My top 20 heavyweights of all time

He was nowhere near as good as the 2005-2012 Wlad.

 

1 Muhammad Ali
2 Joe Louis
3 Jack Johnson
4 George Foreman
5 Lennox Lewis
6 Larry Holmes
7 Rocky Marciano
8 Mike Tyson
9 Wlad Klitschko
10 Joe Frazier
11 Evander Holyfield
12 Ezzard Charles
13 James Jeffries
14 Riddick Bowe
15 Jack Dempsey
16 John L Sullivan
17 Harry Wills
18 Sonny Liston
19 Sam Langford

 

Actually a 3 year gap and a horrible performance from Tyson, easily the worst of his career up to that point, losing every round I believe before catching Botha with one of the most perfect short right hands he every threw. This was a comeback from the loooong "earbite" lay off so understandable Mike was very rusty and turned in such a crap performance. He would look much better against Savarese and Golota down the road.

Now in contrast Wlad dominated Botha with ease regardless of the later round knockout (Botha was in total spoiler mode) but I wouldn't read much into these fights as they are entirely different circumstances. Tyson was very beatable against Botha, he was expecting his usual comeback pushover but got a very game opponent. This Tyson fan was sweating I can assure you. Still I don't think Tyson has a more perfect one shot KO though than the Botha fight, the leverage, the timing, the fact Botha was leaning into it and didn't see it coming. But really wouldn't use this fight to guage Tyson as its one of his worst until Nielson.

As with most power hitters, Wlad and Tyson are probably equally effective with their best punch timed just right.

 

Ali
Louis
Foreman
Johnson
Marciano
Holyfield
Lewis
Holmes
Frazier
Tyson

 

That old Tyson didn't perform so well against Botha.

Prime Lewis and pre-prime Wlad did much better.

 

This is true, although it's worth pointing out that Tyson took Botha out with a single punch; Lewis and Wlad needed combos. Of course that's partially because of styles; the latter are boxer-punchers while Tyson is a pure puncher, even if a skilled one.

 

Just one of those "stars alligned" moments. Botha was rarely stopped by one punch and Tyson usually relied on combos to put fighters out. Just a perfect punch from Tyson with Botha getting caught with his chin waaaay out and vunlerabe, his best true one punch KO to be sure.

 

Liston should be higher? WTF... This must be a joke... Based on WHAT on his resume exactly? He shouldn't even be no. 6 .. let alone higher

 

Any list that doesn't have Jack Johnson in the Top Ten imo isn't a very good list.

Also of note.. this stuff about Louis ending Foreman's career if they met in their primes is hogwash... The notion that this would be a certainty is actually silly imo. Somebody with a pechant for having a weak chin and going down more times than I can count.. against somebody with a rock solid chin and enormous power.. is well, silly.

 

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Larry Holmes
4. Evander Holyfield
5. George Foreman
6. Mike Tyson
7. Lennox Lewis
8. Rocky Marciano
9. Jack Johnson
10. Sonny Liston
11. Joe Frazier
12. Jack Dempsey
13. Wlad Klitschko
14. Riddick Bowe
15. Jim Jeffries
16. Jersey Joe Walcott
17. Ezzard Charles
18. Sam Langford
19. Gene Tunney
20. James J. Corbett

 

Vitali has to be on there....You can make a very strong case that he has a better career than 16-20 on your list easily.

 

Maybe it was a bit of luck, maybe not. Although Tyson threw excellent combinations, he did have many one-punch KO's - Botha, Williams, Tillman, Tubbs. More than most punchers, in fact.

 

Not bad. My quips are Tunney but no Schemling. I think Schemling's record and credence at HW are superior than Tunney. Liston over Frazier. That's a stabbing sort of sensation to the heart.

 

I meant my heart but that's actual a good pickup.

Nobody was fighting old Liston. He was practically ostracized. Why would Frazier's managers or any other manager of an upcoming rising fighter put their fighter against Liston. That's not ducking due to fear it's common sense. Don't make something that simple bigger of an event than it is.