Select the toughest top 10 heavyweight contenders possible

Depends who has the bargaining power, how much money the champ happens to need, who's offering a bigger purse...and which fighters beat each other to get the #1 spot.

 

Let's try a slightly different design philosophy...

So, we will have to see off Ali, Tyson, Foreman, Wlad, Fury, Lewis, Holmes, and some others.

We'll start with the people who've actually taken some of these folks out.

1) Sanders - vs Wlad
2) Brewster - vs Wlad
3) McCall - vs Lewis
4) Young - vs Foreman
5) Norton - vs (older) Ali

That gives you a good base to start from. At least you know that each of these guys is capable of beating one fighter on the list.

How many do we keep? Young is a good enough spoiler that he might pose a risk to Holmes or Lewis. McCall MIGHT beat Wlad, and has the tools to defeat Foreman. Knocked down Tyson, too, although he'd probably lose that one. Brewster I have my doubts about, but he beat Wlad and could play a swarmer with a hook against Ali, Holmes, or Fury. Sanders can stop either Lewis or Wlad, I suspect.

So who isn't covered by at least one hard-counter? Mike Tyson, Fury, and Holmes.

Foreman may well lose to either Young or McCall, so we don't need to worry about him as much. Wlad is also hard countered by two different fighters. Lewis has McCall, and I could see him losing to either Sanders or Young under the right circumstances.

Ali is worrying, too. Yes, Kenny is there to beat him, but that wasn't the best Ali, and Ali made their actual fights close even in old age.

So who beats Ali? Well, the only guy who beat him near his best was a swarmer with a left hook. Brewster is sort of that, but I don't think that's enough. Cooney might work, since he has the left hook and range, although he's not a swarmer. Hm. Dunno.

Holmes, I already have Norton for. I'll throw in Witherspoon as well, who's considered the best of the non-Holmes lot, and is good enough to pose a threat to other people as well.

Tyson, you need someone like Holyfield or Douglas close to Tyson's prime. Can't think of many contenders like that.

Hm. Will have to give some more thought to this.