My top 20 heavyweights of all time

I think I will sneak in and give my current top 20 while no one is paying attention. Tom Cribb and John L Sullivan would make my top 20 on a historical basis, but I am going to stick to the glove fighters since Corbett.

1--Ali
2--Louis
3--Marciano
4--Lewis
5--Holyfield
6--Holmes
7--Johnson
8--Frazier
9--Wlad Klitschko
10-Foreman
11-Tyson
12-Jeffries
13-Liston
14-Wills
15-Langford
16-Dempsey
17-Schmeling
18-Charles
19-Fitzsimmons
20-Bowe

 

No. Not quite. I think 21-30.

 

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1. Joe Louis
2. Jack Dempsey
3. Sonny Liston
4. Jack Johnson
5. George Forman
6. Lennox Lewis
7. Larry Holmes
8. Rocky Maricano
9. Joe Frazier

I cannot do over top ten. I find it hard to care about ranking heavyweight that are not in the top ten. Also, I do not rank based on accomplishment. I rank on who I think can beat who. Since this is all the same weight, I fill that this makes my arguement relevant. If I did rank according the accomplishment. Jack Johnson would be first. His title defenses over the great black condenders that were being ducked and the official world title after his prime add up to over 11 years and over 20 something title defenses without a loss.

 

Daily True American
Round #
1 Corbett
2
3
4 Jeffries
5 Even
6 near Even
7 Corbett
8 Corbett
9 Corbett
10 Corbett
11
12 Corbett
13 Jeffries
14 Even
15 Jeffries
16 Even
17 Even
18 Corbett
19 Jeffries
20 Jeffries
21 Jeffries
22
23 Corbett KO'd

DTA didn't explicitly say Jeffries won round 22, but they preceeded that round with the header 'CORBETT WEAKENS' and notes that Corbett was clinching badly as the round closed.

Eleventh round didn't explicitly state winner, but cited six punches landed by Corbett, two landed by Jeffries. Noted that even bets were being made.

Round two, notes seven punches Corbett lands, five (maybe six) that Jeffries landed, one of which lifted Corbett off the ground. Corbett applauded at the end of round.

Round three, notes six punches that Jeffries landed, two that Corbett landed.

Figuring round 2 even, round 11 for Corbett, rounds 3 and 22 for Jeffries, that would make eight rounds apiece, with Corbett badly weakening when he was KO'd in the 23rd round.

Very interesting! What's up here? How to square the rounds reporting here with opinions that Jeffries might have needed the KO? Were people getting a bit caught up with excitement for the smaller, older underdog who was exceeding expectations?

This may merit it's own thread.

 

You obviously like Jack Johnson a lot considering he is both #4 & #5 on your list.

 

Thanks. Corrected.

 

I have JJ @ 5. He had way too many losses to be higher IMO.

 

You have to put some of those loses in the context of the time.

When he lost his title to Jess Willard he was 37 years old and his record at that point was 54-6. He had been the Colored champion from 1903-1908 having beaten Jeanette, Langford, and McVey and defending the title a combined 19 times before taking the World title and defending that title a total of 8 times until 1915. 27 title defenses against All-time great competiton over 12 years.

After his loss to Williard and beat 17 straight guys and then lost at the age of 48 which his record was 71-6. Three of those loses were in the first two years of his career. This man was unstoppable until he was almost 50!

More and more research I do on this man the more I am amazed by his professional career.

 

This is what I have been saying for years. Jeffries vs Corbett 1 was a close fight leading up to the KO. If you score round by round by the papers and use a 10 point must system scoring, Jeffries was tied or slightly in the lead.

It figures a punk like McVey who " thinks " the scoring was one sided in Corbett's favor runs after he posts his own sources, which in fact clash with his thinking that Corbett was way out in front!

This is the danger on relying on a few quotes from books. Your much better off on a detailed round by round report or flim.

 

Jesus Christ, you really cannot forgive Larry for that jockstrap comment.
Ridiculous list

 

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Lennox Lewis
4. Larry Holmes
5. George Foreman
6. Wladimir Klitschko
7. Evander Holyfield
8. Joe Frazier
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Sonny Liston
11. Jack Johnson
12. Mike Tyson
13. Ezzard Charles
14. Max Schmeling
15. Riddick Bowe
16. Ken Norton
17. Floyd Patterson
18. Jack Dempsey
19. Jersey Joe Walcott
20. Chris Byrd

 

Larry has long since redeemed himself from that emotional outburst; a truly underrated fighter that refused to play the phony political charades of boxing and paid the price for it. He's also a lot smarter than people think.

 

Can any of you tell me why Tunney is above Michael Spinks?