I have created a 64 man tournament involving the most (all?) of the best Heavyweights of the time period. All fighters have come to MSG in 2019 and will fight under modern rules, but over 15 rounds with neutral judges. All fighters are assumed to be at their peak. As it is a long tournament I will try and avoid clogging the board by doing four/five fights at a time, so you have four/five votes. I have split fighters into eight sections, so their first three fights will be fights generally against fighters of their era or near their era. My vote will only count to break a tie. First Round results thus far: Jim Jeffries beats Joe Jeannette Harry Wills beats Tommy Burns Max Baer beats Jimmy Braddock Cleveland Williams beats Billy Conn Muhammad Ali beats Jerry Quarry George Foreman beats Mike Tyson Lennox Lewis beats Shannon Briggs Tyson Fury beats Alexander Povetkin Wlad Klitschko beats Roy Jones Vitali Klitschko beats Razor Ruddock Evander Holyfield beats Buster Douglas Ken Norton beats Ingemar Johansson Floyd Patterson beats Zora Folley Joe Louis beats Max Schmeling Sam Langford beats Fred Fulton Bob Fitzsimmons beats James J Corbett John L Sullivan beats Tom Sharkey Jimmy Bivins beats Jess Willard Jack Dempsey beats Gene Tunney Ezzard Charles beats Archie Moore Joe Frazier beats Tim Witherspoon Michael Spinks beats Leon Spinks Ray Mercer beats Michael Moorer David Tua beats Anthony Joshua Deontay Wilder beats Corrie Sanders Mike Weaver beats Hasim Rahman Larry Holmes beats Riddick Bowe Sonny Liston beats Jimmy Young Peter Jackson beats Peter Maher Jack Johnson beats Marvin Hart Jack Sharkey beats Primo Carnera Rocky Marciano beats Jersey Joe Walcott Second Round Jim Jeffries beats John L Sullivan Harry Wills beats Jim Bivins Joe Louis beats Max Baer Ezzard Charles beats Floyd Patterson Sonny Liston beats Joe Frazier George Foreman beats Evander Holyfield Lennox Lewis beats Vitali Klitschko Wlad Klitschko beats Tyson Fury
Tua vs Wilder is a tough one. I rate them both around 25-20 on H2H Heavyweights and wheras Tua can take what Wilder dishes out I and return some, some of which I seem to doubt Wilder can take, I fear Tua may retreat to his ball after feeling Wilder's power and Wilder could take a decision
That is my take. Lewis showed the way to beat Tua: Keep him on the jab and if Tua does threaten with the left hook fire out the right and make the Samoan/New Zealander think twice. Wilder is not as educated (boxing wise) as Lewis, but his right hand power very much compares to The Lion's, so the same strategy probably works for him as well.
