Email THE RING Magazine and your comments could be printed in our next issue: [emailprotected] Emailed letters will include a writers email address unless a city and state of origin is provided. He fought his share of soft opponents. Kick ass on half that page at least. 48. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right. Joe Frazier 11. In the past, Ive overseen fantasy round-robin tournaments in various weight divisions that matched great fighters from different eras against each other with the results of each fight being predicted by a panel of boxing industry experts. As Joe liked to say, Nuff said.. There is no way Frazier can be ranked above Foreman. With respect you talk rubbish when you assert that a peak Tyson would obliterate a peak Lennox Lewis!!! He didnt starting campaigning full time as a heavyweight until the 1950s and weighed between 178 and 185 in his prime. Marciano never fought Joe Louis. And lets not forget: Ali was past his prime when he beat Joe Frazier and George Foreman. After DAmato died, he lost something but his ferocity and unique skills in both defence and attack stayed on, until he changed Kevin Rooney, due to the cunning and crookery of Don King. The Philadelphia icon couldnt cope with Big Georges otherworldly power - but he gave every other boxer he faced, including Ali, absolute hell. Walcott was 37, but he outboxed Marciano for most of their first match. A lot of people who are serious about boxing think George Foreman is one of the most underrated fighters ever. But strictly off resume, he belongs closer to the bottom of this list than to the top. 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. Johnny Dundee 77. He was able to play the matador to an aging Jack Dempseys bull. Impeccable defense. Follow up wins over a faded Max Baer and the German heavyweight champ Walter Neusel earned him a shot at the Joe Louiss world title. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 100-91, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 6: Vitali Klitschko celebrates after defeating Kirk Johnson during their heavyweight bout on December 6, 2003 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Muhammad Ali. So without further ado, here's the top 50 of all-time. As a symbol, Louis meant as much in his time as Ali did in his; maybe more. Your email address will not be published. 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. Both ruined the division for a decade. Dominant wins over Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo, Jimmy Ellis, Oscar Bonavena, Doug Jones, Bob Foster, Buster Mathis, Jerry Quarry and Joe Bugner prove the point. To what extent does the mythology that enshrouds a fighter factor into his greatness? Ohh the Tysonites who think boxing was invented in 1984 are out in full force. Holmes did what he had to do to win. Archie Moore, Louis, Walcott are all better, and win over Rocky if younger. Worst list Ive ever seen 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. Thats because there wasnt enough film footage of fighters from earlier eras to properly evaluate how theyd perform against one another and also because boxing technique has evolved considerably since the days of Joe Gans. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. Thankfully, respected boxing stats website Boxrec have compiled the list of the greatest fighters across all divisions and time periods, so lets dive into the list and see who they believe to be the greatest boxer of all time. Big George knocked the hell out of Frazier twice and Smoking Joe is ranked over Foreman? And each of these incredible heavyweights did that: from titanic punchers to dazzling boxers. Tyson foreshadowed todays social media world where fame often counts for more than character. Nova found a home in the top 10 heavyweight rankings for half a decade in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Most Famous Fight (s): TKO11 over Max Baer in 1939, TKO6 loss to Joe Louis in a 1941. Great is a hard word to define, and greatness is subjective. Thats a long time in boxing. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. The best lightweight boxers in the world, named and ranked The best British pound for pound boxers right now, named and ranked 10. Nikolay Valuev (1993-2009, 50-2-0): 233.4, 18. Marciano would have beaten Tunney down. Unarguably the divisions greatest comeback. But he was getting his ass kicked in the Corbett fight until he hit Corbett with a body shot. Canelo vs. Ryder: Who is fighting on the undercard. Notable Wins: TKO8 over Max Baer in 1941, 15 round decision win over Tommy Farr in 1938. A lot of guys on this list would have discouraged Tyson real fast. You can subscribe to the print and digital editions of RING magazine by clicking the banner or here. Ali finished his career with a 56-5 record with 37 KOs. Any ranking also shouldnt be about which boxer beats which in some fantasy fight. This episode is well documented, also the fake rape and prison term, his schizophrenic mental affliction, needing medications and not diagnosed then, His loss to Douglas was a farce, and due to the 15 sec count that Douglas got, he won. All the people who claim he never beat anyone forget that he won the title in a tournament. Haha he was falling all over the place, shaking his head like the little bitch that he was!! No way. This is more than who would have beaten who. