heavyweight best boxers of all time heavyweight best boxers of all time

Beating Sonny Liston to win his first championship as a 7-to-1 underdog, defeating chief rival Joe Frazier two out of three times, stopping the undefeated George Foreman as a 4-to-1 underdog (to regain the title), outpointing Kenny . Bob Foster was one of the best light heavyweight boxers of all time. Wills 16. A 1987 version of Mike would have demolished him. Note: keep in mind that, like all of our rankings, this is not a who-beats-who list, but one that emphasizes individual accomplishment in each fighters time and the quality of the opposition they bested (which is why, for example, we rate Joe Frazier above George Foreman). Lennox Lewis: Defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, both of which he avenged with emphatic wins, do not obscure the fact that Lewis was the dominant heavyweight of the 1990s. He was light on his feet, moving around George a lot, and using sharp body-head combinations. His fists were 14 inches around, which are the largest fists measured in the heavyweight boxing division. Because of his style, Wladimir took much less damage during his career than Vitali. But honestly, his career and overcoming personal obstacles along the way to date already have him among the greatest heavyweights of all time on our list. He was able to knock everyone out with every type of punch, even with a simple jab. Nor did he obliterate a mediocre Tony Tucker, both title fights in 1987. Jack Johnson usually prevented his opponents from entering into a clinch by resting his hands on their shoulder and pushing them back. Thats important because sometimes the greatest boxer doesnt necessarilyneed to be able to beat everybody else. THATs reality, Tyson fans. Tyson had little heart but plenty quit in him. 9) Sugar Ray Leonard. The only four-time heavyweight world champion in boxing history, Holyfields victory over Riddick Bowe and wins over Mike Tyson, in particular, more than illustrate his warrior footprint in the sport's lore. Simple: no heavyweight in history faced, let alone defeated, a trio of deadly greats like Liston, Frazier and Foreman. The technique was simple he leaned all his weight on his front foot before throwing the punch. Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975, 40-12-1): 114.2, 47. Smokin Joedid most of his knockouts, with that punch, while he was walking his opponents down. He should be considered as one of the best Lightweights of all time. l give credit to any boxer who can rectify their losses. Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 - April 12, 1981), best known as Joe Louis was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Floyd Mayweather 6. Zora Folley (1953-1970, 79-11-6): 134.3, 35. Nationality: Japanese. Zurcher vs. Evans full card results. 10. Well, at least Foremans hands. MF & DAZN: X Series 005 Jay Swingler v NichLmao, Who won the PFL Challenger Series last night? Before he went to jail, everyone ducked him. He was known for his deadly hitting power throughout his famous boxing career. Lennox Lewis made the cut and Iron Mike didnt..laughable. Bob Pastor (1935-1942, 53-7-5): 259.8, 17. Top 12 All-Time Greatest Welterweight Fights, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Muhammad Ali Performances, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Punchers, Top 12 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is Forever The Greatest. 7. The only four-time heavyweight world champion in boxing history, Holyfields victory over Riddick Bowe and wins over Mike Tyson, in particular, more than illustrate his warrior footprint in the sport's lore. Evander Holyfield should be top ten. His 68 knockouts speak for themselves. Smokin Joe was an absolute buzzsaw. His duels with George Foreman (Rumble in the Jungle, 1974) and Joe Frazier (Thrilla in Manila . Although he didnt make the list, it doesnt mean he isnt a major problem for the legends at the top of this list. His right overhand was a really had punch, because Luis was able to transfer the power from hisfeet, through the body, to the fist very efficiently with a crisp technique. Mike tyson in his prime was unstoppable. DANNY WILLIAMS who LOST 27 fights knocked out a 38 year-old Tyson in 4 rounds. Eddie Machen (1955-1967, 50-11-3): 157.1, 26. It was a powerful, stiff jab and Liston put all his weight behind it to make it even harder, trying to knock his opponents out. