John carlo defenitly for me. he ko´d former Heavyweight Champion leon spinks in round one of his PRO DEBUT!!! yes, HIS PRO DEBUT!!! so technically he beat the man who beat the greatest IN HIS FIRST PRO FIGHT!! now THATS a SPECIAL FIGHTER!!
Jack Johnson, or course! But after him I like lots of guys, Fitz, Jeffries, Langford, Holmes, Vitali Klitschko. And quite a few others in Walcott, Norton, Shavers, Ibeabuchi, and Morrison
Tyrell Biggs. Never did a man with a personality and phsyche so unsuited to being a heavyweight boxer, manage to get so far. Lennox. Long career and resume, conducted his career on his terms, beat everybody and got out in one piece, stayed out and is content and still wealthy. Ali He was unique Holmes Superb fighter. Came to the party a little late and it wasn't a great era, but you just knew he was a great fighter. Gary Mason ( RIP) only lost once, to unbeaten Lennox , made the most of his talent and a lovely fellow. Sir Henry Cooper . Got every ounce out of his own pool of talent. Seriously good guy. But you have to admire them all really.
I'm not real sure what you're talking about. You didn't ask me about shorts bubba I just asked if you were more interested in shorts or if you were interested in colors because those are different things. It just seemed like, and still kind of seems like outside of the obvious trolling, what you're interested in is what was used to associate a boxer with his wardrobe prior to gloves. I was just trying to make sure you really wanted to know about the shorts and not the boxer's colors given those are different bits of trivia. I did think this was more about trivia then trying to prove the other fella who mentioned Mace and Jackson doesn't know much about Mace or Jackson. Pretty sure Mace wore blue and Jackson's colors were actually pink. I'm fairly certain there was no standard color or cut of shorts for either man, and we're both aware neither of them actually wore shorts right? I'm pretty confident all of the above, right or wrong, amount to trivia and in no way negates the original parameters of this thread. How influential were they socially, and to their generation?. Accord to you who gives a **** about that when you don't even know what color they shorts is? Just silly really.
Riddick 'Sire of Evander' Bowe. What an awesome sight to see a man his size fight with such aggressive vigour. Rapier jab, rhythmic combinations, granite chin and game as a partridge , add a cavalier approach to defence and you have a swashbuckling war machine! It's regrettable he couldn't keep it together for longer, ditto the whole Lewis debacle which I won't try to defend. For the fleeting moment while he was on top, at least in my view, prime Bowe rates as top5 all time h2h heavyweight. Honourable mention: Larry Holmes - Mega tough, supremely skilled, bad mofo.
I love them all but Ali's my number 1 for many reasons. First fighter I ever got into was Floyd Patterson I loved his style and I was devastated as a kid when the bogey man Sonny knocked him out twice, but I've come to love Sonny as well. Joe Louis I probably enjoy watching more than any heavyweight his technique and combinations were a thing of beauty. I could go on Frazier, Marciano, Dempsey, Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield, love them all.