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. One elector ranked Ali as low as fourth. Defeating a 26-year-old Michael Moorer at the age of 45 back in November 1994 to once again be crowned as heavyweight champion demonstrated how a heavyweights power is the last to leave his hands. Career Record: 175-19-6, 106 KOs. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures . But as David Halberstam noted, He knew how to play the role of champion, inside and outside the ring. Once upon a time, Pinklon Thomas was hailed as the next great champ who was going to save the heavyweight division from the boring and overrated Larry Holmes. Power, toughness, and unsurpassed conditioning were Rockys calling-cards, along with a brutal relentlessness which no one in his era could withstand. Feel free to add your thoughts and comments! When talking The Greatest heavyweights, Alis name reigns supreme. US legend Louis made a record 25 heavyweight title defences and only lost once in his prime: to Max Schmeling, who picked out a flaw in Louiss technique. Unfortunately for Jack he was also one of the most avoided, never receiving a title shot and rarely was granted rematches. If he had people around him who had cared about him he may have won every fight. When the going got tough, Tyson had problems. I hope you enjoy the list and feel free to chime in with your own thoughts on the rankings, (or call me a moron for leaving out your favorite fighter, whatever works). What fighter today would get in the ring in front of tens of thousands of people who hated his guts and literally wanted to kill him, and talk trash to the guy he was fighting and beat him? In that regard, Lennox Lewis (one of the panelists and also one of the champions being evaluated) observes, A champions contribution to the sport is more than how great a fighter he was. 2 Joe Louis 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. Tyson Furys second title defence a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte followed his October trilogy rematch victory over Deontay Wilder and kicked off more discussion as to where he stands among the greatest heavyweights of all time. Joe Louis should be #ONE, Ali 2, Tyson 3, Johnson 4, Holmes 5, Holyfield 6, Bowe 7, Foreman 8 Lewis 9 Vitali Klitschko 10. Klitschko won the bout by way of knockout in the second round. Matchmakers: Eric Bottjer, Don Chargin, Don Elbaum, Bobby Goodman, Ron Katz, Mike Marchionte, Russell Peltz and Bruce Trampler. He was the mad experiment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxing minds ever in Cus Damato. Thomas did not live up to his reputation, but he deserves a spot on this list due to that brief moment in time when he was thought to be the #1 heavyweight in the world. A firm believer Mark Selby is the GOAT and ultimate sportsperson. So, without further ado, the best heavyweights of all-time. He was older and slower, but hed learned to study his opponents and take advantage of what he saw. Joe Louis won his first world heavyweight title in 1937 and held that title for . Firpo of Argentina is still a cultural hero and legendary sports figure in South America because of his time as a heavyweight contender during the roaring 20s, primarily due to his epic fight with Jack Dempsey that is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time and the quintessential heavyweight slugfest. Three time champ and he was the king of the 90s, which was a very good generation for heavyweights. But as a fight, it was like Ali- Holmes. Greg was a very skilled boxer-puncher with technique and a punch that would shake you to the bone. Few fighters have had the menacing aura Tyson carried to the ring and while brutal punch power was his trademark, peak Tyson also boasted fast hands, a sneaky jab, head movement and a strong chin. Roscoe Toles (1931-1950, 45-10-6): 140.1, 31. But even if you take into account their overall careers, Id still give the edge to Foreman because of his comeback years. Get it? The Dempsey who fought Jess Willard was a stone-cold killer. Evander Holyfield (1984-2011, 44-10-2): 357.7, 