Mt Rushmore of boxing

See??? Great minds think alike!!!

 

Morales
Sanchez
Hagler
Tyson

 

I would pick a different 4, but so far yours is the only Rushmore I like

 

Joe Louis
Sugar Ray Robinson
Rocky Marciano
Muhammed Ali

Jack Dempsey honorable mention

 

Why?

 

Based on Rushmore type criteria I'd second:

Sullivan
Dempsey
Louis
Ali

There is an argument for replacing Dempsey with Johnson, but I think Dempsey's impact on the sport itself was greater.

 

Gans
Langford
Greb
Robinson

 

In terms of historical significance, let's do this...…

Greb
Louis
Armstrong
Robinson

 

Going by both criteria Presidents & boxing achievement using any weight class it would be:


George Washington (Founder) - Jack Dempsey, founder of modern boxing legitimized as a sport. A new audience was found, casuals women, even Hollywood discovered actors that had the "Dempsey" look.

Thomas Jefferson - ( Independence) Floyd Mayweather. No act compares in any sport to the independence he gained by realizing he could buy himself out of court settling mano y mano. Arum had no clue that kid would generate the highest PPV back to back turning a $750,000 investment into hundreds of millions + gained independence promoting himself, thus generating revenue as a fighter & promoter, keep it in house & pay family.

Teddy Roosevelt ( Indomitable Spirit) Ali. Wasn't his power, it was speed but only for a few years. Wasn't his defense cause he took beatings. Ali won many of his toughest fights because of his indomitable spirit.

Abraham Lincoln ( The great uniter) Jack Johnson (Abe was resented by South for forcing union & Johnson loathed by whites for forcing a unification for a single champ, not a white & a negro title rather unifying blacks into white HW ranks)



Mount Rushmore of Accomplishments (only)
1. Jack Johnson: (Broke color barrier)
2. Henry Armstrong: (3 divisional champ same time, no catch weight needed)'
3. Ali: 1st HW to fight & beat best (champ) 3x, made million dollars fights the norm
4. Floyd Mayweather: As a boxer/promoter he sits atop of all. Took the badtalk of ducking/walking away from 8 million to fight Rito. I accept his reason- to Arum's regret that was the ending months of a small window where he told FLoyd sign with me...and I will let U opt out as a free agent...but that was years down the road..who knew the day would come he'd make hundreds of millions for and off himself.

Win a major title within 2yrs pro.
Fighter of the Decade
2x Ring FOTY
6x ESPY winner
3x Topped Forbes richest athletes
3x Lineal champ
2x/Undisputed unified all major belts in 2 divisions
Highest connect rate of punchstats & compubox over career
Lowest rate of punches hit per punchstats & compubox over career

 

Ali is a lock, Robinson too. Duran or Leonard would probably make it and then either Sullivan or Louis.

My own would have Charles, Marvin Johnson, Durán and Boza-Edwards.

The top 4 as in the greatest would be Langford, Greb, Armstrong and either Charles or Robinson.

 

Really like this idea. For me it's:
Louis
Armstrong
Robinson
Ali

 

I would do all heavyweights.

1. Sullivan - father of the sport. Legitimized the sport.

2. Johnson or Dempsey. I would prefer Dempsey as the sport reached its zenith of popularity under him. Johnson was out for himself and didn’t really help the cause for other fighters of color. What he accomplished considering the time he fought is incredible but he actually hurt fighters of color coming after him.

3. Louis. The most significant fighter and athlete of color in American history. There would be no Jackie Robinson or Ali for that matter without Louis. He abided by societal rules placed before Him, which allowed athletes to follow and eventually be themselves like Ali.
4. Ali- easy call

 

In this order (which is chronological): Dempsey, Louis, Robinson, and Ali.

Dempsey because he was the first boxer to become an icon and because his ring style epitomized the word "fighter."
Louis because he was dominant for so long and was the first brown-skinned fighter to transcend racial barriers and gain the respect of most Americans (Mt. Rushmore is an American monument after all).
Robinson because he remains to this day unsurpassed as a ring stylist -- an icon of beauty, power, and grace in the ring.
Ali because because he combined all the attributes of ring greatness with political courage outside the ring.