What Do You Think About HBO's Top 10?

Is that in order, as in Larry Holmes is the 5th best heavyweight of all time according to HBO? Marciano ahead of Foreman and Frazier?

 

theres no argument for anyone other than Ali and Louis being ahead of Lewis. And Tyson would crush most of those guys

 

Tyson instead of Lewis. The rest in good order.

 

Holyfield should go higher, Lewis should be higher.(Holyfield still above Lewis as this isn't h2h)
Dempsey should **** off.
Johnson should also not be in the top 10 imo.

I like Holyfield the most since he was always the smaller guy in his hw fights.
Louis and Lewis outweighted 70% of their opponents, and they were known to be inshape fighters so it's not because they were fat.
Same goes for the other guys in that top 10. (Also for Tyson who was bigger than most of his opponents in his prime up to the Spinks fight.)

Marciano is the only one like Holyfield without a size advantage in that top 10, but the weight difference was often minimal compared to that of the guys Holyfield fought.

I think Holyfield should go up more spots because he accomplished it all without a natural size advantage a truly great fighter and a warrior.

 

Tunney should be there. Holmes at 5 is too high in my opinion.

Not sure why people think Dempsey shouldn't be there. Do you mean he should be lower or not on the list at all?

 

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dempsey_%28fish%29[/url]

Jack Dempsey is pretty to look at, but in the ring he's like a fish...

 

Sorry, I think I'm missing something here mate!?

 

Yet they rated Holyfield and Frazier?

 

Top 2 - I prefer Louis, however you can't really argue against either order

3-4 - if we're talking about greatness (I doubt HBO have a set criteria like 33% resume 33% achievements 33% H2H) I don't mind Johnson this high. dempsey on the other hand im not so sure, Jack's achievement becoming the first ever black heavyweight champion is one if the best accomplishments of all time. He was head and shoulders above anyone in his era at heavyweight.

5-7 Holmes is very much a poor mans Johnson, however with the development of the human race and boxing itself, makes Holmes seem like a viable candidate for a top 5 ranking. He fought to many 10-16 fight guys, arguably didn't beat Spoon, never unified the titles and lost (or had fits) with the only a level fighters he faced. Holyfield is slightly to high for me, as Lewis was clearly the best heavyweight of the 90s pack, but anywhere behind Lewis I could accept. Marciano is too low, although you can argue him around this position as his legacy is based on beating great fighters slightly past their best.

8-10 I like all 3 men slightly higher than they are. Foreman becoming the oldest heavyweight champion is unmatched in sports history, nothing like this has ever happened before hence why I have him 4/5th. Frazier has one of the greatest wins as a heavyweight and that victory visibly took a lot out of him. Frazier is linked to foreman like Holyfield is to Lewis for me. Frazier 1 (or more) place below Foreman in the top 10 is acceptable. Lewis' resume is simply far to good to have him squeak inside the top 10 he's a legit top 5 if you ask me

Most people's lists are decided by how they feel about each fighter and era, hence why the different lists on the classics are so diverse, so I'll post mine just for fun.

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Rocky Marciano
4. George Foreman
5. Lennox Lewis
6. Jack Johnson
7. Joe Frazier
8. Larry Holmes
9. Evander Holyfield
10. Mike Tyson

 

Hey Webbiano, why Marciano so high? I love watching his fights, but feel his resume falls a bit short. Walcott was at the end of his career and still gave Rocky problems first time around. I see Charles as being vastly over-rated at times (as a Heavy). Louis barely recognisable, Moore didn't set the heather on fire at heavyweight. Just my opinion, but I don't think he warrants a place in the top 5.

Dempsey not in the top 10? I think he should be ahead of Holmes and Tyson at least. He lacked a hugely defining moment, such as Foreman for Ali, Ali for Frazier, Conn or Schmeling for Louis or Frazier and Moorer for Foreman, but he had a pretty deep resume. His run to the title was good and his win over Sharkey is overlooked. I have him at 3, though I might revise that...nonetheless, I don't think I'd have him outside of my top 5, sheerly for consistently beating the best.

 

Johnson did nothing at heavyweight to be considered for such a lofty position. Dempsey also is more the product of a publicity campaign than a fighter who deserves this position.

And Tyson belongs in here above several including Dempsey.

 

I disagree on Tyson > Dempsey.

Jack's run to the title was better (Brennan, Fulton, Miske). His brutal title win over Willard was as impressive as Tyson's. His defenses against Gibbons and Sharkey were excellent, amongst others.

 

Brennan had more than a dozen losses going into the title bout. He built up a run of wins over a bunch of ham and eggers but he had already lost to Greb, a middleweight, 4 times. Who was that crappy on Tyson's championship ledger?

Fulton was pre-title, and was big and rangy and could punch. Later was to found to be no measure of Wills, one of the two men who deserved a title shot over every Dempsey defense up till and possibly including Tunney. Fulton is arguably Dempsey's greatest victory. However, is it anywhere near as good as beating Spinks who had beaten The Man? Isn't it more along the lines of the Berbick or Tucker victories?

Miske was sick as a dog for his title shot against Dempsey and Dempsey still cheap shotted him. Horrible and worthless as a victory.

Willard was semi-retired and 37 when Dempsey beat him. This might be analogous to the Holmes victory except that Larry Holmes is one of the 5 greats heavies of all time and Willard isn't even top 25.

Gibbons? A decent foul-filled defense, but why not fight Greb who had beaten Gibbons as well as other Dempsey defenses Miske, Brennan, Darcy and Tunney?

Did Tyson sit on the title for year? Did he duck such deserving opponents as Wills and Greb? These are serious marks on Dempsey's legacy.