10. The kind of power punching slugfest that defined heavyweight boxing in its heyday, the 1976 brawl between George Foreman and Ron Lyle was a fight with two boxers who wanted to prove. Rocky Kansas 76. But one needs to think in overall terms and career achievements. But if Ruth had been forced to contend with sliders, cutters, screwballs, forkballs, two-seam fastballs, four-seam fastballs and the like, he might have been less dominating. Although he didnt make the list, it doesnt mean he isnt a major problem for the legends at the top of this list. We cant be too American-centric. Second, since we have chosen to rank fighters in one division only so we can spread the glory around, you will not see Gene Tunney, Ezzard Charles orSam Langford here, as they are on our list of the all-time best light heavyweights. Ferocious. Theres some huge fighting records in here, such as Jack Bergs 157 wins in his 192 bouts, with Nicolino Locche also notching up over 100 wins in his career. Ali 2. And its hard to say that someone that has the highest knock out percentage and never lost isnt at least top two, or more likely number one. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 90-81, Cuban boxer Luis Manuel Rodriguez pictured punching a poster of rival and champion Nino Benvenuti prior to their upcoming fight, at the Sport Palace in Rome, November 1969. 1. Charles was 32 years old in the first Marciano fight. Tyson gives up fast when he senses hes losing. When Louis (the symbol of American democracy) knocked out Schmeling (Adolf Hitlers favorite fighter), Louis became white Americas first black hero. how could you possible list frazier ahead of foreman, that is crazy, simply because foreman DESTROYED him twice. Did some of Alis greatness rub off on Joe? There was an inclination on the part of the panelists to make pound-for-pound comparisons, thereby elevating fighters like Dempsey and Marciano above todays much larger champions. He was the only heavyweight champion after Sullivan without a man of color on his record. I like him more now that he is HONEST about his career, his shortcomings. He fought a way past his prime Tyson, almost lost to Holyfield in their second fight, and Vitaly would have knocked him out if they hadnt stopped it because of the cut. Tyson could never deal with adversity, which is why he doesnt belong on the list of ATGs. 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. He beat every available contender. Simple: no heavyweight in history faced, let alone defeated, a trio of deadly greats like Liston, Frazier and Foreman. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Walcott and Charles are derided now as old men when he fought them. Joe Frazier: The man they called Smokin Joe doesnt get enough love on most ATG lists, but overlooked are two things: 1. Instead, Ibeabuchi turned out to be just as crazy as he looked in the boxing ring and was sent to jail after being convicted of raping a call girl. Following in Alis footsteps, Holmes could be as cold as Ali was charismatic but he could fight. So much potential down the toilet, it is enough to make your stomach turn. But Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis stand separate and apart from the rest. He was thrill-a-minute, exemplified by his fight with Luis Angel Firpo, where Dempsey knocked his opponent down seven (7) times, got blasted through out of the ring himself, then scrambled back through the ropes to eventually knock out Firpo. A giant who fought with finesse. Didnt he get beaten by a fat man? But so too is that fighters skill level within the context of his time. Lennox has to be top five easy! Beat every fighter he ever faced, avenging his two defeats plus the (ridiculous) draw he got in the first Holyfield fight. Wladimir Klitschko (1996-2017, 64-5-0): 537.5, 5. Salesmanship? Doughlas got lucky and Lewis no match to him . He never gave any of the three rematches in their heavyweight primes. Sam happily watches and avidly follows all sports, whether its his beloved Lancashire Cricket Club, Kolkata Knight Riders or Wigan Warriors! Every punch was thrown with full power, and what devastating punches they were. Among his vanquished foes are Sam Langford, Tommy Burns, James J. Jeffries, Stanley Ketchel, Jim Flynn, Joe Jeannette and Sam McVea. 