The Ipswich Express Top 50 Heavyweights of All Time List

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by ipswich express, Mar 6, 2011.


  1. ipswich express

    ipswich express Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    23. Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe

    43-1 (33)

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    Best Wins: KO2 Bert Cooper, TKO8 Tyrell Biggs, KO1 Bruce Seldon, TKO7 Pierre Coetzer, W12 & TKO8 Evander Holyfield, W12 Larry Donald, WDQ7 & 9 Andrew Golota.

    Best Losses: L12 Evander Holyfield.

    Eddie Futch, perhaps the greatest trainer who ever lived once said that Riddick Bowe had more potential than any other fighter he ever trained. Unfortunately it must be said that Bowe never realised his true ability. His struggles with the scales between fights meant that his peak was over a lot quicker than it should have been. Had Bowe stayed truly dedicated I believe that he would be spoken of as a top 6 or so Heavyweight.

    For a man standing 6'5 Bowe had incredible inside fighting skills. His trilogy with Evander Holyfield is among the greatest in boxing history. Bowe showed the heart that many called into question, outlasting Holyfield in a brutal battle, capturing the title on points. He had two easy defenses before losing it back to Evander over 12 heats.

    Holyfield and Bowe were seen as the two premier Heavyweights in the world, despite Lennox Lewis holding the WBC crown. Bowe stopped Holyfield in the rubber match and the talk shifted to a bout with a comebacking Mike Tyson. Unfortunately this fight never eventuated. Bowe's career fizzled out despite two blood and guts showings against Andrew Golota. It is fair to say that the Holyfield trilogy took more out of the victor than the vanquished.

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kim2nTQI13E[/ame]
     
  2. ipswich express

    ipswich express Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    22. Wladimir "Dr Steelhammer" Klitschko

    55-3 (49)

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    Best Wins: TKO7 Monte Barrett, TKO10 Jameel McCline, W12 and KO10 Sam Peter, TKO9 Ruslan Chagaev, KO12 Eddie Chambers.

    Wladimir Klitschko is a former Olympic gold medalist who has reinvented himself under the watchful eye of Emanuel Steward. Klitschko's career seemed to be heading south after he was knocked out by Lamon Brewster. It was his third loss via stoppage.

    Steward, who is renowned for having aggressive fighters, has managed to make Wladimir establish his pulverising jab, which leads to a sledgehammer of a straight right. It is a formula that has since proven very effective, with Klitschko 8 successful defences of his IBF title.

    Klitschko faces his biggest test as a professional in what looks to be his next bout. He faces former Cruiserweight champion and current WBA champion David Haye. It is a fight that will shape his career.

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjrfL3Hu_8[/ame]
     
  3. Kegsy

    Kegsy Lights Out Full Member

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    Would love 1 of those old school HBO boxing shirts.:good
     
  4. darkhorse

    darkhorse Boxing Addict Full Member

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    great to revisit Riddick Bowe....damn...what could've been.
     
  5. darkhorse

    darkhorse Boxing Addict Full Member

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    would Bowe have beated Lewis in the pro's???...the 64 million dollar question.
     
  6. ipswich express

    ipswich express Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    21. Floyd Patterson "The Gentleman of Boxing"

    55-8-1 (40)

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    Best Wins: KO3 Alvin Williams, W12 Tommy Jackson, KO5 Archie Moore, W12 Roy Harris, KO 11 Brian London, KO5 Ingemar Johansson, W12 Eddie Machen, W12 George Chuvalo, KO4 Henry Cooper, W10 Oscar Bonavena.

    Best Losses: TKO by 12 Muhammad Ali, D10 & L12 Jerry Quarry, L15 Jimmy Ellis.

    Started his professional career just over the Middleweight limit, before settling in with the big boys. Defeated Tommy Jackson in a close encounter before blitzing Archie Moore for the vacant title, becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion in history, at the age of 21 years and 10 months.

