Rank These Heavyweight Champs (in terms of Greatness)

Jack Sharkey
Leon Spinks
John Ruiz
Marvin Hart
Bermane Stiverne
In some ways Spinks should be first because a win over an admittedly faded Ali trumps anything the others did, just think Sharkey is the best fighter of the five.

 

Marvin Hart
John Ruiz
Jack Sharkey
Bermane Stiverne
Leon Spinks

Hart gets the nod for beating ATG Johnson and choynski. Spinks is dead last because literally his only great win was an ancient shot Ali ans he got destroyed anytime he stepped up. Ruiz's style was horrible to watch but he aged well and has a few decent wins (quantity over quality). Sharkey fought more greats than stiverne and gave way more effort than that underachieving slob.

 

Starkey-without doubt
Hart
Ruiz
Spinks
Stiverne

 

Sharkey
Spinks
Hart
Stiverne
Ruiz

 

What conceivable reason would one put Stiverene over Ruiz?

Ruiz has wins over Holyfield, Golota, McCline, Rahman, Oquendo and Johnson.

1) Sharkey
2) Ruiz
3) Hart
4) Spinks
5) Stiverne

 

Looking at it again Sharkey apart I agree with you.

 

1 - Sharkey - He fought more better quality opposition and, despite some strange results, carried a few good ones, too.
2 - Hart - Probably the best win of the lot of them. The defeat of Johnson goes a long way, relative to those below him.
3 - Ruiz - A fair career, which really rests on his trilogy with the 'last Hurrah' Holyfield.
4 - Stiverne - A fairly tame record, but seems to have been consistently competitive, save his last fight.
5 - Spinks - I just find it difficult to give him credit for the Ali win.

 

Choynski was about done when he fought Hart.The decision Hart received against Johnson was very debatable.

 

even if thats true, do ruiz or stiverne or spinx have wins better than a disputed decision over Johnson? I'll wait.

HUGE difference between a "robbery" like foreman vs briggs and a "close disputed decision" like norton vs young.

 

Sharkey
Spinks
Stiverene
Ruiz
Hart

 

1. Sharkey
2. Hart
3. Spinks
4. Ruiz
5. Stiverne

I have never seen Sharkey as being one of the weaker lineal heavyweight champions. More middle of the pack material, who should have done better. Hart and Spinks were both lineal champions, but I rank Hart higher because we had a few good wins, an I think that Spinks only really had the one. Whatever you may think of him, Ruiz clearly accomplished more than Sitverne.

 

There I would strongly disagree.

The first thing that you look for in a weak lineal champion, is a small number of genuinely good wins.

Sharkey has a whole heap of them, indeed if you put aside his losses, he compares fairly favorably to some of the better lineal champions!

Yes he was very unstable, and very inconsistent, but he kept capturing lightning in a bottle from time to time.

There is a Langfordesque aspect to his resume, where some of his inconsistency is explained by schedule.

Seriously, why are we comparing him to guys with one or two world class wins!