50. Tyson never once rose from the canvas or walked through fire to win a fight. He has a degree in Football Business and Media, previously working as a press and media officer at Bury Football Club. For your information, 38 isnt your prime, so yeah. If one of the fighters had been ranked No. After George won the belt at that age you had the idea that he could have done anything.. Nineteen of the 30 electors ranked Ali first. One such heavyweight was Choynski who was known for his boxing skills, toughness, punching power, and grit. After knocking out a very green Jack Johnson, both Choynski and Johnson were arrested and sent to jail, which was quite common in those days since boxing was illegal. He was a manufactured Mafia fighter. Tony Tucker. Liston 13. Lennox Lewis (1989-2003, 41-2-1): 547.9, 4. The Jeffries fight was a huge event, but I didnt think this a popularity contest and I dont know how to explain that a 6-year retired ex-champion could be considered one of a guys best wins. Are you joking? Come back next week to see who I picked for numbers 90-81. Even current boxers made the list with the current Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko from the Ukraine a modern legend. Two comeback fights, when he was pushing 40, spoiled that record - but nothing can change the fact that he is indeed The Greatest. Like Louis, Ali changed what it meant to be black in America. Farr started to test himself against American contenders to see how he stacked up. Even so, Wills holds wins over a host of top heavyweights including Luis Firpo, Big Bill Tate, Kid Norfolk, Sam Langford, Billy Miske, Sam McVea, Battling Siki, and the also criminally underrated Joe Jeannette. Page is the first of many to come that falls into that group, only in his case, he has no one to blame but himself. Not a bad list, but a few observations: Wills are you crazy? Ruiz is the most hated heavyweight of his generation because of his aggravating fighting style. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. Boxing magazine 'The Pugilist' have posted one fans top 50 boxers of all time and Sugar Ray Robinson leads Muhammad Ali as the top two. Tommy had humble beginnings, fighting with intermittent success on the local pro circuit in Tonypandy, Wales during the 1920s. I can only imagine how interesting fights between Ibeabuchi and the Klitschko brothers would have been. Most Famous Fight(s): UD15 loss to Joe Louis in 1937. Notable Wins: 15 round points win over Ben Foord in 1937, 12 round points win over Max Baer in 1937, KO3 over Walter Neusel in 1937. Anyone who puts Joe Frazier ahead of a serious power-puncher is ignorant. Bob Baker (1949-1959, 51-16-1): 134.4, 34. That night changed the experience of being black in America. He never ducked anyone and ended up fighting everyone relevant in a golden era of heavyweight boxing. Some of the margins that separated fighters were razor-thin. Perhaps his biggest impact on the sport was not done in the ring, but instead in jail. And Kevin McBride TKOd Tyson is SIX. Baksi was a son of a coal miner from Pennsylvania who boxed, not for love of the sport, but as a way to get out of a life of mining. Muhammad Ali had incredible physical gifts, skill, determination and heart. At twenty, he couldve beaten anyone on the list EXCEPT Ali. Tyson is in the top 5, hands down. This heavyweight poll has different criteria from previous exercises. Defeated such outstanding talents as Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, Bob Pastor, James Braddock, Tommy Farr, Billy Conn, John Henry Lewis, Max Schmeling, Jimmy Bivins, Lee Savold and Jersey Joe Walcott. Thanks for reading everyone. Other considerations are involved. Did he fight the other great heavyweights of his time? Jimmy Bivins (1940-1955, 86-25-1): 389, 7. Leave Iron Mike out, Mike Tyson Likely Deserves Mention For His Impressive Wins Over Numberous Belt Holders Including Larry Holmes Trevor Berbick Frank Bruno James Bone Crusher Smith Bruce Seldon Michael Spinks Tony Tubbs And Tony Tucker. 2. He didnt mess with Foreman again after he beat him. Sullivan fought for 13 years, the last 10 of which he was a fullblown alcoholic. That list is crap. His prime was a bit like Iron Mike himself: short, sharp and explosive. I couldnt get tickets . Fury has combined pure boxing skills with underrated punching power to a supreme level amidst his growing dominance. Hasim Rahman (1994-2014, 50-9-2): 115.1, 46. Thats Alis power ranking, which put him in first place. Great rivalries make great fighters. Amen!! Holyfield, for example, beat Tyson twice. He would be about #86 on a genuine list. Go to YouTube and watch his comeback wins (after nearly being stopped) vs Mike Weaver, Earnie Shavers, Renaldo Snipes. If hed been allowed to fight for the championship when he deserved it, all those fights against Cleveland Williams, Eddie Machen and Zora Folley would have been successful title defenses. It was avenged in devastating style: two minutes and four seconds of violence that left Schmeling with broken bones in his back. Try to forget his social impact, good looks, quotes and even that unique fighting style that saw a 6ft 3in adonis float around the ring like a