There seems to be a high degree of consensus that Joe Louis was the greatest Heavyweight Champion up to that time, but who was the greatest gloved champion who came before him? I imagine that most people will select one of the four names offered as options in the poll, and I think that a strong case can be made for all of them. So two questions: 1. Who do you consider to have been the greatest? 2. Who had the best title reign, if it is somebody different.
1. Who was the greatest? Dempsey. 2. Who had the best title reign? Jeffries although that's not to say his was particularly strong. I just consider Corbett, Fitzsimmons, Sharkey, and Ruhlin to be better defenses than any of the other successful defenses of champions from that era.
On paper at least, the answer is Sullivan. There are just so many uncertainties surrounding the nature of his opposition, and the nature of his fights, that you would be justified in saying that you could not pick him. You could make a fairly convincing case, for any of the four.
The case for Johnson, would be that he was fighting elite opposition, from 1902 to 1915. That is some impressive longevity there. He might have gone on beating elite fighters after he lost to Willard, if he had not been effectively frozen out.
Dempsey was the greatest fighter before Louis, but Sam Langford had the most impressive record I thought. Suprised Langford and baer haven't been mentioned
Jack Johnson. Very smart and scientific boxer. Terrific right uppercut and his ring IQ is godlike ...
I would not put Sullivan in there but he was a giant for what he accomplished in his era. As far as gloved champions I think its a matter of opinion of respective eras. Jeffries was a strong athletic man & when he came out of retirement had 5 years off & no tune-up vs Johnson, lost 80lbs & but a shadow of himself still we dont know if Johnson would have always had his number. Johnson had an incredible career his win over Burns & Jeffries & prior record against some of the better black heavyweights of his day. Dempsey came up explosive & was a media event of the day as far as styles he was the Tyson of his day because of his savage style & quick power. His demolistion of Jess Willard is still a site to see. Out of the 3 I could watch Dempsey all day & out of the 3 the fight I would love to watch most would be Louis vs Dempsey which would be exciting just those 2 in the same ring. I would say its between Dempsey & Johnson but would love to see how a Johnson-Tunney fight would go
