I've Liston in my 6. Tyson is a constant #7 with Frazier, Johnson and Holyfield following on to complete my 10.
I have Holmes 6. Although he could possibly swap with Lewis for number 5. Great jab, tough fighter, long reign.
Ali Louis Johnson Holmes After that it's close Foreman, Liston, Frazier... Foreman's win at 40 really moves him on but I think he gets beaten by Liston. Frazier has the win over Ali which is massive IMO. If Dempsey had beat Wills he'd probably get it. Holyfield is close too because he beat so many and fought everyone (could be inconsistent though) and you have to consider Lewis. Basically never sure who my number 5 is.
One might make a case for rating Lewis above Holmes by arguing that Lewis's loss in his prime and the controversial McCall stoppage are compensated by Lewis's greater body of work.
Nice top 4. When i did my list i cut the timeline off before Johnson, but if i didn't i would guess he might ease in around where you and dinner rate him. I've got Lewis top 5 but it's all subjective and what the individual interprets. Tho i have Holmes 4 or so i fully understand critics putting him down the bottom of the 10. You can look at him from two very different angles.
Agreed... I do think though that had Lewis and Holyfield met when they both had more elft in the tank that Evander would have won. I think Holmes had a great career and deserves a high ranking
Holmes an all time great top ten? Most certainly yes. Where? Somewhere in the middle of the heap. But his tendency to get caught and hurt might move him towards the bottom of the list. He might have a hard time "recuperating" from a knockdown by another all time great.
I think recuperating after a knockdown from Earnie Shavers, to go on and win the match is testimony of his recuperative powers.
This is how my top 10 looks like. 1. Joe Louis 2. Muhammad Ali 3. Rocky Marciano 4. Lennox Lewis 5. Larry Holmes 6. Sonny Liston 7. Evander Holyfield 8. George Foreman 9. Joe Frazier 10. Mike Tyson
Realistically Holmes might belong at three. If you have Ali#1, Louis#2. I think Larry beats the rest of them. He would be too fast and sharp for Lewis. Had that nice heavy and fast jab. He beats Tyson in his prime. I do think he and Frazier might have been interesting...