AllTime Heavyweight Rankings by Experts

Putting Jerry Quarry in that list is nothing short of an absolute embarrassment. Tell me, what possible criteria do you use to rank Jerry Quarry ahead of Archie Moore, who isnt even foreshadowed for your top 40!

Other than that it is a pretty good list though:good

 

I have big issues with

Peter Maher > Mike Tyson
Jimmy Bivins > Evander Holyfield
Joe Choynski > Sonny Liston
Bob Fitzsimmons > Muhammad Ali
Gene Tunney > Rocky Marciano
John L Sullivan > Joe Louis
Tom Sharkey > Larry Holmes

:think

 

Take out corbet and tunney(i'm a longcount guy) and replace them with patterson and sullivan and you have my top 20(not same order)

 

1. Wladmir Klitschko
2. Mike Tyson
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Lennox Lewis
5. Larry Holmes
6. Evander Holyfield
7. Vitali Klitschko
8. Tony Tucker
9. Razor Ruddock
10. Pinklon Thomas

 

I've been studying liston a bit more of late and he's shot right up my list.

It is roughly

Louis
Ali
Marciano
Liston
Foreman
Frazier
Johnson
Lewis
Tyson
Holmes
Holyfield
Jeffries
Sullivan
Langford
Dempsey
Schmelling
Walcott
Charles
Patterson
Bowe
Norton


It's not finalised but pretty much how I see it atm (could do with more research on charles and jersey joe but i'm fairly happy.)

I also refuse to rank active fighters, if wlad retired today i'd make my top 20.

 

Unforgivens list.

1. Jack Dempsey - 20s 1
2. John L. Sullivan - 1880s 1
3. Peter Jackson - 1890s 1
4. Jim Jeffries - 1900s 1
5. Joe Louis - 30s 1
6. Sam Langford - teens 1
7. Bob Fitzsimmons - 1890s 2
8. Jim Corbett - 1890s 3
9. Gene Tunney - 20s 2
10. Jack Johnson - Teens 2
11. Rocky Marciano - 50s 1
12. Muhammad Ali - 60s 1
13. Joe Frazier - 70s 1
14. Tom Sharkey - 00s 2
15. Harry Wills - 20s 3
16. Max Schmeling - 30s 2
17. Jack Sharkey - 30s 3
18. Ezzard Charles - 40s 1
19. Larry Holmes - 80s 1
20. Joe Choynski - 1890s 4
21. Sonny Liston - 60s 2
22. George Foreman - 70s 2
23. Jersey Joe Walcott - 50s 2
24. Jimmy Bivins - 40s 2
25. Evander Holyfield - 90s 1
26. Jerry Quarry - 70s 3
27. Joe Jeanette - Teens 3
28. Max Baer - 30s 4
29. Peter Maher - 1890s 5
30. Mike Tyson - 1980s 2

Unforgiven, your list is one of the best and most consistent I have ever seen on this site. Obvously you have put a lot of time into it, but i do have a few serious problems. Firstly, i note that the list is largely head to head, so obviously it is subjective and clearly you are using the commonly held and rational theory that the level of skills of fighters is largely related to the level of poverty in an area, as without faill 99% of fighters always come from poverty areas and as the public naturally has had better and more comforting conditions as technology has increased, and therefore it is only common sense that the standards in boxing will drop over this time frame. Obviously, you have not considered pre queensbury champions as these guys would have been rated much higher but they did compete in a different sport. Therefore I wouldnt criticise the leaving out of guys like Jem Mace, Cribb, Molineaux, Kilrain, Heeney etc.

As you can see, i have highlighted the decade that a fighter fought in and the position that you have ranked them in that decade, for my own reference, because i think this will help show and highlight some of the faults of your list (not that there are many) or at least make some comments.

I know that the 2000 to 2010 period is a poor decade, but i would have thought that at least one fighter from this period might be good enough to sneak in. Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe (who was no 2 in the 90s) must be within an inch of each other for the next position of 41 and 42. Both were good fighters despite their lack of competition or proven ability against other World Class skilled fighters that have some stamina and actually weight 220 plus pounds. They could only beat what is in front of them.

Choynski ahead of Maher is very debateable. I know Choynski won the series 2-1, but you cant really count the last fight, it had as much meaning as Fenech Nelson III. Maher scored the KO win when both were at their best. He should swap places with Choynski. Personally, i think Choynski struggles a little with this company and needs to drop 10 or so places.

Sam McVey must have went desperately close to winning a place. I can see why you ranked Jeanette ahead of him. But it must have been a razor thin call, I think he must follow Lennox and Bowe. Maybe even sneak in ahead of them but probably not.

I am not sold on the Baer, Sharkey, Schmelling order. I think Baer might be a little underated here. I think he might be better than the above mentioned two, although Sharkey did nearly beat an old Dempsey and Schmelling beat a young Louis, so you could be right. Conversely, Braddock did beat Baer and maybe he must be very close to getting a spot also. I can certainly see your reasoning, maybe you shoudl keep things close.

I have already mentioned the Archie Moore situation.

Now that i look at it is a rock solid list with the exception of Jerry Quarry. I just cant get over his placing which makes the list look ridiculous and a joke of a list. Please tell me what possessed you to rank quarry ahead of far better figthers in his era and in other eras. Patteson, Ingo, Norton are all far higher ranked and placed than Jerry Quarry. Was his selection just a wind up or something?

 

With the exception of Dempsey being so low, that's a hell of a list.

 

i like the names, but jeffries wouldn't make my top ten, and holyfield would. can you explain your reasoning for positions 3-11?

 

yeah i know about jeffries. i'd like to know why you've ordered the rest of them in that way. you can be brief!

 

ok, well whenever. for now:

1. ali
2. louis

3. holmes
4. foreman
5. marciano

6. holyfield
7. tyson
8. lewis

9. frazier
10. liston