featherweight - his fists by his sides, daring you to hit him - what makes Ali the No 1 heavyweight ever is something far more concrete. Both Louis and Ali have stated in their primes, Rocky probably would have beaten them. As illustrated by the chart above, Ali and Joe Louis were tied for first place in the ranking by trainers. Sonny Liston was the baddest man on the planet. Sorry. Boxing News Magazine 100 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers Special Issue View Reviews | Write Review Only $7.99 . The mold of a perfect fighter. The heavyweight division doesnt lend itself to this format. Mike Tyson is looked at now as a bully who folded when things got tough. It was up to each panelist to quantify greatness. Some of the bigger names in this list include Sonny Liston, and fellow American Evander Holyfield, with the latter renowned for his rivalry with Mike Tyson which saw Iron Mike bite a chunk of his ear off during a bout. Jimmy Wilde. Mike Tyson was in an awfully weak era. All a fighter can do is dominate their own era and prove their greatness in their own time. Anthony Joshua (2013 - present, 23-1-0): 116.9, 44. Was the baddest man on the planet!!!! Standing at 62 and over 200 pounds, Nova was considered a large heavyweight for his era. Eddie Machen (1955-1967, 50-11-3): 157.1, 26. Willie Pep 72.. Wladimir has never seemed to have his heart in it. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 80-71 80. He never won the big prize, but did enough to earn the respect of his peers and the voters of the boxing hall of fame. Wins over Jess Willard, Georges Carpentier, Jim Flynn, Big Bill Tate, Billy Miske, Luis Firpo, Gunboat Smith and Jack Sharkey. BoxRec ranked heavyweights, both past and present, and awarded each fighter with an overall score based on its points system. Holyfield had a trilogy with Riddick Bowe, beat Foreman, who, while old, had a serious comeback, earlier killed Frasier and Norton inside two rounds, then 5 for Frazier, beat Ron Lyle, and later beat Michael Moorer, half his age, whod BEATEN Holyfield. Except for Bowe, they werent in their prime when Evander beat them, but thats still an impressive accomplishment. Jack Dempsey: Fast, aggressive and powerful, The Manassa Mauler revolutionized boxing with his swarming, all-action style. James J. Jeffries: The Boilermaker was revered for decades as one of the greatest ringman in the history of the sport as his combination of bone-crunching power, durability and amazing stamina allowed him to retire undefeated in 1904. 1. During the 1890s, the modern boxing game was in its infancy and only a handful of fighters had a grasp of proper technique. Eventually he would be being hit with pinpoint left hooks and right crosses. Sonny Liston (1953-1970, 50-4-0): 625.7, 3. He had a knockout-to-win percentage of 88% and was ranked 16th on The Ring magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Ruslan Chagaev (1997-2016, 34-3-1): 123.1, 38. 9) and Sonny Liston (No. He did what not one of the above mentioned ever did! He is where he belongs: Honorable Mention, with a lot of other very good but not great heavyweights. There is no telling what Ibeabuchi could have accomplished had he been able to continue fighting. He wanted to end fights as quickly as possible. Deontay Wilder (2008 - present, 42-1-1): 122.8, 39. A better version of Corbett. Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. A great fighter needs great competition. Ali inspired the world. The first black heavyweight champion was a flamboyant, controversial character but in the ring he was a scientist. Chris Byrd (1993-2009, 41-5-1): 142.9, 30. Behind that crisp, piercing jab of his, Holmes enjoyed an eight-year run as world heavyweight champion, defeating the likes of Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers and Muhammad Ali along the way. Frazier 6. Tyson in his prime was unstoppable. Ya uhm no. But Tyson in his prime would have been competitive against anyone. However, Terence Crawford is hot property in the sport, becoming the first undisputed champion in the light welterweight division since Tszyu, becoming the first man to hold all four major word titles simultaneously since Jermain Taylor in 2005 and is one of only eight male boxers to do so. Dont be a hater all your life! Youre the only one with sense. Tyson would have torn apart Holmes in any era. Riddick had the potential to be much higher on this list but never got there. Louis too, though I think Louis courage would put him over Tyson. The first man to defeat Muhummad Ali, Frazier only lost to two men (Ali and George Foreman) despite fighting in the most competitive ever heavyweight era. Farr ranks as one of the most well known Welsh fighters in boxings history.