Jack Johnson James Jeffries Bob Fitzsimmons Sam Langford Sam McVea 3x Joe Jeanette 3x Denver Ed Martin 3x George Gardiner Tommy Burns Stanley ketchell Frank Moran Frank Child's 2x Al Kaufman Bill Lang Jack Munroe Sandy Fergusson Ezzard Charles Joe Louis Jersey Joe Walcott 2x Archie Moore 3x Jimmy Bivins 4x Joey Maxim 5x Elmer Ray Rex Layne 2x Joe Baksi John Holman Pat Valentino Lee Oma Bob Satterfield Coley Wallace Floyd Patterson Ingemar Johansson 2x Archie Moore Oscar Bonavena George Chuvalo Eddie Machen Hurricane Jackson 2x Roy Harris Henry Cooper Brian London Jimmy Slade 2x Tommy Harrison Jersey Joe Walcott Ezzard Charles 2x Harold Johnson Jimmy Bivins Elmer Ray 2x Lee Q Murray Joey Maxim 2x Hatchetman Sheppard 2x Joe Baksi Lee Oma Tommy Gomez Omelio Agramonte Hein Ten Hoff Ollie Tandberg Willie Reddish Lorenzo Pack Gene Tunney Jack Dempsey 2x Tommy Gibbons Tom Heeney Charlie Weinert Erminio Spalla Johnny Risko Harry Greb 2x Tommy Loughran Max Schmeling Joe Louis Jack Sharkey Mickey Walker Young Stribling Walter Neusal Paoliano Uzcuden 2x Steve Hamas Johnny Risko Harry Thomas Ken Norton Muhammad Ali Jerry Quarry Jimmy Young Duane Bobick Jose Luis Garcia Ron Stander Randall Cobb Henry Clark Lorenzo zanon
Very interesting list. For me Charles is #1, clearly above Johnson. Johnson had many great fighters in his resume, but many of his wins are over fighters who would be welterweights/middleweights today (Langford, Burns, Kechell) and some wins over HW's who were inactive/clearly past prime (Jeffries) or former MVs who were in 40's (Fitzimmons). Charles has definitely better resume than JJ.
Tunney should have Levinsky, Greb, Loughran and Madden on his list surely? Charles is good though. Patterson would be good too if he got the debatable decisions-interesting exercise.
My take would be: 1. Jack Johnson 2. Max Schmeling 3. Ezzard Charles 4. Jersey Joe Walcott 5. Floyd Patterson 6. Gene Tunney 7. Ken Norton