Most dominant heavyweight champion ever?

One guy went almost twelve years as champ. He was Bruce Lee's student, Joe Lewis. If that doesn't tell you that he would've beaten Ali, I don't know what will.

 

Joe Louis really is the only choice. Marciano retiring unbeaten doesn't hold a candle to nearly twelve years of being the champion.

 

Sullivan between 1882-87 was pretty much seen as a demigod, who could only be beaten by himself

 

Louis.

 

Foreman for short term, Wlad Klitschko for long term. Louis and Alis best opponents had varying degrees of success against them. Wlad beat his best opponents with as much ease as he beat his worst ones.

Wlad isn't better than Louis and Ali but he was "more dominant".

 

Mike Tyson. He was so dominant that even years past his best, people were still mesmerized by his reign.

 

Joe Louis

 

I think Ali if his first reign hadn't have been cut off might have this but you would have to go with Joe Louis.

 

John L and Louis. Also Jeffries.

 

vlad?

 

Joe Louis is the answer

Sonny Liston did all his work pre title but few cleaned out an entire division better than Liston 1958-1962

also Tyson 86-90

 

Ali was an increasingly dominant champion until the moment of exile.
He had Marciano's unbeaten streak.
He didn't have the longevity of Louis, but he had more than Wlad's clinch dominance.
It didn't shine bright like the Mike Tyson meteor, and it didn't fall like a meteor.

 

Wlad? Without beating the other outstanding HW of his time? Nah. Unlike Louis, Wlad didn't beat all of his challengers either. So not as many title defences, didn't clean out and lost his title. This isn't very close.

 

Make no mistake I have Louis ranked higher all time(2nd). But in terms of who was the most dominant where everyone assumed the champ would win and face no resistance whatsoever? Wlad stands alone in that way. His dominance was the main reason did not care about HW during his era there was nothing to wonder or anticipate. I'm talking the reign before it ended. How many title defenses Wlad had depends on what you count too but I don't think that really determines dominance.

Its not really fair to blame Wlad for not fighting his brother. It was never going to happen and isn't worth complaining about. Wlad fought the best HWs he wasn't related to. Vitali(and WBC) deserves more blame for his competition after returning which kept that situation going. But that also really solidified which champ was real. It would have been worse if Vitali was wrecking the top contenders. The way it worked out made picking between the brothers an easy choice.

Even if they did fight there would be all sort of ethical issues there and we'd be wondering if they fixed it, did they really try, did they hold back to avoid hurting each other? etc. The idea of fighters being paid many millions of dollars to fight someone with such aligned economic interests is a whole can of worms.