Best five wins thread. Lineal / Ring Magazine heavyweight champions.

Brennan wasn't very goos at all, neither was Firpo but he was big and sure coluld punch. Gibbons on the other hand was an excellent fighter, and Miske, while not as good as Tommy, ws also a good contender, IMO

 

I get the sense Fulton lost a lot of confidence after the Dempsey blowout. Some fighter's are never the same after a bad loss. Dempsey simply stated that he had a weak jaw in his auto.

Miske, on the other hand, was highly praised.

 

Brenan was sort of the David Tua of his era.

He looked exactly like what people thought that a top contender should look like, but he also lost his key fights, and often to less eye pleasing opponents!

 

A couple of thoughts about Tunneys options.

If you include Greb, it really should be the fifth fight, because that was the only one at catch weight.

I addition to the above names, you might want to consider Risko and Spalla.

 

After Tunney retired, Risko was the best heavyweight in the world, apart from Sharkey and Schmeling.

 

In the days when the division started at 175, it was not uncommon for the smaller heavyweights to fight each other, and for the bigger heavyweights to fight each other.

It was a legitimate way for a small heavyweight to earn a title shot, if they wanted to do it that way.

 

Tunney
1. Dempsey
2.Greb
3.Gibbons
4. Weinert
5. Risko

 

Dempsey
Gibbons
Greb
Risko
heeney..but a shout for Madden

 

Gene Tunney

1. Dempsey
2. Greb
3. Weinert
4. Gibbons
5. Heeney

I feel strange putting Greb at #2 considering how small Greb was.

Weinert had wins over Sharkey and Fripo but lost to an aging Wills.

Gibbons was completely past it, and Heeney was mediocre.

I do think Tunney was a master boxer, but it appears that his resume is a lot weaker than i originally thought. Wins over Wills and Godfrey would have elevated Tunney massively.

Or sticking around and fighting Uzcudun, Sharkey, Schmeling etc.

 

You've got a point. I forgot how often these guys fought. It seems that Fulton, while vulnerable and a bit stiff, knew how to use his range and could really punch.

 

Gene Tunney:

1) Jack Dempsey
2) Harry Greb
3) Charley Weinert
4) Tom Heeney
5) Tommy Gibbons

Not many real heavyweights is an issue. Carpentier and Gibbons were at the very end of their careers. Greb was never truly beaten until past his best.

I have faith in Tunney as a fighter but there's no doubt he proceeded carefully, especially after Greb I. Not unlike Mayweather he waited for his main rival to show cracks before signing.

 

There seems to be a bit of a consensus for Greb being the #2, and I am uncertain of this.

Greb's best days were behind him, when Tunney beat him in a fight that was not at light heavyweight.

Was a win over Greb at this time, really better than all of the other wins that we could consider for that spot?