Where do you rank Jack Dempsey??

No offense: Charles and Tunney were great fighters but I'm interested to hear your reasoning on putting them quite so high on your list overall (the depth of their respective CV's, amongst other things doesn't warrant a Top 10 placing IMO). Top 20? Yes, absolutely. Both were legit ATG's at Light Heavyweight. I agree that Dempsey doesn't make the cut, but how exactly does he eat Foreman for breakfast? More like the other way round IMO, Foreman would mash him in the early rounds. Marciano whilst overrated head-to-head gets a Top 5 position overall because of his unblemished record (not the strongest era in HW history, but not quite the very weakest either).

Where exactly do you place Lewis, Tyson, Holyfield and Jeffries?

 

Great effort I must say. I've only got my Top 20 at the minute, there are some fighters who'd be in consideration for making the grade from 20-30 but I've haven't put 'em into any concise order just yet. Interesting that you have Jeffries as high as #7 and Liston at #3 overall (or is the later based on head-to-head? if so I can fully understand that. I'd have him top 5 in that regard too).

Here's my Top 20:


1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Larry Holmes
4. Lennox Lewis
5. Rocky Marciano
6. Joe Frazier
7. Sonny Liston
8. Mike Tyson
9. Jack Johnson
10. Evander Holyfield
11. George Foreman
12. Jim Jeffries
13. Jack Dempsey
14. Riddick Bowe
15. Harry Wills
16. Floyd Patterson
17. Gene Tunney
18. Peter Jackson
19. Joe Walcott
20. Max Schmeling

 

I stand by my original vote, he snuck into the top 15.

 

Liston's run before he (eventually) got his title shot is reminicent of mid-late 80's Tyson. A 'wrecking ball' type cleaning out of the division, defeating all the top contenders of the day (decisively too) in the process. Upon getting there his two destructions of Patterson were a sight to behold as well, of course people will bring up the 'chin isuue' but few others blew Patterson away in that manner early on.


Folley, Machen, Williams (X2), Valdes, Harris. That pre-title record ain't to be sniffed at. He also remained by and large highly relevant up until his last fights. Head to head monster at his best, you'd struggle to favour more than a few against him.

 

Holmes at 3? Ugh!

Glad I didn't come out with that one.

 

So what does your list look like then?

 

We don,t agree about Jeffries but we do about Dempsey,and I concur the Johnson Willard fight was legit a,fat,undertrained ,dissipated Johnson at 37 was out lasted by the Cowboy,Jack ran the fight for the first 15 rds ,then he began to fade.

 

Charles and Tunney, I guess I just thought they deserved it. Tunney hit a lot harder than people give him credit for, and he really brought "science" to the sweet science. Charles had some pretty good competition.

Marciano's "unblemished" record doesn't really help him that much IMO. I'm so sick of hearing about his record.

I just am not as impressed with Lewis, Tyson could have been really great, Holyfield is my #12, and I should probably do some research on Jeffries, I'll admit I guess i just don't know much about him.

I still think the mauler would eviscerate big george haha