What we have here is a collection of heavyweights who either unsuccessfully challenged for a major title (WBC/WBA/IBF) or campaigned at world level during the 80s, 90s and into the 00s (ignoring WBO, WBF, WBU belts). There are some worthy contenders here and some less legitimate ones to spice things up. But, how would you rank these guys (from 1 to 20) prime 4 prime ? Henry Akinwande Lionel Butler Bert Cooper Jesse Ferguson Alex Garcia Andrew Golota Jorge Luis Gonzales Michael Grant Joe Hipp Ike Ibeabuchi Phil Jackson Ray Mercer Danell Nicholson Brian Nielsen Samson Po'uha Razor Ruddock Corrie Sanders (South African, not T-Rex) Jimmy Thunder David Tua Jeremy Williams
is he really a nearly man? i mean corrie sanders actually won the WBO heavyweight title by knocking the **** out of Wladmir Klitscko, who some demented ****ers on here refer to as one of the greatest :shock: of all time atsch
Well Mercer and Akinwande also held the WBO strap, but the level of competition for that organisation's belt wasn't that hot at the time. As I said in the opener, they only qualify for the list if they didn't hold the WBA/WBA/IBF belts. Briggs doesn't qualify because he was the lineal champion and because he has a wheezy chest. I am with you on the Sanders issue though - for some reason people feel the need to mythologise fighters like him, Ibeabuchi and Tua like the were the second coming.
The wacky Pole. He had way many chance to be Heavyweight champion more than anyone else of this list.
Here's how I would rate them Mercer Ruddock Tua Sanders Golota Cooper Ibeabuchi Grant Thunder Hipp Akinwande Butler Ferguson Jackson Nicholson Gonzalez Williams Pouha Garcia Nielson
1. Ike Ibeabuchi - The best of the bunch.... 2. Ray Mercer - started too late and forgot to train too often... 3. David Tua - See Po'uha, add partying... 4. Andrew Golota - Froze or came unglued on the biggest stages... 5. Corrie Sanders - Confidence and training issues... 6. Bert Cooper - 'Smokin Crack' had all the tools but.... 7. Samson Po'uha - Ate his way out of a championship 8. Razor Ruddock - too limited and then got Tyson'd... 9. Alex Garcia - His downfall baffles me... 10. Henry Akinwande - lacked the power...
1. Golota 2. Ibeabuchi 3. Mercer 4. Tua 5. Sanders 6. Ruddock 7. Akinwande If Golota was all there mentally, no doubt he would have been champ
