American Heavyweights 2000-Present

We are at what? 27 now? Soon we will have 50! USA! USA! USA! Hahaha.

 

Not many to be honest.
Lennox destroyed em in the 90 s then the Klitschko s mopped up the rest there after.

 

No particular order if I had to make a top 10 list starting from 2001

Eddie chambers, Calvin Brock, Tony Thompson, John Ruiz, Andy Ruiz, Deontay Wilder, Lamon Brewster, Chris Byrd, Michael Hunter, Jameel Mccline

 

Chris Byrd was the best of them

 

1. Wilder
2. Rahman
3. Brewster
4. Byrd
5. John Ruiz
6. Andy Ruiz
7. Holyfield
8. Tyson
9 Thompson
10 Jennings
11 Toney
12 Chambers
13 Arreola
14 Briggs
15 McCline
16 Anderson
17 Guinn
18 Martin
19 Fres Oquendo
20 Ray Austin

honorable mention:
Goofi
Kevin Johnson
Williamson
Etienne
Jefferson
Malik Scott

 

I love this thread. It's had me going back and watching some really fun/interesting fights...

...ended up watching Mike White, a 6'10" giant HW I'd never heard of, he was not great. And he fought 6'5" Gonzales, and they had a contest of who had the better decorative trenchcoat/top hat combo during the walk-out.

And Gonzalez fought Mesi. Who was OK. I feel like of the "resounding KOs" the ones from American HWs seem to have more dives in it like Maskaev vs. Whitaker or Scott vs. Wilder. Against Mesi, Gonzalez didn't even try to win and went down off a solid but unremarkable left hook that was followed up with blows that missed. I guess the public pays for the Americans to win.

In terms of talent and accomplishments/best wins who were actually serious contenders it's really hard going through this again to find 10 good fighters. Tyson,McCline, and other guys who attempted comebacks like Seldon all do not count as I consider them 90s guys and only Toney had a decent 2000s run. I think these are my 10 best:

Byrd
Wilder
Andy Ruiz, captured the real title and would blitz 90% of other american HWs since 2000, fastest hands and probably the best of the group technically except Byrd
Lamon Brewster ,craziest win of the group, except maybe Byrd over Vitali
Chris Arreola, he could crack and made some amazing fights.
Tony Thompson
James Toney
John Ruiz
Chambers
Holyfield

 

Good list.