top ten greatest UK heavyweights

I personally do not rate active fighters in an all time great list. Simply because its difficult to assess where an active fighter ranks until the dust has settled on their career.

So my top 10, not including any active fighters is as follows;

1. Lennox Lewis- stand out number 1 without a doubt.
2. Frank Bruno- stand out number 2.
3. Henry Cooper
4. David Haye
5. Joe Bugner
6. Herbie Hide
7. Gary Mason
8. Henry Akinwande
9. Matt Skelton
10. Bombardier Billy Wells

Upon retirement Chisora, Danny Williams, Whyte, AJ and Tyson Fury should all be ranking in the list. It is a very strong era currently.

 

Based purely on achievements, and ignoring head to head:

1) Lewis
2) Fitzsimmons
3) Fury
4) Joshua
5) Bruno
6) Bugner
7) Farr
8) Cooper
9) Haye
10) Whyte

The top 4 are pretty easy picks. Fitz has more depth to his resume than Fury, although a couple more big wins could change that.

There is a big gap to 5-7, who are pretty much interchangeable to me. After that point it gets very murky and difficult to rate. There’s arguments for Woodcock, Akinwande, Hide and Mason. How does Cooper’s decade-long dominance over British/Euro opposition compare to Haye’s fleeting success at world level?

Head to Head would look a lot different. It’s obviously unthinkable that Fitz could compete with Joshua or Fury due to the difference in size. He did however clean out the heavyweight division at the time, which no other British heavyweight can claim other than Lewis.

 

Retired fighters only...

1. Lennox Lewis
2. Frank Bruno
3. Henry Cooper
4. David Haye
5. Joe Bugner
6. Herbie Hide
7. Gary Mason
8. Henry Akinwande
9. Scott Welch
10. Horace Notice

 

Lennox Lewis
Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua
Frank Bruno
David Haye
Herbie Hyde
Henry Cooper
Dillian Whyte
Joe Bugner
Brian London

I found it hard to place Fitzsimmons on the list purely based on lack of size and his era being in the late 1800’s... but can’t blame anyone for ranking him in top three.

Did have Michael Bentt in 8th place but realised he was born in England and raised in America

 

1. Lennox Lewis
2. Tyson Fury *
3. Anthony Joshua *
4. Tommy Farr
5. Joe Bugner
6. Frank Bruno
7. Henry Cooper
8. Dillian Whyte *
9. Henry Akinwande
10. Gary Mason

* Still active, could end up ranked somewhere else.

 

Similarly, ignoring H2H.

1. Lewis
2. Joshua
3. Fury
4. Fitzsimmons
5. Bruno
6. Whyte
7. Haye
8. Bugner
9. Farr
10. Cockell

 

Lewis
Bugner
Bruno
Mason
Haye
Farr
Cooper
Fitz
Johnson
Walker

 

Interesting lists. Whyte massively over rated for me on this. Beating Del Boy twice (first one very controversial) and a controversial win over Parker makes him a top 5-10 of all time in the UK. That’s ridiculous

I haven’t done a list myself so maybe it is valid but he hasn’t achieved anything yet so is too high for me.

 

Even ignoring the knock down that shouldn't of counted Whyte still should of won by several points against Parker. Parker struggled for the majority of fight with Whyte physicality, jab and body work. Granted Parker did work Whyte out late on as Whyte gassed and Parker gave him hell at the end. I would back Parker in potential remacth, that said Whyte derseved the victory on points.

Whyte beat Rivas by a hefty points lead despite giving him a scare late on.

Beating Chisora twice and beating Helenius.

That's a better resume of wins than Haye or Bruno have.

 

I agree with you on the Parker fight. I just see it as a fight Parker lost more than Whyte won if you get me.

Rivas, Helenius and Del Boy are all ok wins but not the murderers row Hearn would let people believe.

 

1. Lennox Lewis
2. Tyson Fury
3. Anthony Joshua
4. David Haye
5. Henry Cooper
6. Danny Williams
7. Frank Bruno
8. Derick Chisora
9. Herbie Hide
10. Henry Akinwande

 

Joe Bugner behind Whyte ? Could Whyte go 39 rounds with Ali and Frazier ?

 

Billy Walker ? Great entertainer but I wouldn't Billy above Jack Bodell.

 

But not better than Joe Bugner's.