Which was the most impressive title winning performance in heavy weight history?

To me this is a pretty easy question... Foreman beating Frazier

 

.... and then he lost to Berbick.

 

Foreman's destruction of Frazier.

Nobody has ever dominated such a dangerous champion in that manner, either before or since.

It was such a stunning win that it has left a psychological scar on the sport of boxing ever since.

The swarming heavyweights who had been seen as the most feared wrecking machines of the sport, suddenly started to look vulnerable.

Even today some people think that Foreman could still have beaten the best of them in his late 40s!

 

Douglas-Tyson
Foreman Frazier...these two, and my fence sitting disclaimer: "in no particular order".

 

It used to bother me that Dundee even allowed that fight to happen, but of course he didn't; Ali did. When asked why he stuck around as Ali declined, his response was essentially there was nobody else looking out for him (Ali); and if things got bad (like with Holmes), there needed to be one voice of sanity in the corner. Bundini would have gladly let Ali go back out - not out of any sort of malice, but just unwilling to face the truth. I saw it on closed circuit (remember those days?), still remember that voice breaking through the din and calamity: "I'm the chief second - I stop the fight!"

 

No doubt, Foreman due to the caliber of fighter he beat.

 

YES!!! That's Tompkins again! He used the "It's over. That's it!" quite a few times, usually followed by something memorable. The heyday of HBO boxing commentary for me, right before Lampley replaced Tompkins.

 

Neither Page, Coetzee or Berbick were ever the worlds hwt champion.

Ali's performance vs Foreman stands out in my mind. Everyone and there brother gave Ali no chance. Those that did not live through that time cannot fully understand the enormity of this victory. Like the ATG he was Ali saw he had a losing game plan after round 1, switched gears, and went on to victory. The only man ever to KO George Foreman and he did so past prime against a prime hwt champion.

 

So what?

Which stands out for you as the most impressive performance in winning a heavy weight belt?
This can apply to lineal or alphabet soup belt.

 

Paper titles do not count. By going down that rabbit hole you give credibility to the organizations who made the mess we have today in professional boxing. Easy to be a champion, easy to be a contender all to pad the pockets of the boxing commissions. Thirty or so years ago the commissions decided to start running boxing like a business to generate as many $ as possible. All to the detriment of the sport.