Does Ray Mercer have the greatest chin in Heavyweight history?

I wouldnt have thought so.

From a similar era, Bowe, Holyfield, Vitali, Tua, McCall, Tyson all standout as the same level or better. And Tucker, Bonecrusher, Holmes, Bugner and many others all have demonstrated just as good a chins.
I am not even convinced it is necessarilly better than someon like Lennox lewis (despite him being caught twice).

All that is without looking at the likes of Jeffries, Marciano, Liston etc.

Mercer had a very good chin, but i dont think it was even close to top 10 all time.

 

Also with all those names i threw out, i forgot George Foreman. One stoppage by Ali, but he his chin is extremely hard to fault.

 

Knocked down by Jimmy Young, weirdly.

 

It is weird, its so hard to measure a chin. Sometimes guys chins are like rock then once they are shattered they never recover. Others like say Lennox Lewis, they seem fine, yet they have a couple of big blemishes on them. Truth be told, i think that it is often impossible to tell how clean and hard a chin is hit, but if it is hit clean hard even the greatest are closer to breaking than we actually realise. Heart, desire, reocovery and luck are often what separate the great from the very good. Also offensive ability is so important to a chin. I dont think it is as simple as just having a good unbreakable chin.

 

Often "chin" is just skill to ride the punches and minimize the impact.
Lots of fighters who are seen as "granite-chinned shock absorbers" are actually a lot more skillful in that respect than people realize.
And a lot of the ones who are seen as "defensive wizards" end up completely punch-drunk at an early age, so that should be cause to re-evaluate.

 

To me, Oliver McCall seems the hardest to explain. Doesnt particularly look like doing anything to lessen the impact, but he sure does have a good chin. I am probably wrong about that, but if i was guessing and a way to measure chin was invented, he would be my pick.

 

McCall was probably a little better.

 

I agree. He had a rock for a head.

 

You might be able to argue Mercer on a p4p HW basis. He was really tough.

 

Top 5 imo or at least 6 or 7

1. Chuvalo
2. McCall
3. Foreman
4. Ali

5. Tie, Vitali
5. Tie, Mercer
5. Tie, Holyfield

8. Tua
9. Tyson
10. Bowe

 

Mercer doesn't have a better chin than Lennox Lewis? What are you, on ****ing drugs?

 

Tyson was stopped 5 times. He shouldn't be in the elite chin discussion in my view.

 

He was in the top 5 all time for Heavies. Tua and McCall both had granite as well.

I wonder if they all fought who would win?

Tua Vs Mercer
McCall vs Mercer
Tua vs Mccall



Chuvalo deserves perhaps the top spot.

 

Oliver McCalls a good shout.