[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9yEU5MdBhY[/ame] The following, are the 30 finalist from the top 30 Heavyweight prelims thread. I used the thirty fighters with most votes: NO ORDER 1. Muhammad Ali 2. Joe Louis 3. Rocky Marciano 4. George Foreman 5. Wladimir Klitschko 6. Lennox Lewis 7. Mike Tyson 8. Joe Frazier 9. Ezzard Charles 10. Joe Walcott 11. Larry Holmes 12. John L Sullivan 13. Jack Dempsey 14. Jim Jefferies 15. Evander Holyfield 16. Jack Johnson 17. Max Schmeling 18. Gene Tunney 19. Sonny Liston 20. Floyd Patterson 21. Bob Fitzsimmons 22. Riddick Bowe 23. Max Baer 24. Harry Wills 25. Peter Jackson 26. Vitali Klitschko 27. Ken Norten 28. James J Corbett 29. Archie Moore 30. Sam Langford By next week, 20 of these fighters will stay, 10 have to go. In this thread, I want to start discussing who we feel should be at the top, who we feel should be left out, who is overrated, who is underrated, who do you believe will be overlooked, etc. If you guys really want to see the countdown turn out the way you think it should turn out, then throw in your input! Give us your two cents! Most people here do not have a concrete top 20 heavyweight list, and if they do, most likely it gets changed around here and there. So who are the easy picks of the list? Are there any fighters who made the final 30 that shocks you? Who do you think should have been in the top 30, but got left out? In about one week, I will make a new thread, where we will have to trim this list of 30, down to 20. So please discuss your thoughts about the list, because people are listening, and thets the best way you will influence the list to change to the way you think it should be.
At the Top: Ali, Louis, Marciano Should be left out: Sharkey, Moore, Corbett, Norton, Vitali Klitschko, Jackson, Baer, Bowe, Fitzsimmons Overrated: Foreman (slightly), Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson, Charles, Walcott, Sullivan, Tunney, Bowe, Vitali Klitschko, Norton, Corbett Underrated: Holmes (slightly), Holyfield, Johnson, Liston, Patterson, Wills (slightly), Sharkey Will be overlooked: Schmeling, Langford Easy picks: Ali, Louis, Marciano, Johnson, Foreman, Holmes, Lewis, Frazier, Holyfield, Jeffries, Langford, Liston, Tyson, Patterson, Dempsey, Schmeling, Charles, Walcott, Wlad Klitschko/Wills Fighters that are in that shocked me: none Fighters that got left out: Langford, H. Johnson
Props on the video, mate. Looks very good. That's a decent shortlist, but Sam Langford should have made the cut, for me - I have him inside my Top 20. One of the greatest punchers the fight world has ever known and undoubtedly the greatest fighter never to hold a World Championship. Knocked out Harry Wills twice. Also has KO wins over Battling Jim Johnson, Kid Norfolk, Jeanette, McVey, Haynes, Clark, Gunboat Smith, Fireman Jim Flynn, Big Bill Tate and John Lester Johnson - all top heavyweights of his time and a couple of the most avoided. So, I guess you could have added Langford, but overall, the list includes all the main protagonists.
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhBpUJcpiCg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhBpUJcpiCg[/ame]
No way in hell should Wlad be ranked higher than Lewis. Lewis had way better opposition. Plus he revenched his defeats in style.. That call is pure blasphemi...
thanks guys, and thanks for the adequate response bodhi. I just realized I had made a terrible mistake!! Langford accidentally got left off the list. He was actually one of the 15 highest voted fighters. Sharkey was the lowest of the 30, so Sam will take his place. Thanks again for the feedback guys. Hmmm I wonder if both Klitschko's will make the list? Thats gonna be a tough one. I also wonder who will make it out of the old timers. my prediction is that Sullivan Langford Johnson and Jefferies will make it. But I would also like to see Fitz make it too. I also really hope that Johnson gets a top 5 spot. I feel he definitely deserves it
Good decision to include Langford, mate. FWIW, I have Johnson in my Top 5 and I definitely feel he deserves to be rated just behind the likes of Louis and Ali.
