ESB Classic Forum All-Time Rankings by Division - P4P Survey Updated in October 2011

He wouldnt even come out of a room with George Foreman standing let alone all of them.

 

Heck I would take Freddie SteeleTo put Carlos
onzon ahead of Geb or Robinson is ludercrous...Indeed over some others is a travisty..What great fighter [in their prime] did he beat...He was a good and long right hand puncher, but a slow methodical fighter fighting in a weak division. Heck I would take Freddie Steele,at Steele's peak over Monzon ..Look at Steele' opposition...Monzon great, but certainly overated...

 

i agree that carlos is often overrated but based on longevity and talent he should rate quite highly. the fact that steele isn't on there at all is quite odd now that i think about it considering his record

 

What happened to the bantamweight poll

 

What's the two? Flyweight and..... don't say p4p? Please not p4p!

 

Lennox Lewis is definitely overrated. I am not saying that he wasn't a great boxer, because he was. He is also a tough matchup head 2 head for everyone. However, based on accomplishments... he just doesn't add up.

During Lewis' era... he didn't fight any of the other top fighters out there in their prime. At that time you had Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, Michael Moorer, and George Foreman sitting on top of the division. Lennox failed to fight any of them while they were all fighting each other at their peak. Lennox wasn't even considered a real Champion until he beat Evander Holyfield.

Lewis' supposedly "great" title reign consisted of wins over

Michael Grant - We all know that Grant was a horribly overhyped boxer who was never very good.

Frans Botha - Tyson had just knocked him out a year earlier. I have no idea why Botha got a title shot.

David Tua - Very good win. However, Lewis was criticized in this fight for being safe and boring. I think he did what he needed to do, and it was a good win.

Hasim Rahman - Knocked Lewis out.

Hasim Rahman - Lewis wins back his titles.

Mike Tyson - Lewis beat an extremely over the hill version of Tyson. Pointless win other than satisfying the curiosity of a lot of fans who had a very hard time letting Tyson go. Many still do.

Vitali Klitschko - Lewis down on all scorecards is possibly saved from losing his title by way of Doctor stoppage due to a cut.


That is NOT an impressive reign as Champion. Especially when we also consider that he was stripped by the WBA for not fighting his #1 contender... then stripped by the IBF for not fighitng his #1 contender... and last but not least... sat on his title for 8 months after his fight with Klitschko, trying to sue Mike Tyson back into the ring again... promises the fans and Klitschko a much needed and talked about rematch. Made Vitali jump through hoops in order to secure the rematch. Then, once the WBC demands that Lewis either begin negotiations with Vitali or be stripped of his title... Lewis retires.

What bothers me the most is that Lewis sat there through the 90's complaining about nobody wanting to give him his shot. Trashing Bowe for vacating the title rather than fighting him. Yet... IMMEDIATELY when Lewis became the recognized Champ, he did the exact same thing. Lewis ultimately Vacated all 3 of his titles to avoid fighting his #1 contenders.

That along with the fact that he never beat the best fighters of his era in their prime... Had a very ordinary title reign... and really never gave the fans the biggest fights that they wanted to see. Including a showdown with Wladimir Klitschko who was Lewis' #1 contender by Ring Magazine for 2 years.

Let's also not cry about Lewis not being given a shot at fighting one of top guys in his division earlier in the 90's either. Lewis accepted step aside money from Tyson, rather than taking the fight which was his if he wanted it. Of course it made perfect sense for Tyson to offer step aside money. Tyson wanted to fight for another title, a bigger payday, and a bigger fight. It was Lewis' own fault that he decided to accept the step aside money and was shut out of the mix. Had he taken the fight and beat Tyson. The division would have went through him. Instead, he was content to stay in the backround until all of the other stars burned out.

 

**** that's going to be hard.

 

LMFAO At MANKIND was that for real or a joke

 

I think for the most part they are good lists much better than some of the so Called Boxing experts, like Monte Cox and Bert Sugar and a few others that THINK they are experts

 

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION RESULTS:

1. 1675 Muhammad Ali (52)
2. 1375 Joe Louis (23)
3. 638 Rocky Marciano (1)
4. 580 Larry Holmes
5. 488 Lennox Lewis (1)
6. 462 Jack Johnson (1)
7. 318 (tie) George Foreman
7. 318 (tie) Jack Dempsey (2)
9. 233 Mike Tyson
10. 221 Joe Frazier

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Everyone has there own favourites. My names aren't much different to the above but I think Jim Jeffries deserves a place in the 10.
Beating Corbett, Fitzsimmons and Sharkey twice each puts him right up there in terms of opposition beaten.

Here's my Top 10

1. Ali
1. Louis
3. Johnson
4. Holmes
5. Dempsey
6. Foreman
7. Marciano
8. Jeffries
9. Liston
10.Lewis

 

Heavyweight:

Holyfield not in the top 10? What the hell?


Light heavyweight:
Good rankings, but I think Moore is the best.

Middleweight:
Hagler is the best, followed by Robinson and then Monzon and then Greb (my opinion).

Welterweight:
Good rankings, but Leonard above Armstrong? Some would beg to differ.

Lightweight:
Perfect

Featherweight:
Perfect

 

How's Marciano 3rd? I really didn't expect that coming into this thread.

 

very nice lists. about as solid as i've seen.

you cant satisfy everyone i know that, but i have a problem with Lewis's placement, Tyson being above Frazier and no Jake LaMotta? The only man to beat a prime Sugar Ray Robinson. Other than that I like the lists.