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures . Without further ado, here is my countdown of Canada's 5 greatest boxers of all-time: 5. Nicknamed "Brown Bomber" for his fearsome fists, Joe Louis is considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time. Rocky Marciano 12. At 18, he won a Gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Both equally as boring and predictable. And dont forget Terrell, Shavers and Chuvalo. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. Id probably say Tommy Burns, a good but small heavyweight from whom he took the crown. That way his opponents didnt see the punch at all. Many cite this as a feat of Marciano. And against George Foreman, he was staying at the ropes blocking all punches for several rounds, gassing Foreman out so he can finish him later. Big George knocked the hell out of Frazier twice and Smoking Joe is ranked over Foreman? Lets set the record straight. But thats just for starters. Tyson at 12 is good. Cleveland Williams (1951-1972, 80-13-1): 186.6, 21. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. The technique of that punch wasnt perfect at all, (every boxing coach will be shocked if he sees it), but that doesnt mean it wasnt effective. He was an aggressive counterpuncher (someone who pressures his opponents, to make them throw punches, so he can counter), but he was also skilled infighter a boxer who likes to fight at a very close distance. Notable Wins: TKO6 over Bill Brennan in 1918, KO1 over Fred Fulton in 1918, KO1 over Carl Morris in 1918, KO3 over Billy Miske in 1920, KO12 over Bill Brennan in 1920, 15 round points win over . Frazier at #6 ABOVE Foreman? Mike Tyson should be in the top 12! Tyson is in the top 5, hands down. And at the end of the day, the effectiveness of the technique is much more important than its appearance. Tyson ADMITS he bit EH (classy) out of frustration not knowing what to do when he knew hed lose). Tyson never once rose from the canvas or walked through fire to win a fight. Even after his decisive stoppage defeats to Muhammad Ali, he remained a force in the division thanks to his brute strength, devastating jab, and KO power in either fist. There are many different ways to define who is the greatest boxer. Unless perhaps Tyson Fury has anything to say about that. Unlike his brother (Wladimir), who was an out-boxer, Vitali was a brawler. Lennox Lewis is too low. He nearly lost twice to Ringo Bonevena and was bitch-slapped by Foreman. And those are things you cant see very often back then. Holyfield I choose him because hes very contemporary to MT) doesnt talk trash. But definitely NOT an all time top 10 Heavyweight.. March 3, 2023 8:50 am ET. Dont let that KO reel fool ya. Still, the fact he beat Holyfield, Tyson, Vitali Klitschko, David Tua, Razor Ruddock and more says it all. And Kevin McBride TKOd Tyson is SIX. But Wladimir beat better boxers and has much more title defenses and thats why is ranked higher in this list. #8. Mike Tyson was knocking people out! The similaritiesheavyweight champion, jail sentence, exotic lifestyle and signature voiceare. A jab and a right hand. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. With a technique called by him The Dempseys drop step, he was able to generate huge power in his punches no matter how close or how far away from his opponents he was. It lasted two rounds. Cant overlook Holmes place in heavyweight history. 11. For this combo Vitaly used his left hook, not to hurt his opponents but just to push their head to his right, where he can catch them with his devastating right cross. However, what really puts Ali number one all time is his quality of opposition. #3 Cain Velasquez (UFC record: 12-3, MMA record: 14-3) At his best, Cain . 1. In an era when segregation was still legal, Louis' athleticism made him one of the few African-American celebrities of his time. Eventually he would be being hit with pinpoint left hooks and right crosses. In this article, I took into account not only the number of wins of the boxers or the titles they won but also their unique styles and what they bring to the table. For your information, 38 isnt your prime, so yeah. The Fight of the Century in March 1971, when he handed Muhammad Ali his first loss, was proof of that. Larry Holmes is the very definition of a warrior. 