Pick The Darkhorse Heavyweight GOAT.

I’d say a lot beat Ike. He was about even w Tua…a great accomplishment for sure but that doesn’t put him in GOAT talks. Just decent contender that never was talks.

 

You can add the fact that Ike defeated Byrd rather easily and that's an accomplishment. Byrd caused everyone else not named Wlad Klitschko problems.

 

He was good. Won’t take that away from him. One of the better what ifs of boxing. But I think Wlad and Lewis handle him.

 

100%.

 

He was much better than Tua and had more perspective. He adopted David's game. Nobody could do that back then. Ike could box and fight, Tua could only knockout. David was excellent but limited. He couldn't beat Byrd or Lewis. Of course, I know he wasn't as good by then, but he would always lose to a top outfighter like Klitschkos, Lewis, Usyk, Fury, Holmes, or a top defender like Byrd. Ike would have had a great chance against any of them, especially since he was still developing.

 

Len NOX Lewis.

Won the Olympic Gold Medal by stoppage over a future Hall of Fame Heavyweight Riddick Bowe in his final amateur fight. Stopped a future Hall of Fame Heavyweight Vitali Klitschko in his last pro outing. And Lewis beat every man he stepped in the ring with in between.

No other heavyweight beat such great opponents in their last amateur and last pro fight ... and scored wins over everyone he fought as a pro in between.

None of them.

Lewis also beat 14 heavyweight and cruiserweight champions.

Lennox won the Ring, WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. He'd have won the WBO belt, too, but Akinwande vacated the WBO belt before their fight because the WBC wouldn't allow a unification.

Lennox successfully defended the WBC title 14 times over three reigns.

And Lewis retired on top as champ, filthy rich with his health intact.

If you asked Ali or Louis if they would've preferred to beat everyone they fought as a pro, win the Olympic Gold against a Hall of Fame heavyweight, and end their careers with a successful title defense over another future Hall of Fame heavyweight ... and retire rich and healthy ...

Both would've glady taken that over what actually happened to them at the end of their careers, both physically and psychologically.

 

Larry Holmes. A fantastic record, longevity, and head-to-head potential to beat absolutely anyone. Never defeated in his prime, he always found a way.

 

Lennox

 

Oleksandr Usyk

The most skilled heavyweight of all time with the heart and stamina to match it, olympic gold medalist, resume at the top similar to Rocky Marciano who is sometimes considered the GOAT.