Bill Caplan's 20 greatest heavyweights

I dont criticize lists too much as I dont know what his criteria was be it resume or head to head or a little of both

i dont know how you can have Holmes and Wlad so far apart given they are mostly built on longevity unless he thinks theres a win that is so much better or the comeback weighs that heavily

I dont dont know how guys who didnt hold a belt like Quarry are so high (and i do really like quarry) and how a guy who never won a title fight is so high in Norton though he arguably has 2 wins over Ali

 

Here's my list.

1, Joe Louis
2, Muhammad Ali
3, Rocky Marciano
4, Jack Dempsey
5, Larry Holmes
6, Jack Johnson
7, Lennox Lewis
8, Evander Holyfeild
9, George Foreman
10 Mike Tyson
11, Joe Frazier
12 Jim Jeffries
13, Max Baer
14, Max Schmeling
15 Sonny Liston
16, Floyd Patterson
17, Ezzard Charles
18, Jersey Joe Walcott
19, Ingo Johansson
20, primo Carnera
21, Buster Douglas
22, Gene Tunney
23, Rid**** Bowe
24, Jess Willard
25, Jack Sharkey
26, Hassim Rahman
27, Tommy Burns
28, micheal Moorer
29, Micheal Spinks
30, Jim Braddock
31 Leon Spinks
32 Shannon Briggs.

If I were to include Vlad or Vitali I would place them at 13 and 14.

 

I think it's a pretty good list.
The only real problems for me are Tunney being too high, and Wlad being too low.

 

He isn't.

 

I rank fighters mostly based on achievements, but head to head plays a part to.

Louis and Ali at the top, one or two, whatever you prefer.

After that I have the champions that dominated the division for a long time: Holmes, Lewis and Wlad.

Holmes reign was the worst, he failed to meet a lot of the top contenders. On the other hand I think he might have been the best of them, and he had that good comeback. Wlad’s opposition gets criticized a lot, but he faced all comers and unified the division. But when you take into account the fact that he have some very embarrassing losses and never faced Vitali it brings him down below the other two.

After that I have Holyfield. Hard to rank, his career was a lot of ups and downs. But he has some of best wins in the history of heavyweight boxing.

Then comes two power punching monsters, Foreman and Tyson. Both with relatively short primes, but they looked devastating when it lasted. Foreman’s wins over Frazier and the comeback pushes him ahead.

The last two spots on the list belongs to Frazier and Marciano. Both with dominant but rather short title reigns. Frazier has the better wins by far, but Marciano’s zero carries the day for me.

So, my list goes like this:

1. Ali/Louis
2. Loius/Ali

3. Holmes/Lewis
4. Lewis/Homles
5. Wlad

6. Holyfield

7. Foreman
8. Tyson

9. Marciano
10. Frazier

Then comes Johnson, Liston, Dempsey, Jeffries, but Im not sure in what order.

 

Surprised at Nortons position.

 

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


Any comments are welcome, try and be civilised about it

 

Ellis and Quarry do not belong. Let me guess, Caplan is A Frazier fan.

 

1. Louis
2. Ali
3. Marciano
4. Lewis
5.Dempsey
6. Sullivan
7. Johnson
8. Vitali K
9. Foreman
10. Wlad K
11. Holmes
12. Tyson
13. Frazier
14. Tunney
15. Jeffries
16. Schmeling
17. Holyfield
18. Corbett
19. Charles
20. Walcott

 

Then why is he on your list? :huh

 

No Liston?

 

I have him 21. I almost kept going through 25 because I think there is a clear top 25 and then a big gap.

What the heck 22. Patterson 23 Bowe 24. Norton 25 Baer.