additional research trying to estimate their opponents ratings. I'm no expert regarding the era, so it may not be 100% accurate.

12. Jack Dempsey

Bill Brennan (Top 10
Fred Fulton (contender number 1)
Battling Levinsky (Top 10)
Billy Miske (Top 5)
Jess Willard (champion)
Billy Miske (Top 10)
Georges Carpentier (Top 5)
Tommy Gibbons (Top 5)
Luis Ángel Firpo (Top 5)
Jack Sharkey (contender number 1)

11. Jack Johnson

George Gardner (Top 10)
Denver Ed Martin (Top 10)
Sam McVey (Top 10)
Sandy Ferguson (Top 10)
Sam McVey (Top 10)
Frank Childs (Top 10)
Denver Ed Martin (Top 10)
Joe Jennette (Top 10)
Joe Jennette (Top 5)
Joe Jennette (Top 10)
Sam Langford (Top 10)
Joe Jennette (Top 10)
Fireman Jim Flynn (Top 10)
Tommy Burns (champion)
Al Kaufman (best available opponent)
Stanley Ketchel (Top 10)
James J. Jeffries (returning championship claimant)
Fireman Jim Flynn (Top 3)

I checked all of these twice, but if you see any mistakes, please correct me.

I hope y'all enjoy the work and it adds to your boxing knowledge and broaden your perspective.

 

Yes, I began to appreciate bigger historical wins by the fighters that I'm ranking higher now more.

And thanks!

 

Couldn't add it to the original post due to the length limit, but there are some fighters that didn't make my Top 15, but I researched them anyway.

Deontay Wilder

Bermane Stiverne (contender number 2)
Luis Ortiz (number 5)
Luis Ortiz (number 5)

Vitali Klitschko

Corrie Sanders (number 3)
Samuel Peter (number 2)
Juan Carlos Gómez (number 9)
Chris Arreola (contender number 6)
Kevin Johnson (contender number 10)
Tomasz Adamek (contender number 2)

Anthony Joshua

Charles Martin (contender number 9)
Wladimir Klitschko (best available opponent)
Joseph Parker (number 3)
Alexander Povetkin (number 3)
Andy Ruiz Jr (number 3)
Otto Wallin (contender number 10)

Riddick Bowe

Evander Holyfield (champion)
Larry Donald (number 7)
Herbie Hide (number 6)
Jorge Luis Gonzalez (number 8)
Evander Holyfield (best available opponent)
Andrew Golota (number 6)

Tyson Fury

Wladimir Klitschko (champion)
Deontay Wilder II (best available opponent)
Deontay Wilder III (contender number 2)
Dillian Whyte (contender number 4)

Floyd Patterson

Tommy Jackson (number 2)
Archie Moore (best available opponent)
Tommy Jackson (best available opponent)
Roy Harris (contender number 5)
Brian London [contender number 8]
Ingemar Johansson (champion)
Ingemar Johansson (best available opponent)
Tom McNeeley (contender number 9)
Eddie Machen (contender number 4)
George Chuvalo (contender number 5)
Oscar Bonavena (contender number 4)

 

The Ring Magazine archive: https://archive.ringmagazine.com/default.aspx

When it comes to Dempsey and Johnson I asked some folk here on the forum. I also used this: https://web.archive.org/web/20060515214215/http://geocities.com/mgpaul2/TOP10.htm

 

Yeah that's my Top 5 at the moment. The most impressive resumes are of course Ali's and Louis' - nobody can touch them. They have both quantity and quality. This research also made me appreciate Marciano's and Holyfield's resumes more. It's also interesting, that Foreman, besides Frazier, Norton and Moorer, doesn't have that much quality in his wins. Especially looking at the amount of fights he had.

 

@Rumsfeld was interested in Moore's resume too, so who knows, maybe he will do the needful

 

Ring ratings didn't exist during Langford's career and for the most of Wills'.