[EDIT] As requested I also included a third/fourth fight off between Dempsey and Marciano. 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 Bob Fitzsimmons beats Peter Jackson Jack Johnson beats Sam Langford Jack Dempsey beats Jack Sharkey Rocky Marciano beats Cleveland Williams Muhammad Ali beats Ken Norton Larry Holmes beats Michael Spinks Ray Mercer beats Mike Weaver David Tua beats Deontay Wilder Third Round Jim Jeffries beats Harry Wills Joe Louis beats Sonny Liston Jack Dempsey beats Ezzard Charles Lennox Lewis beats George Foreman Larry Holmes beats Wlad Klitschko Muhammad Ali beats David Tua Jack Johnson beats Bob Fitzsimmons Rocky Marciano beats Ray Mercer Quarter Finals Rocky Marciano beats Jim Jeffries Lennox Lewis beats Joe Louis Jack Dempsey beats Jack Johnson Muhammad Ali beats Larry Holmes Semi Finals Muhammad Ali beats Rocky Marciano Lennox Lewis beats Jack Dempsey Third/Fourth Fight Off Rocky Marciano beats Jack Dempsey Final Muhammad Ali beats Lennox Lewis
So canonically the greatest H2H Heavyweights according to classic forum are: 1. Muhammad Ali 2. Lennox Lewis 3. Rocky Marciano 4. Jack Dempsey With Joe Louis probably being 5th. Y'know, I can get behind that list. Even if I don't agree, it's defendable.
The last eight with Foreman and Wlad in a league would be a better indicator. The draw was harsh on Louis, I think he might get top four on the scenario I suggested. But yes, I think Ali and Lewis would still get the top two spots, and Marciano and Dempsey would both be in with a shout for a top 4 finish.
Not bad. The ones I disagree with are in yellow, but hardly picks I'm sure of. 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 This content is protected Lennox Lewis beats Shannon Briggs Tyson Fury beats Alexander Povetkin - Wait until Fury gets sparked, the revise this one 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 This content is protected Jimmy Bivins beats Jess Willard This content is protected Ezzard Charles beats Archie Moore This content is protected Michael Spinks beats Leon Spinks Ray Mercer beats Michael Moorer David Tua beats Anthony Joshua This content is protected Mike Weaver beats Hasim Rahman Larry Holmes beats Riddick Bowe Sonny Liston beats Jimmy Young Peter Jackson beats Peter Maher This content is protected 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 This content is protected Wlad Klitschko beats Tyson Fury This content is protected Jack Dempsey beats Jack Sharkey Rocky Marciano beats Cleveland Williams This content is protected This content is protected Larry Holmes beats Michael Spinks Ray Mercer beats Mike Weaver David Tua beats Deontay Wilder Third Round Jim Jeffries beats Harry Wills Joe Louis beats Sonny Liston Jack Dempsey beats Ezzard Charles Lennox Lewis beats George Foreman Larry Holmes beats Wlad Klitschko Muhammad Ali beats David Tua This content is protected Rocky Marciano beats Ray Mercer Quarter Finals This content is protected Lennox Lewis beats Joe Louis Jack Dempsey beats Jack Johnson This content is protected Semi Finals Muhammad Ali beats Rocky Marciano Lennox Lewis beats Jack Dempsey
Luck of the draw, blame the UK lottery! I separated Louis and Ali for the whole tournament, and tried to make initial match ups with fighters who fought roughly in the same era. Sadly the first couple of rounds were poor, due to too many match ups with fighters who had already fought, but that was the draw.