    Patterson made a series of defences before being rolled by Ingemar Johansson for the title, a defeat that he was to revenge twice, thus becoming the first fighter in the history of boxing to regain the World Heavyweight championship.

    Patterson lost his title for the second time when he was crushed by Sonny Liston inside of a round. The rematch would prove to be no different, with Sonny again demolishing his foe.

    Patterson however refused to ride off into the sunset. Unknown to many casual followers of the sport, he notched some fantastic victories over excellent fighters such as Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo and Oscar Bonavena after losing his crown. He also challenged Ali unsuccessfully for his title and lost a rematch in the last fight of his professional career.

    At no point in his career did Patterson weigh over the modern day Cruiserweight limit. Despite this, he had an impressive knockout percentage while fighting larger men for the majority of his career. He fought out of a peek-a-boo stance from which he could launch lethal left hooks. It was a style that Tyson later imitated. Of course both men were trained by Cus D'Amato.

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4qAkLPH938&feature=related[/ame]
     
  7. ipswich express

    ipswich express Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    20. Gene Tunney "The Fighting Marine"

    80-1-3 (48 )

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    Best Wins: KO12 Tommy Gibbons, W12 Johnny Risko, W10 x 2 Jack Dempsey, TKO11 Tom Heeney.

    "The Fighting Marine" went from Middleweight to Heavyweight and fought the best of a generation on the way. He was near unbeatable at Light Heavyweight. His series of fights with Harry Greb are considered some of the greatest battles boxing has ever seen.

    Tunney moved up to Heavyweight and studied films of Dempsey. He also got in some of Dempsey's old opponents as sparring partners, trying to learn as much as he could about the ferocious champion. This proved to be highly successful, with Tunney annexing Dempsey's title in front of 120,000 fans. At the time Dempsey was seen by the general public as absolutely unbeatable.

    The rematch is forever tainted in controversy due to the "long count", however Tunney won the fight with a masterful display of boxing. He defended world sports greatest prize on just one further occassion, knocking out New Zealand's Tom Heeney in 11 rounds.

    He possessed a flawless technique, combined with respectable power and tremendous handspeed.

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndlxvs5xbbg[/ame]
     
  8. darkhorse

    darkhorse Boxing Addict Full Member

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    you got a great writin' style Ippy...i'm really gettin' into this....

    ...on Floyd Patterson...his peekaboo style could also be described as 'aggressive defense'....or a 'bobbing attack'....much the same as the style that made Dempsey so successful...Cus D'mato adopted this style as his own with Jose Torres as well as Floyd...Joe Frazier would also have plenty of success with the same style and Iron Mike many years later....interesting that Mike's slide downhill began when he drifted away from this style and turned into a one punch bully....
     
  9. roscoe

    roscoe Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Top shelve effort again Ippy...........great read mate.
     
  10. Dr Gonzo

    Dr Gonzo Yo! Molesta La Breastas! Full Member

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    ippy you should consider doing an article for the front page of the site... you write well

    Ali or Louis? Who will our number one be? Will Marciano be 3-5? all these questions and more
     
  11. Liechhardt

    Liechhardt Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Wlad 23. Can't wait to see how high Ross, Lamon and Corrie are rated.
     
  12. ipswich express

    ipswich express Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Wladimir at 22 simply through holding his IBF version belt longer than any other fighter in the division's history. I think it's fair to say I'm not the Klitschko's biggest fan, but Wladimir's dominance can't be totally ignored. Yes he's fighting garbage opponents for the most part, but he is beating them all. Have I got him too high? Possibly... I wouldn't argue either way.
     
  13. Dr Gonzo

    Dr Gonzo Yo! Molesta La Breastas! Full Member

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    i would have him in my top 25 as well... he has beaten all comers and can only work with what he has been given
     
  14. roscoe

    roscoe Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'll ask this how would Wlad go against a prime Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis or Bowe. I personally don't think he would of beaten any of them.
     
  15. ipswich express

    ipswich express Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Mate I don't think he beats any of them. You've got no idea how long I deliberated about ranking him ahead of Bowe.