2.1 Heavyweight (201 lbs+ - 91.18 kg+) 2.2 Cruiserweight (200 lbs - 90.72 kg) 2.3 Light heavyweight (175 lbs - 79.38 kg) . All the people who claim he never beat anyone forget that he won the title in a tournament. Max Baer, Max Schmeling, James J. Braddock and Jersey Joe Walcott all felt Louis wrath. I must say I like your list. Huh? Pure sweet science, master class boxing skills on display from Lewis across his brilliant career. He was usually much bigger and stronger than his opponents and he easily controlled them in the ring. Signature technique:Bait a cross -> Counter with a check lead hook. Antonio Cervantes 69. That way he dropped Muhammad Ali in their first fight. In his short prime, Tyson is a serious challenge for anyone. After a standout amateur career, he turned pro in 1934. Holmes defeated famous boxers including Trevor Berbick, Tim Witherspoon, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney, and even the legendary Muhammad Ali. So in order to beat such fighter, Holyfield had to fight from the inside. Cant overlook Holmes place in heavyweight history. Louis 3. He also liked to put his gloves on his opponents gloves to trap their hands. The Ring magazine ranked him the No.53 of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. Holmes was a deadbeat along with Klitschko. Larry Holmes: An awesome jab, a dangerous right hand, tremendous heart, and astonishing recuperative powers were among the attributes The Easton Assassin brought to the ring. Using this technique Klitschko made many of his KOs. A master boxer, Johnson didnt own the raw one-punch power of other heavyweight greats but he was a cunning defensive genius who knew how to land his own shots. More, and better, accomplishments. The legendary Joe Louis was named the best of the best across all eras of boxing, with BoxRec awarding the 'Brown Bomber' a whopping 1,012 points. 9. 32 Packey McFarland. As one of the world's greatest boxers of all time, Roberto Duran had 31 consecutive wins before he stepped into the ring with Ken Buchanan in 1972 for his first shot at the title. Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time. Holyfield was a boxer-puncher. He was a powerful puncher and the most relentless fighter ever. Three time champ and he was the king of the 90s, which was a very good generation for heavyweights. Rocky Marciano (1947-1955, 49-0-0): 692.2, 2. He was also competing in the light heavyweight division althoughnever got the belt there. The Top Ranked Boxers of All-Time from California As fate would have it, the most gifted athlete the heavyweights ever saw emerged just when the division was stacked with formidable talent like never before or since. That allowed him to jab his opponents from a distance without putting himself in danger. Crazy to think Mike Tyson was not part of that list. Dempsey 14. His strategy basically was to jab his opponents from a distance where they cant reach him andoccasionally land some powerful straight rights. What time is Shevchenko vs. Grasso tonight? Dont be a hater all your life! We saw the skill but we were ROBBED of the will, his future, and his full potential. And both components of his fighting game have been on display in all three of his fights against Deontay Wilder one of boxings biggest punchers of all time and his unanimous decision points win over Wladimir Klitschko. Shane Mosley couldnt beat Vernon Forrest, but who had the better career? Fury has combined pure boxing skills with underrated punching power to a supreme level amidst his growing dominance. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Accurate list! Shut the hell up! The difference? Muhammad Ali-56-5--(37): In terms of social and historical impact no one even comes close. Amazing speed, unsurpassed ring intelligence, plus astonishing courage, durability, and will to win, not to mention longevity, make Ali a cut above the rest, the best big man of both the 1960s and 70s, and in truth, as he liked to say himself, The Greatest Of All-Times.. In other situations, he even used his left hook as a counter for right uppercuts or straights. Thats a boxer who likes to exchange. Tyson was a thicker, harder-hitting Joe Frazier. And if his opponent was a fastout-boxer, who liked to move a lot, Foreman usually pressured him against the ropes where he nullified his opponents speed advantage was nullified. Critics point out that Marciano was small, clumsy and only made six title defences, mainly against ageing opponents. Jimmy Bivins (1940-1955, 86-25-1): 389, 7. Ketchel had no business at heavyweight. 