Linear Heavyweight Time Machine Roundup

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by djanders, Aug 28, 2009.


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  1. djanders

    djanders Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Let's try this a different way. We get our time machine and call up all the linear heavyweight champs, and their supporting groups, at their best. Every one of them fights every other one in scheduled 12 round bouts, under modern rules, training aids, equipment, and officiating. Who ends up with the best record? Feel free to list your top 10 if you wish.

    Generally Recognized Linear Heavyweight Champions:

    John L. Sullivan
    James J. Corbett
    Bob Fitzsimmons
    James J. Jeffries
    Marvin Hart
    Tommy Burns
    Jack Johnson
    Jess Willard
    Jack Dempsey
    Gene Tunney
    Max Schmeling
    Jack Sharkey
    Primo Carnera
    Max Baer
    James J. Braddock
    Joe Louis
    Ezzard Charles
    Jersey Joe Walcott
    Rocky Marciano
    Floyd Patterson
    Ingemar Johansson
    ---Floyd Patterson again
    Sonny Liston
    Muhammad Ali
    Joe Frazier
    George Foreman
    ---Muhammad Ali again
    Leon Spinks
    ---Muhammad Ali again
    Larry Holmes
    Michael Spinks
    Mike Tyson
    James Buster Douglas
    Evander Holyfield
    Riddick Bowe
    ---Evander Holyfield again
    Michael Moorer
    ---George Foreman again
    Shannon Briggs
    Lennox Lewis
    Hasim Rahman
    ---Lennox Lewis again
    Wladimir Klitschko

    (I made this list from memory, so if I have forgotten anyone, help me out.)
     
    djanders, Aug 28, 2009
    djanders, Aug 28, 2009
    #1
  2. Beeston Brawler

    Beeston Brawler Comical Ali-egedly Full Member

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    I will come up with a top 10 later today.... not happy about Wlado being on the list but anyways..... :verysad

    :yep
     
    Beeston Brawler, Aug 28, 2009
    Beeston Brawler, Aug 28, 2009
    #2
  3. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    My Top 10 are:

    1. Ali
    2. Holmes
    3. Johnson
    4. Louis
    5. Foreman
    6. Lewis
    8. Vitali Klit (Don't Laugh Too Hard.)
    9. Holy
    10. Tyson / Frazier / Marciano (Pick 'Em.)

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Aug 28, 2009
    MRBILL, Aug 28, 2009
    #3
  4. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    That's too hard for me man!!

    I think Ali would do best against the field. I'm convinced that Louis is almost as good as Ali on a "prime for prime" head to head basis, but his style combined with his only very good chin means he would drop a couple of .W's to the massive punching super-heavies involved - I would expect him to lose one to Lewis, Bowe or Wlad. Would he come second? Impossible to say...one of the big guys, probably Lewis would run him close and I suspect Liston would do very very well.

    But all these guys have vulnerabilities that Ali doesn't have IMO. Lewis may be vulnerable to punchers. Louis can be spilled and might lose odd ones to someone like Johnson or Tunney. The old-timers are handicapped by the ruleset. Liston may be repeatedly outsped. Ali, primed Ali is going to perhaps lose to Frazier and Louis but would do exceptionally well against many of the others I think.

    Holmes is the dark horse.
     
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    #4
  5. essexboy

    essexboy The Cat Full Member

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    This is virtually impossible. I may try it though when I've got a couple of days handy.
     
    essexboy, Aug 28, 2009
    essexboy, Aug 28, 2009
    #5
  6. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    :lol:

    Yeah, it is so true, that's the bottom line! It's impossible...but...
     
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    #6
  7. janitor

    janitor VIP Member

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    Probably the person best able to adapt to the schedule, number of bouts and likley ring wear.

    Jack Johnson might be a good pick because:

    1. He was acustomed to fighting to a verry busy scedule and taking on multiple elite fighters back to back.

    2. His style was verry economical in terms of energy expenditure so he would be less likley to burn out half way through the tournament.

    3. He was a defensive fighter and as such would tkae less cumulative pinishment than most of the fighters in the tournament.

    Simply put he would outlast the competition.
     
    janitor, Aug 28, 2009
    janitor, Aug 28, 2009
    #7
  8. Manassa

    Manassa - banned

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    Joe Louis would do well to fight consummately against most, or to decapitate the forward runners in a couple of rounds. I reckon he'd win the most through not expending as much energy as the rest. Joe Frazier would start well but be ****ed by the half way point, ending up with a 50/50 record. Louis had about seven or eight 'peak' years owing much to his style, which has sometimes been described as boring for most of a fight, but in the end he produced spectacular and decisive results.

    Thirty seven champions there I think, and Louis would be fighting about eighteen of them right? Assuming there's a couple of months between each fight I predict Louis would end up at about 14-4 (the schedule taking its toll) with 10 knockouts.
     
    Manassa, Aug 28, 2009
    Manassa, Aug 28, 2009
    #8
  9. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yup.

    Imagine how pissed off you would be if you drew Frazier in the first round?
     
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    #9
  10. junior-soprano

    junior-soprano Active Member Full Member

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    still got a few questions
    how do they fight eachother once a week, once a month, or what ? if they fight eachother in a tight schedule the swarmers are out early cause there way of fighting costs so much energy. for example frazier. he didn't mind if he had to take 2 punches to deliver one. but in a tournament that will break him up.
    i asume they will fight every few days then i will go for the talents and the economic fighters. probably guys like ali, johnson, holmes, liston, louis, lewis. and maybe foreman comes a long way. since his incredible power and size.. he has a huge advantage over guys like marciano, walcott, dempsey, sharkey, tunney, patterson and so on and so on
     
    junior-soprano, Aug 28, 2009
    junior-soprano, Aug 28, 2009
    #10
  11. Manassa

    Manassa - banned

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    Probably beats Louis?

    But then Louis rips the **** out of Frazier in a focused rematch.
     
    Manassa, Aug 28, 2009
    Manassa, Aug 28, 2009
    #11
  12. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Hmmm. I dunno about that. Louis can absorb quite a beating, and I like his concise, persistant punching to get Frazier before Frazier can finish the job.
     
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    McGrain, Aug 28, 2009
    #12
  13. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Gotta go with Ali and Holmes as my boys...........

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Aug 28, 2009
    MRBILL, Aug 28, 2009
    #13
  14. djanders

    djanders Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Partial quote:
    Once a month sounds good to me. I would make allowances for cuts that need to heal, etc. We should still be able to accomplish this and time machine them back where they were within 3 to 5 years...I hope. Of course, we would send them back to the time we took them, back into the bodies they had, so no time would be lost then.

    Any time machine experts on here? :nut
     
    djanders, Aug 28, 2009
    djanders, Aug 28, 2009
    #14
  15. djanders

    djanders Boxing Addict Full Member

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    By the way, I'm going with Muhammad Ali in this...but I must admit that there are some who worry me in my pick...Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, and a few others.
     
    djanders, Aug 28, 2009
    djanders, Aug 28, 2009
    #15
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