Rating the All Time Heavyweights in 10 Categories

Jak Dempsey

1. Power – 9


2. Physical Attributes – 7


3. Handspeed, Combination Punching, Accuracy – 7


4. Footwork – 6


5. Defense – 5


6. Durability – 7


7. Heart – 10


8. Killer Instinct – 10


9. Endurance – 7


10. Ring Generalship - 7


Overall score: 75 out of 100

 

I like this thread @dmt but i disagree with a few of your ratings slightly.

Usyk

Power - 6 I wouldn't put Usyk as an 8 for power i don't consider his power "very good" i'd put him below the likes of Holmes who i'd rate as 7. So for me 6 for Usyk is about right above average for sure but nothing stand out about his power.

Physical attributes - 9 He's pretty much a perfectly sized Heavyweight not too small not too big with solid dimensions in height and reach so i'd rate him pretty highly in that regard.

Handspeed, combination punching, accuracy - 8.5 I'd rate his handspeed at 8 below the likes of Ali, Tubbs, Dokes, Holmes, Tyson, Patterson. But his combination punching and accuracy is probably a 9 so can i go 8.5 for this ?

Footwork - 9.0 Definitely rates high in this category.

Defence - 8.0 I don't think his defence is quite as good as what you're saying he's been quite hittable in quite alot of his fights i would say good but not exceptional.

Durability - 9.0 His chin is very good but their may be some weakness to body punches which takes his durability down a tad for me.

Heart - 9.0 10 for me is fighters like Holyfield, Frazier, Ali, guys who are proven in all out wars. Usyk has been in some tough fights but nothing on the level of those fighters so not quite a 10 for me as it stands today.

Killer Instinct - 7 I'd say 7 is about right.

Endurance - 10 Definitely has some of the best stamina of all time for a Heavyweight.

Ring Generalship - 10

Overall rating = 85.5

 

Fury has been hurt and dropped in numerous fights though Cunningham who was smaller than Usyk with a 40 percent KO ratio dropped Fury like a sack of potatoes.

So hurting Fury isn't a rare occurrence but stopping him is however.

Holmes had 15 stoppages in world title fights and I'm pretty sure he could stop all of Usyk's Heavyweight opponents barring Fury.

 

Frazier

1) Power - 8, the greatest left hook ever.

2) Physical Attributes - 7 - he squeezed all the juice from orange to get the most out of what he had.

3) Handspeed, combination punching and accuracy - 7 - was good, not what he was known for.
4) Footwork - 8, I think Joe had good footwork, able to get into range quickly and cut off the ring very well.

5) Defense, 9 - this may seem a bit strange to some but Joe had some of the best head movement I’ve seen - his bobbing and weaving style was constant, always moving and his performance in FOTC was sublime whilst he did get tagged a lot, it was against arguably the most laser accurate head puncher of all time.

6) Durability - 10 - Joe could take a ton of punishment. Even in the Foreman fights he kept on getting up.

7) Heart, - 10 no one had more heart than Joe. If you could give ratings above 10, Joe would be an 11 or 12.

8) Killer Instinct - 9.

9) Endurance, - 10 - his engine was phenomenal. It’s either him or Marciano as best engine ever in the HW division.

10) Ring Generalship - 9 it was very good - he knew where he wanted his opponent and he often kept them there. He knew when to step on the gas and he nearly always got it right. He fought the fights on his terms.

 

Larry Holmes

Power - 7 15 stoppages in world title fights means he has solid power definitely not upper echelon level but I'd say 7 is fair.

Physical Attributes - 8 I wouldn't say he's the most eye pleasing fighter body type wise but he has a long reach and is a good solid height.

Handspeed, combination punching, Accuracy - 8 I wouldn't say Holmes was a great combination puncher but his punch accuracy and handspeed is upper echelon level though so I'll go with 8.

Footwork - 8 Good footwork good balance not much else to say certainly not on Ali's level but still very good.

Defence - 8 Was vulnerable to right hands and could be hittable still he had a good defence overall. I've actually changed my mind and gone with 8 instead, because in Holmes's 2nd career in his 40s he showed very good defence fighting on the ropes vs Mercer, Holyfield. And he did that without having his movement he once had as a younger man so he did all that primarily with defence and smarts.

Durability - 9 Only stopped once in 70+ fights he could also take body punishment see the Cooney and Norton fights. He could be hurt but his chin and survival instincts always held up better than most.

Heart - 10 Holmes was in some wars vs Weaver, Witherspoon, Norton, and dug very deep to win those fights. He also overcome one of the hardest right hands in history from a monster puncher like Shavers. There was never any quit in Holmes and he's definitely amongst the best ever in this attribute.

Killer Instinct - 8 If Holmes ever got a guy in trouble or he got hurt himself he would show he had a real mean streak in him.

Endurance - 9 Holmes often pulled out fights late on and he went 15 rounds in one of the best Heavyweight fights of all time vs Norton he has to rate highly.

Ring Generalship - 10 Holmes was a master at controlling center ring with his jab not many did it better.

Overall rating = 86

A very similar rating to Usyk.

 

Mike Tyson

Power - 9 one of the hardest hitting Heavyweights of all with either hand enough said.

Physical Attributes - 7 Physically he looks like a beast but he's very short with a short reach so he has to rate a bit lower for me.

Handspeed, Combination punching, Accuracy - 10 The easiest score of 10 I've ever done his handspeed, combination punching, were next level easily a 10.

Footwork - 9 Tyson had great footwork enough said.

Defence - 10 In his prime was very rarely hit with a solid punch one of the best defences of all time for a Heavyweight.

Durability - 9 Tyson took single punches better than most Heavyweights and he could take a beating he rates highly for me in this regard.

Heart - 7 I'm not of the believer that Tyson is a mental midget he's took beatings without ever giving up and he's survived a war against big punching Ruddock so he has some heart.

Killer Instinct - 10 This is Mike Tyson of course it's a 10.

Endurance - 7 Could go 12 rounds but I wouldn't say his Stamina was the best it's because he style so was taxing and high energy hard to keep those energy levels in the later rounds.

Ring Generalship - 7 I don't think he was the best in this regard.

Overall rating 85.

@dmt we had very similar ratings.

 

@dmt I'd be interested to see how you rate Lennox Lewis.

Lennox Lewis

Power - 9 One of the hardest punchers of all time enough said.

Physical Attributes - 10 Perfect sized Heavyweight.

Handspeed, Accuracy, Combination Punching - 8 Good in all areas and his handspeed for a big man was very good I'll go with 8.

Footwork - 6 I think this is one of Lewis's worst attributes not the best feet and could be a bit lumbering at times.

Defence - 7 Was quite hittable for me I don't think his defence was amazing and held his hands too low at times aswell.

Durability - 6 Again one of Lewis's worst attributes he has to rank lower due to the 1 punch loss stoppages. But I don't think he has a glass chin either he has shown some durability but I think above average is about right.

Heart - 8 Lewis was afraid of no man and showed toughness in fights.

Killer Instinct - 9 When motivated he was very dangerous and he has some brutal KOs but at times he could be passive.

Endurance - 7 I don't think Lewis has the best stamina it's not bad but not great either I think 7 is right.

Ring Generalship 10 - Lewis was a master at controlling a fight a distance.

Overall rating = 80.

PS I see you did it anyway lol @dmt