My top 16 ATG heavyweights Fantasy Boxing tournament

I wrote this just now because I was bored to the point of suicidal ambition. If it looks like it was written by a 6 year old it's because it's 5:30 am here and I'm tired as ****. So, anyway, prime for prime, my top 16 heavyeights going at it...to the DEATH...but not really.






Jack Dempsey vs. Jim Jeffries
Jeffries may have been an exceptional athlete with great durability and a great chin, but so was Dempsey. Jeffries may have been bigger, but this may play right into Dempsey’s hands, as he was the exact sized opponent that Dempsey excelled against. Dempsey also had better defense, faster hands and quite possibly more power in either hand. While Jeffries did have an amazing chin, Dempsey’s power was proven against fighters with great chins. I feel Dempsey would TKO him late, after a war.
Winner: Jack Dempsey-TKO-12

Joe Louis vs. Joe Frazier
Tough one to call. I’d say they’re about even in chin and stamina, Louis had better two-fisted power and was a better combination puncher, but Frazier’s left hook was superior. I think Frazier’s defense and swarming style would give Louis a lot of trouble. Neither started particularly fast, so I think it’d be a back and forth fight for a while, Frazier would probably score a flash KD, but I think Louis would get Frazier in trouble and that’d be it.
Winner: Joe Louis-TKO-11

Sonny Liston vs. Jack Johnson
Johnson was an excellent defensive fighter, with great speed, but I think Liston would catch him sooner or later and knock him out, since he didn’t have the greatest chin.
Winner: Sonny Liston-KO-9

George Foreman vs. Lennox Lewis
They both had terrific power, but Lewis was the more skilled boxer and he had great defense. I think he’d be able to avoid getting hit by most of Foreman’s wild swings, keep him at bay with his jab, wear him down with right hands and KO him mid/late rounds.
Winner: Lewis-KO-7

Mike Tyson vs. Muhammad Ali
Ali dances and clinches, constantly sticking his jab in Tyson’s face. Tyson might score a KD, or at least wobble Ali and do damage to the body, but Ali’s chin, heart and recuperative abilities would enable him to last. Tyson would get discouraged and frustrated in the late rounds and Ali would come on stronger, winning a UD.
Winner: Ali-UD-15

Gene Tunney vs. Max Baer
Tunney was very quick, and could probably avoid most of the blows from the wild swinging Baer. He also had a great chin that would allow him to stand up to a lot of Baers punches. I feel Tunney would out-box Baer to a decision victory.
Winner: Gene Tunney-UD-15

Max Schmeling vs. Jersey Joe Walcott
Both excellent Boxer-punchers. I think it’d be a pretty technical fight for the most part, with Schmeling scoring a late round TKO.
Winner: Schmeling-TKO-13

Larry Holmes vs. Rocky Marciano
Holmes would thoroughly outbox Marciano, constantly sticking his jab in Marciano’s face and keeping his distance, the ever determined Marciano would never stop coming, he’d work the body and may get Holmes in trouble at some point, but in the end he’d be out-classed.
Winner: Larry Holmes-UD-15


Round 2


Jack Dempsey vs. Max Schmeling
Schmeling would put up a good fight, probably scoring with his right hand on occasion, but Dempsey would overwhelm him and knock him out early.
Winner: Dempsey-KO-4

Joe Louis vs. Gene Tunney
This could be a bad match up for Louis, judging purely on the Billy Conn fight. Tunney could move excellently and had a lot of speed. I think he’d be able to out-box Louis and avoid a lot of his punches; Tunney was also smart enough to not try to slug it out with Louis. That being said, I still think Louis would win, in his prime he’d catch up to Tunney and hurt him with a combination, Tunney would probably get up, but Louis would be waiting, knocking him down and out.
Winner: Louis-KO-15

Lennox Lewis vs. Sonny Liston
Both excellent boxers with amazing power, but Liston had the better chin and was an overall better puncher. I think Liston takes a in the mid/late rounds KO.
Winner: Liston-KO-8

Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes
Tough match for Ali, but I think he’d pull through. Holmes was more traditional, Ali was more unorthodox, but the were similar in many ways. I think Ali was faster, which may spell the difference in this fight.
Winner: Ali-SD-15


Semi Finals


Jack Dempsey vs. Joe Louis
The two would clash, hard, and I doubt the fight would last very long. Dempsey had the better chin, excellent defense and I feel he was the harder puncher of the two. I think he’d be able to land on, and hurt, Louis pretty quickly, and after that it’d just be a matter of time before he sealed the deal. Of course, Dempsey would take punishment as well; Louis’s hands were just as fast and probably more accurate. He’d probably nail Dempsey with counter punches, and land his jab pretty well, too, but I think Dempsey could stand up to Louis' power better than Louis could stand up to Dempsey's, so I’m picking Dempsey by a TKO.
Winner: Dempsey-TKO-6

Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston
Yeah, they fought, and Ali won, but this is prime for prime. What difference would it make? Well, for one I think the fight would last the distance, but other than that, not much. Ali had Liston’s number, prime or not. Ali would outbox Liston and take a decision
Winner: Ali-UD-15


Finals


Jack Dempsey vs. Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier gave Ali fits in all of their fights and, in my opinion, Dempsey could do anything Frazier could do as good or better. Dempsey would follow Ali throughout the fight, Ali would lay it on Dempsey with every punch in his arsenal, Dempsey would bob and weave through them. When Dempsey got in close Ali would force a clinch, but Dempsey could fight very well in the clinch and could punch short very effectively, so it wouldn’t do Ali as much good as it would do against a lesser puncher. Dempsey would tear away at Ali and do considerable damage, but Ali would be marking Dempsey’s face up with his combinations. I think this would be a brutal and thrilling fight with both men taking heavy damage; Dempsey might even score a knockdown with his excellent left hook, but I doubt it would end in a stoppage.
Winner: Ali-SD-15



And the winner is...



Muhammad Ali!!!

 

I usually have him anywhere from 14 to 17, today he was at 17.

 

So what if I'm a fan of Max Baer and I wanted to include him in this more than Evander Holyfield? It's my top 16, I can have whoever I damn well please in it.

 

Patterson, Bowe, Holyfield, Charles, Norton and Mike Spinks are all fighters I considered, but I don't have a top 16 list set in stone, so I just picked who I wanted.