Classic Forum Collective Top 10 All-Time Heavyweights--POLL CLOSED!

I agree, and i would favor Tyson over Marciano. But that doesnt take away from the fact Charles, Moore, and Marciano were all Great fighters with Great abilities to do well in any era

 

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Larry Holmes
4. Lennox Lewis
5. George Foreman
6. Rocky Marciano
7. Sonny Liston
8. Mike Tyson
9. Joe Frazier
10. Evander Holyfield

 

Frazier twice, Norton, Young & Ali. But you're right, like i said in my post, that was off the top of my head. According to the Boxing Register, Chuvalo, Peralta (rematch), Frazier I, Norton, Ali, Lyle, Frazier II and Young were top ten contenders at the moment they fought. That makes him 6-2. Not too shabby indeed considering Ali, Frazier & Norton are in that bunch, but still a far cry from Marciano's 11-0 or Lewis' 18-2, both of whom barely scraped his top10, compared to Foreman's #4. Of course he did win the title back at high age, certainly a unique achievement, but he had his share of losses and struggles with mediocre opponents as well. Gotta take the good with the bad.

 

Where does Boxing Reigister take its ratings from mate?

 

No idea actually; in the abbreviation list it just says "was ranked in the top10". Seeing as you have other rating, i'm guessing the yearly Ring Magazine rankings, but maybe not the ones going into the fight.

Curiously, they do list Marty Marshall as top10 ranked in his Sept. 1954 and April 1955 bouts with Liston, when he was rated in the yearly rankings on neither occasion if i remember correct. Perhaps they have not been consistent, which is of course the most important factor here. I'll get back to it later.

 

They go by the Ring Magazine BUT there many errors that I have found. Just on Foreman, they left out Peralta 1st fight, Kirkman, and Roman.

I have been trying to fix this for a while now.

 

1.Muhammad Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Larry Holmes
4.Lennox Lewis
5.George Foreman
6.Jack Johnson
7.Sonny Liston
8.Mike Tyson
9.Rocky Marciano
10.Joe Frazier

 

Number 24s a class act, absolute legend :thumbsup

 

I think Ruddock is as good a win or not far from Marciano's best wins. First of all, he was a super heavyweight, not a LHW or 190 pounder. Second of all, he was at his best against Tyson. Unlike Rocky whos best wins over Walcott, Charles, and Moore all occured while they were a little past their best. Spinks and Holmes are also not far from Rocky's best wins imo.

 

Thanks man, pretty interesting that Ali had more wins over top ten contenders than even Louis. Foreman's record is inflated a bit probably because he had two fights against both Frazier and Norton.

 

Are you serious? :huh

 

'H', my info earlier was all based on ratings by sanctioning bodies at the time of the fights with George (people even forget that Peralta was signed to fight Ellis not long before he went in with Foreman but the fact was pulled due to small ticket sales). I'm quite surprised that my buddy Chris P thought I was one of those who looked at the Ring year rankings (when i've spend a good deal of time in 'Classic' pulling people up for such oversights).


I'm not speaking to Chris now. :bart:yep:hey

 

There so many sanctioning bodies that it would be very hard to go by that. One body would have a boxer rated #1 and another sanction body wouldn't even rank him.

I know Ring is far from perfect, BUT there still most likely the best, and they go back to 1925.

 

Yes, I have plenty of Ring and BI mags to look in also. The said fighters were ranked by them too. I preferred BI's ratings to the Ring actually.