Top Ten Greatest Heavyweights Ever

A true champion cannot lose his title except in the ring or upon retirement. The paper championships are meaningless. Boxing history 101.

 

Head to head ...Bowe won two one by ko...Holy won one so Bowe is on top. ATG...Bowe does not make any top ten...Holy may.

 

but young bowe was lucky to get holyfield (30 yrs old) when he did. the holyfield of douglas or even formean era (two years prior) ko's that bowe imo- and i still believe that holyfield was on his way to a ko in their rematch, before the fan man debacle.

 

Through no fault of Lewis.

1. He beat the **** out of Tyson when both were teenagers ( although to all intents and purposes Tyson was already a pro, as his only schooling was from D'Amato's woman friend, in the evenings, after spending all day involved in boxing ) so D'Amato had LL thrown out of the gym after 2 days.

2. Tyson paid step aside money to Lewis in 96 rather than fight him, taking on what was considered to be the easy option ( Holyfield ) hahaha. Great plan that turned out to be.

3. Tyson ONLY fought Lewis in 2002 because he was in so much debt he was forced to, as that was the highest possible payday.

So if you want to cry about Tyson being this that or the other, ask him why he didn't want it earlier.

 

Louis
Ali
Holmes
Foreman
Jeffries
Lewis
Marciano
Dempsey
Johnson
Klitschko
Tunney
Tyson
Charles
Fraizer
Liston
V. Klitschko
Holyfield
Schmeling
Wills
Langford

 

They all loved Frank Bruno though.

Lewis was a winner. Who didn`t he beat? Whether he was always a spectacular performer is a different question. He did what was necessary to win fights.

His resume is more impressive than most.

 

Probably Lawrence. That`s about it. The EA had uncommon consistancy but doesn`t have better names on his record than the Big Dog.

 

C'mon, who doesn't like a list?

Who doesn't like a boxing list?

Who doesn't like a Heavyweight boxing list?

Anyhow:


Ali
Louis

Lewis
Holmes
Marciano
Johnson

Foreman
Jeffries

Liston
Tyson
-----------------------------------------------------

Next guys (in no particular order): Holy, Wlad, Dempsey, Frazier, Wills

 

Louis
Ali
Frazier
Johnson
Lewis
Marciano
Holmes
Tyson
Foreman
Dempsey

Not my final version, there's still room for some changes.

 

Marciano basically played capture the flag with the title. He got in quickly to a depleted division that was ruled by very aged fighters, guys with 100 fights under their belts and/or former light heavies. God Bless him for seizing the opportunity offered but he was only champ for 3 years and his career was essentially only 7 years, mostly fought at regional circuit level. Lennox fought at the top level a good ten or eleven year, in an era loaded with stupefying punchers. He maintained top level abilities in a tough era where one punch truly turned fortunes. I just don't see the absolute equivalency between eras at heavyweight. And it's not just a tale of the tape thing tho that is a part of it.

Holmes was not considered to be any great shakes by his contemporaries and certainly benefited from facing his best challengers when they were very green or protected. Even that said, his best challengers were a motley lot. I am a big Larry fan, both personally and professionally. I just can't rank him above Lennox.

So, if Lewis' defeat of Tyson holds no water, what of Johnson's defeat of Jeffries. At least Tyson was active and a force in the division. Johnson had one of the most pathetic title reigns we can find in the division, full of no-hopers and bad performances. His greatness rests largely on beating a 153 pound Langford and rather green versions of Jeanette and McVey. He is a Great in the big sense of the word but less for what he did than when he did it.

All that said, these guys are clearly all in the discussion of top 10 or even top 5 heavies. It's just that I include Lewis in that discussion, also.

 

I must say that Lennox was a very impressive fighter. Very impressive. I kinda regret not appreciating him more when he was around. If I had a list (which I don't because I see little sense in it these days) Lewis would be inching his way up it.

Larry by contrast, would have slid a few places since last I attempted a list, which was probably 20-odd years back.

 

Marciano went 49-0 in a division that had some of the highest skilled HWs known to man. Master boxers such as Walcot, Moore and Charles who regardless of age and number of fights were at the top of their game when he beat them.
He did that without being a very high skilled operator himself and without any amateur pedigree or olympic gold medals.
He survived knockdows, fought full hard 15 rounders and scored knock out victories late in a fight. Something Lewis never done.
The Rock fought rematches better having adapted to the opponents style. Lewis performed worse in rematches and most of the time never sought them.
He may of fought at top level for 10 -11 year , but he wasn't winning. There's a big difference.
Marciano won for every year he was active.
Its ridiculous to rank him over Rock.

 

1 Joseph Louis
2 Marciano
3 Ali
4 Dempsey
5 Lewis
6 Foreman
7 Frazier
8 Walcott
9 Tyson
10 Holmes

 

Lewis never beat the **** out of any Mike Tyson as teenagers. Tyson scared Lewis so bad he hid out for another stint in the amateurs and Lewis still carried that fear in him against 2002 corpse version of Mike.

King offered Lewis a quater of the money he would of got fighting Tyson in 1996 on top of a title shot and Lewis refused.
I repeat, Lewis took the money and walked away.
That was so Tyson could fight Seldon and unify the belts, not Holyfield.

 

Tyson avoided Lewis in `96 and only fought him in `02 because he was desperate for $ and he knew his career was coming to a halt. Remember Lewis wasn`t a Spring Chicken when they fought either.

We know Tyson wasn`t the same but who`s fault is that? He wanted to be in a ring with Lennox Lewis about as much as he wanted Polio.