26 Eder Jofre. Muhammad Ali. Yes, Frazier is a better fighter than a Foreman, even though Foreman beat him up, twice. Having held the world title for seven years, his late career comeback saw him defeat Ray Mercer and almost upset Oliver McCall. Liston wasnt the tallest or the biggest boxer. Whether it was avenging his loss against Joe Frazier with two victories over his rival,taking the steam out of George Foreman at The Rumble in the Jungle or earning hard-fought wins over the rugged likes of Floyd Patterson and Ken Norton, Alis GOAT legacy resides on the heavyweight throne as the best. The fighters, listed chronologically, are John L. Sulllivan, James Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, James Jeffries, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko. Check out which of today's heavyweight fighters make our top 10. He developed one of the hardest jabsin boxing history. And he was able to use it really effectively. how could you possible list frazier ahead of foreman, that is crazy, simply because foreman DESTROYED him twice. Unarguably the divisions greatest comeback. And the shots you dont see hurt the most. It was avenged in devastating style: two minutes and four seconds of violence that left Schmeling with broken bones in his back. Yeah, Holmes lost twice to Michael Spinks, while Tyson knocked out Spinks in 90 seconds. Cunning and clever, The Galveston Giant didnt just defeat his opponents, but often humiliated them with his skill, smarts and unceasing control of the ring. Worst list Ive ever seen Twenty-five consecutive title defenses more than imprinted Louis as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Top 10 Best UFC Heavyweight Fighters Of All time..Welcome back to Sports Paradise, today on the channel we're going to be talking about the Top 10 Best UFC H. The first fight makes our list of the "25 Greatest Heavyweight Contests of the Last 100 years. Most athletic slugger I ever saw. Bruce Woodcock (1942-1950, 35-4-0): 119.3, 41. He was much bigger, stronger and athletic than most of his opponents. As the other boxer threw a jab, Ali slightly moved his head, just enough to avoid being hit and then quickly returned a right cross over the top. Then he just waited for his opponents to take the bait, so he can counter them with a short lead hook to the head. Never knew defeat. To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders, Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications, .css-n1h13z{color:black;color:#fff;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-n1h13z{color:#fff;}}Published14:07,30 August 2020 BST.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}}| Last updated15:48,12 August 2021 BST. Ali, who is often considered the best boxer of all time, fell short of capturing the top spot in the rankings. Most of the times Johnson kept a distance from his opponents and fought from the outside but that doesnt mean he wasnt able to out grapple them in the clinches. Sometimes he feinted a punch to the head but then went to the body. A one-dimensional fighter. Thats very similar to what Mike Tyson did when he was close to his opponents. He knew that Foreman was bigger and stronger than him and also that he deals pretty handily with infighters (as you can see in his fight with Joe Frazier). Perhaps one of the best boxers in MMA history, Frankie Edgar often went into the Octagon with a solid game plan. Joe Louis Knockouts - Best of Brown Bomber (Tribute) 2. Zurcher vs. Evans full card results. However there is no denying that the current crop a field that includes Wilder,Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and more with WBC and The Ring champ Fury sitting top of the heap have produced the most exciting spell for the 200lbs+ realm in a long time. A few years ago I've started boxing and I've quickly fallen in love with this awesome sport. Michael Hunter. Tyson 10. 4 Naoya Inoue. So, after we made that clear, its time to dive into the rankings: Jack Dempsey was a heavyweight champion for 7 years (from 1919 to 1926). But can we put him up there with the absolute all-time greats just yet? The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time. The pair met in Las Vegas in April 2000 and Holyfield was awarded a highly controversial 12-round unanimous decision to emerge as boxing's first-ever four-time heavyweight champ. A four time heavyweight champion (not to mention cruiserweight champion), The Real Deal never ducked anyone and fought through adversity too many times to count. But that was way easier to be said than done. But they, too, are among the greatest of all time, so thats not too shabby. Respect. Thats why it was hard for them to defend them. It may well be that the best defense is a good offense, and Tyson had been an unstoppable force when coming forward, but he was lost when things didnt go his way. A metropolis where hundreds of young warriors train and battle each day in its many gyms, it is where Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins all found greatness. Picking just 10 great heavyweights from 100+ years means some elite champions have to miss out. 