The Top 100 Pound for Pound All-Time Greats

Good question and hopefully some more chime in although you might want to start a separate/new thread as I don’t know how many revisit this one frequently.

For me the resume is contrasted and while other factors weigh in the favor of success or sustained success in multiple weight divisions, I balance it against that same criteria of longevity accomplishment ranked opposition for those who didn’t or were not built to navigate multiple weight divisions. Hagler Monzon Hopkins spring to mind as do HW’s in general. I try and contrast the opposition and sustained level of greatness but that does not exclude those who had sustained greatness in one or very few divisions. I do think doing that in multiple divisions gives added points and is why many of the top tier guys did in fact achieve greatness in multiple classes or divisions. Which is probably why the Haglers/Monzons for example come on in the 20s ? Even though their duration and defenses are on par or exceeds others it also lacks the multiple weight level enhancements of others. But good question that I hope others who do ratings will comment on

 

I thought the idea of p4p was that you don't equate for their weight or size, you rank purely on their skills and attributes. Obviously resume and achievements would come into play, but more of a way to compare fighters from different weight divisions in more of a H2H manner.

 

Foreman deserves to be higher than 100. Lewis deserves to be higher than 94. Sweat pea is too high for me and the same with Rocky. Gene Tunney is a bit low as well. But it’s just my opinion

 

And your opinion means absolutely nothing

 

Eh...It means as much as anyone else's on this topic not named McGrain.

 

No it doesn’t as he’s given no reasoning for it.

 

Ewps, I thought this was heavyweights. Not sure where to put this, so forgive me for beng such a noob.

1) Muhammad Ali (Unbeatable in the 60s, was only beaten by great fighters in the early to mid 70s. No one could touch Ali in his first run as champion, and I personally believe he would have beaten every other on this list during that time.).
2) Joe Louis (do I really need to explain?)
3) Larry Holmes (Greatest heavyweight jab ever, and nearly as great a ring general as Ali...despite the cries of lack of competition he was unbeatable post-Norton to 1985)
4) George Foreman (just take in his entire career. Wasn't much of a boxer, but such a devastatingly heavy puncher with the added gift of being a truly terrifying finisher. Unbelievably enduring, resilient in the 90s. He had an outrageously great and heavy (but woefully underused) left jab. ..had he employed it a long with more head and foot movement he might have overtaken Holmes on this list)
5) Jack Johnson (An all arounder, like Louis. Possibly the most tragic casualty in boxing due to the politics of the time)
6) Jack Dempsey (Even moreso than Tyson and Frazier, the most id-fueled swarmer in heavyweight history. Very much like an unstoppable force of nature at his best, regardless of being so light for a heavyweight)
7) Joe Frazier (Greatest left hook and, when he beat Ali, probably better than Foreman and Dempsey ever were. He's ranked down because, like Tyson, he really didn't last that long at his peak.)
8) Rocky Marciano (I'm a bit grudging putting him over Liston and Holyfield due to the rawther, uh...elderly nature of his competition. Hard to fight that record, though)
9) Sonny Liston (faster than Foreman and heavier-fisted than Tyson and Frazier. Again, his peak just didn't last that long imo)
10) Evander Holyfield (fantastic heart, terrific and unorthodox style...at his peak Evander was a terrific sight to see imo. Had the health issues not existed he would have more resoundingly beat Holmes and Foreman...and probably never lost to Lewis and Moorer).

 

Just start a thread or add your list to the Top 10 HW thread on page 1 as of today

No Lewis or Tyson might need explaining (possible I just don’t see it) Dempsey Liston to high. But like all of our lists it’s an opinion and worth discussing

 

Tyson was the most savage fighter I've ever seen... But no heart. The time he could have proved himself as having a great heart would have been the 2nd Holy field or against Lewis. He failed miserably. How can a fighter be great without a champion's heart. And let's be real... He was a rapist. That's not a great champion in my book. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't think so. Foreman would have knocked him silly, back in the day Ali Holmes and Louis would have stopped him... I think even he's admitted that. As far as Lewis goes I put him after Holy field because for most of his career he was almost solely the right hand. It wasn't until much later he got his jab together along with some fine moves...and then he was great. But my opinion is worth zero anyway, I'm just glad to hang here with other boxing fans. They're all great fighters of course!

 

. Doesn't that apply to everyone?

 

No ones opinion is worth all that much, but an open exchange of ideologies, theories and dialogue can only be beneficial in any realm.

Tyson is a convicted rapist, so if that precludes him from being ranked on your list I won’t debate it or try to dissuade you. I would hope you at least maintain a consistent integrity when it comes to Murderer and wife beaters. If however you rate Monzon at MW highly I would say you are lacking in intellectual and moral consistency.

I rate merely on terms of longevity, accomplishment, ranked opposition so by my criteria he is 7-9 tier (alongside Frazier and Holyfield) and pretty firmly entrenched, convicted felon aside, and does not rise or fall based on out of the ring behavior.

While I have long (ever since Holyfield vs Dokes) maintained the belief that Holyfield would beat Tyson. And he did, but in fairness he really was 8-10 years removed from his prime. Since I try to balance the value of a win and loss by the quality of the fighter and opponent regardless of my personal likes or dislikes and go only on the in ring evidence. I hope (but am sure I fall short) to achieve an unbiased consistency

 

You have me thinking...by the same champion's heart reasoning I should take Liston off the list... He was a bully and quitter. So now we have Lewis in my top ten.

 

Lol I hope you don’t change all of your opinions that easily, or you will have a rough time around here.

Either way good luck and welcome to the forum

 

I hate rapists. But I rank Tyson down because he didn't ever come back from a beating and win. To me the championship heart is a very big indicator of greatness. How did Mike ever show that? Meant respectfully to you.

 

If people take lists that seriously I won't be here long my friend.