You say "a while", but in reality, it was hardly more than one year. Not saying that he doesn't deserve to be ranked high, but i think #5 would be a bit high. Consider that he didn't do that much in the 70's: beat Chuvalo (who didn't?), destroyed Frazier (great win), Norton (every puncher did), then humiliated himself against Ali, struggled with Lyle and got beaten thoroughly by the next boxing type he faced in Young and retired. His comeback is impressive for sure, considering his age, but let's be honest: outside of Moorer (and arguably Briggs), he lost or struggled badly, often against mediocre opposition (Schulz, Savarese, Stewart) and disgraced the title by ducking everyone and being stripped left and right.