Top 10 Heavyweight Champions

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Seamus, Sep 4, 2010.


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  1. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Please to list your top-10 heavyweights from Sullivan forward based on championship record, which incorporates number of and quality of title defense performances and the quality of challengers. The one grey area here would be the Coloured Championship which I think we should allow in this discussion.

    I am still cogitating upon my selection. Number 1 is easy in my book, but it gets tricky after that.
     
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    #1
  2. PetethePrince

    PetethePrince Slick & Redheaded Full Member

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    If a fighter has more than one reign, can we count all of his title work? Or is this about the best championship reigns? I'm going to assume the former. It's hard computing the colored title, as it's not the best but it's a very high class. Also, it seems not as definitive and more of a perception/claim. I mean Langford defends his colored title and keeps it for for a years after Willis started to consistently have his number.

    Number 1 is Joe Louis, obviously.

    Okay, of the top of my head.

    1. Joe Louis
    2. Muhammad Ali
    3. Jack Johnson
    4. Lennox Lewis
    5. Rocky Marciano
    6. Larry Holmes
    7. Mike Tyson
    8. Evander Holyfield
    9. Harry Willis
    10. Joe Frazier
    11. Jim Jeffries
    12. Sam Langford
    13. Wladimir Klitschko
     
    PetethePrince, Sep 4, 2010
    PetethePrince, Sep 4, 2010
    #2
  3. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    I think a couple of guys who lost the championship are still great champions. And their performances on that stage, even in losses, were gallant.

    Yes, number 1 is pretty obvious.
     
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    #3
  4. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    Based on Championship Record including Colored title Reign

    1. Joe Louis
    2. Muhammad Ali
    3. Mike Tyson
    4. Rocky Marciano
    5. Jack Johnson
    6. Lennox Lewis
    7. Larry Holmes
    8. Joe Frazier
    9. James Jeffries
    10. Wladimir Klitschko
     
    SuzieQ49, Sep 4, 2010
    SuzieQ49, Sep 4, 2010
    #4
  5. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I guess it would go something like this:

    1. Joe Louis
    2. Muhamad Ali
    3. John L Sullivan
    4. Jim Jeffries
    5. Rocky Marciano
    6. Lennox Lewis
    7. Larry Holmes
    8. Jack Dempsey
    9. Jack Johnson
    10. Floyd Patterson
    11. Mike Tyson (could be higher depending on when his reign starts)

    Wladamir Klitschko easily makes the list if you count him as a lineal champion.

    If we allow the coloured championship then Jack Johnson goes up to the third slot while Sam Langford and Harry Wills join the list.
     
    janitor, Sep 4, 2010
    janitor, Sep 4, 2010
    #5
  6. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    That is a tricky one due to the real strength in this context is his Colored Reign. But fair enough.

    By the way, how come Hart wasn't awarded the Colored Championship after defeating Johnson?
     
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    #6
  7. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    He was missing a key qualification.
     
    janitor, Sep 4, 2010
    janitor, Sep 4, 2010
    #7
  8. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He wasn't coloured. :good

    Does Harry Wills's reign rate anywhere?
     
    TheGreatA, Sep 4, 2010
    TheGreatA, Sep 4, 2010
    #8
  9. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    I could be wrong but I think I have seen North Americans hold the South American or Pan Oceanic championships.
     
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    #9
  10. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    You would be right. It is not long ago that Andrew Golota, a Pole, contested against Mike Mollo, an Italian-American, for the WBA Latin American title. I guess they were more strict in the old days.
     
    TheGreatA, Sep 4, 2010
    TheGreatA, Sep 4, 2010
    #10
  11. PetethePrince

    PetethePrince Slick & Redheaded Full Member

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    Yes, but it didn't work that way for the colored title. Langford lost to Flynn and many other whites. He still was the colored champ.
     
    PetethePrince, Sep 4, 2010
    PetethePrince, Sep 4, 2010
    #11
  12. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    As far as I can tell, it was a pret hard and fast requirment that you had to be black to contest the coloured title.
     
    janitor, Sep 4, 2010
    janitor, Sep 4, 2010
    #12
  13. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    THAT'S RACIST! :nono
     
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    Seamus, Sep 4, 2010
    #13
  14. Bokaj

    Bokaj Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    :lol:
     
    Bokaj, Sep 4, 2010
    Bokaj, Sep 4, 2010
    #14
  15. frankenfrank

    frankenfrank Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    1. Sam Langford
    2. Lennox Lewis
    3. Muhammad Ali
    4. Joe Louis
    5. Evander Holyfield
    6. Mike Tyson
    7. Rocky Marciano
    8. Vitali Klitschko
    9. Wladimir Klitschko
    10. Larry Holmes
     
    frankenfrank, Sep 5, 2010
    frankenfrank, Sep 5, 2010
    #15
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