I'm sitting bored in an hotel room so I'm jotting down the best 100 heavyweights by resume from the birth of gloved championship up to 1955. I picked 1955 for a few reasons, it coincided with the end of Marciano's reign, the beginning of a modern Patterson, Liston, Ali era, and fairly neatly halved the span of champions 1891-2019. It's off the top of my head so I'm sure I'll omit some worthys. Champions are included, Sullivan, Corbett, Fitz, Jeffries, Hart, Burns, Johnson, Willard, Dempsey, Tunney, Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Louis, Charles, Walcott and Marciano.(19) Now the top contenders, Kilrain, Jackson, Goddard, Slavin, Maher, Sharkey, Ruhlin, Martin, O'Brien, McVea, Jeannette, Langford, McCarty, Gunboat, Wills, Fulton, Gibbons, Godfrey, Hamas, Schaaf, Pastor, Bivins, Conn, Ray, Valdez and Layne (25). Smaller fighters who beat loads of heavyweights included Choynski, Root, McCoy, Gardner, Schreck, Dillon, Levinsky, Carpentier, Greb, Loughran, Stribling, Walker, Rosenbloom, Clarke, Norfolk, Fox, Mauriello, Lesnevich, Thompson. (19) more. Contenders I probably sold short, Jack Burke, Pat Killen, Cardiff, McAuley, Godfrey 1, Denver Smith, Frank Childs, Kaufman, Laing, Jim Johnson, Moran, Coffey, Miske, Firpo, Flynn, Weinert, Renault, Uzcuden, Risko, Toles, Farr, Godoy, Buddy Baer, Simon, Galento, Nova, Sheppard, La Starza, Baksi and Oma.(30) Let's see, thats 93? I need help, who have I missed or who should I take out?
Bob Baker, Clarence Henry, Archie Moore, Lee Savold. I might lose Mickey Walker as it only seemed to be a bit of a novelty to him, as he went back down in weight after his heavyweight foray.
Henry, me bad, Baker probably too. I'm leaving Archie to the 56 on crowd, I may be wrong. Better Boxrec him Savold I forgot too but I can never make my mind up about him, still I'm sure he should get one of the spare places. I see what you mean by Walker, I did leave Ketchell out for the reason you argue.
Scartissue, bang on correct on Moore! And I forgot Maxim too, thats five more. I think Harold Johnson just slips into the 1956 on crowd.
...and I omitted Bob Armstrong too. Guys I might have put in but didn't include Ross, Morris, Meehan, Lovell, Skys, Tangberg, Palzar, Ferguson, Poreda, King Levinsky, Griffiths, Satterfield, and then Lee Murray should be in and Bettina also.Help!
Sullivan, Corbett, Fitz, Jeffries, Hart, Burns, Johnson, Willard, Dempsey, Tunney, Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Louis, Charles, Walcott and Marciano, Kilrain, Jackson, Goddard, Slavin, Maher, Sharkey, Ruhlin, Martin, O'Brien, McVea, Jeannette, Langford, McCarty, Gunboat, Wills, Fulton, Gibbons, Godfrey, Hamas, Schaaf, Pastor, Bivins, Conn, Ray, Valdez and Layne, Choynski, Root, McCoy, Gardner, Schreck, Dillon, Levinsky, Carpentier, Greb, Loughran, Stribling, Walker, Rosenbloom, Clarke, Norfolk, Fox, Mauriello, Lesnevich, Thompson, Jack Burke, Pat Killen, Cardiff, McAuley, Godfrey 1, Denver Smith, Frank Childs, Kaufman, Laing, Jim Johnson, Moran, Coffey, Miske, Firpo, Flynn, Weinert, Renault, Uzcuden, Risko, Toles, Farr, Godoy, Buddy Baer, Simon, Galento, Nova, Sheppard, La Starza, Baksi, Oma, Armstrong, Bettina, Murray, Ferguson, Bob Baker, Clarence Henry, Archie Moore, Lee Savold, and Maxim, 102 so far lets add who you think and we'll re-edit then maybe regrade them into top 10, 20, 30 etc?
And totally nothing to do with it but from June 42 when he dropped a split decision to Pastor, until February 46 when he lost a split decision to Walcott, Bivins was undefeated in 27 fights and beat Maxim, Mauriello, Savold, Pastor, Charles, Bettina, Murray (2) Sheppard, Moore, all will be in our top100 and also defeated good men like Lloyd Marshall, Valentino and Christoforidis. Some fighter.
As a leveler would you agree that Jackson, Langford, Jeannette, McVey, Wills, Loughran, Bivins should be moved up to the same level as the champions? Anybody else?