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. Sonny Liston a brawler. Go to YouTube and watch his comeback wins (after nearly being stopped) vs Mike Weaver, Earnie Shavers, Renaldo Snipes. Maybe Tyson would beat prime Lennox Lewis, but a prime Larry Holmes? Bonecrusher Smith happened WAY too early. He was parrying the jabs with his right glove, ducking under the hooks and right straights and usually countering with a left hook to the head or to the body. Joe Louis: Deadly power, astonishing timing and accuracy, and an amazing 25 defenses of the heavyweight crown make The Brown Bomber one of the greatest boxers who has ever lived, at any weight. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. But thats not the reason why he is on that list. Ive read a couple of bios and researched that era. Best pure puncher who ever got in a ring. He is where he belongs: Honorable Mention, with a lot of other very good but not great heavyweights. Holmes 8. Ken Norton should get at least an honorable mention. Literally knocking over tomato cans. Randy Couture: Couture already made our list of the greatest light heavyweights of all time, but his true home for the majority of his career was at heavyweight. But when it came time for Tyson to fight top prime guys, Hes 0-6 in fights that actually matter. So he was a thought matchup for everyone. That list is crap. That way it was really hard for them to catch him. After winning the world light heavyweight title in 1968 after beating Dick Tiger with a 4th round knockout. 6. That allowed him to throw a powerful right cross without his opponents see it by moving his left glove off their eyes a split of the second before the cross lands. Joey. Mike Tyson earn his stripes. 3. Because all the danger comes from his left hand, so if his opponents are aware of that, they can easily defend his most dangerous weapon and beat Frazier pretty handily. Holyfield 9. Usually, its easier to counter the jab by slipping it inside (moving your head to your left) but Marciano was leaning to his right most of the time while he was fighting, so it was much natural for him to move his head to his right and slip the jab outside. Johnsons defense should rank him number one. Tyson was not even the best of his era - Lost to Douglas, Holyfield TWICE, Lennox Lewis,Danny Williams and McBride.. Tyson NEVER beat anyone who beat him and Never came back when he was down in a fight . Marcel Thil 68. Since then Im always trying to improve my skills, by finding and testing new strategies, and training methods. Gypsy King retained his WBC crown with a stunning KO of Deontay Wilder The Week Staff 11 Oct. The top 10 heavyweights of all time Matt Christie lists the history's finest heavyweights 1. This is a list of current professional boxing rankings, which includes the latest rankings by each one of the sport's four major sanctioning bodies, . Joe Frazier (32-4-1, 27 KO) Joe Frazier had beaten many great opponents including Buster Mathis, Doug Jones and Muhammad Ali (once). Nikolay Valuev (1993-2009, 50-2-0): 233.4, 18. Ali is also consistently ranked among the greatest athletes of the century. Robinson cannot beat a heavyweight. And Jersey Joe Walcott, who made him look amateurish and dropped him at like 39 years of age. I agree, those two losses are crap. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. (Grand Rapids, MI, February 24, 1977) is an American professional boxing promoter and former professional boxer. Max Schmeling (1924-1948, 56-10-4): 183, 22. He was using his left hand, mainly to throw some fast but light jabs, to keep his opponents away or to measure the distance for his right crosses or uppercuts. Honorable Mentions:Joe Jeannette, Jersey Joe Walcott, Max Schmeling, James J. Corbett, Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, Sam McVea,Peter Jackson, Evander Holyfield, Tom Sharkey, Floyd Patterson, Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, George Godfrey, John L. Sullivan, Johnny Risko. Jon Jones doesn't believe Conor McGregor is one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. He ended up beating the defending champion to clinch the world lightweight title. I take Lennox Lewis by knockout in later rounds. Cus was more than just his coach he was Tysons everything and guided him. This is supposed to be joke right? (Legal and Illegal Clinching). No Mike Tyson is a shame!! Ken Norton (1967-1981, 42-7-1): 135.2, 32.