Lets set the record straight. Henry Cooper (1954-1971, 40-14-1): 118.8, 42. His numbers speak for themselves: he got to 48-0 and 20 title defences before finally tasting defeat - controversially - to Michael Spinks when Holmes was closing in on his 36th birthday. 2. Thudding around the ring? Applause for not ranking Tyson. 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. Accolades: A . Lennox Lewis (1989-2003, 41-2-1): 547.9, 4. Pro boxing record: 23 wins (20 knockouts). Chris Byrd (1993-2009, 41-5-1): 142.9, 30. The first black heavyweight champion was a flamboyant, controversial character but in the ring he was a scientist. By Tyson Bruce 1. Do people not know that Lewis beat Tyson in 8 rounds? Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975,. 4 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Click Agree to accept our use of cookies or you can choose to opt out of our use of cookies by following the instructions in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. Whos ranked an all time great? Also, this is a ranking of the greatest boxers and not of the best ones. He is where he belongs: Honorable Mention, with a lot of other very good but not great heavyweights. 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. Ive read a couple of bios and researched that era. Scoring a pair of second-round TKOs of Joe Frazier and Ken Norton are a sample size of how terrifying Foreman was in his era. He boasts solid wins over David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer and Vitali Klitschko. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. That way he dropped Muhammad Ali in their first fight. The vast majority of boxing historians consider Joe Louis to be the greatest puncher of all time. But when it came time for Tyson to fight top prime guys, Hes 0-6 in fights that actually matter. Of course, he has a great strategy for every different opponent. Tyson ADMITS he bit EH (classy) out of frustration not knowing what to do when he knew hed lose). Accurate list! Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. Famous fight:Sonny Liston vs Cassius Clay. 4. 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. Are you guys kidding me? Cant believe some of these comments! This site is owned and operated by Dimitar Ivanov. Tyson 10. Except that he was a fighter who occasionally, frustratingly, came in unprepared and fought below his level. 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan. Holmes was well old by then and took the fight with only a few weeks to train after a long lay off. Rocky Marciano: With the highest knockout percentage of all heavyweight champions and boasting wins over such greats as Archie Moore, Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis and Ezzard Charles, the undefeated Brockton Blockbuster proved himself a remarkable warrior. Many people think that Lennox Lewis was a boxer-puncher, but I think he was a combination between an out-boxer and a brawler. Pure sweet science, master class boxing skills on display from Lewis across his brilliant career. Frazier above Foreman? Go play somewhere else, child. He spent five years of his prime in jail and then people fought him. He competed from 1996 to 2007, 2009 to 2010, 2011 to 2015, and made a one-fight comeback in 2017. Frazier at #6 ABOVE Foreman? Doughlas got lucky and Lewis no match to him . Henry Akinwande (1989-2008, 50-4-1): 126.7, 37. Evander Holyfield 7. Muhammad Ali 2. 1. Thats how he knocked many of his opponents out thehard jab stunned them and the cross got the job done. After beating Wilder, Fury is widely regarded as the lineal heavyweight champion. He reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, and is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Both Louis and Ali have stated in their primes, Rocky probably would have beaten them. He should be considered as one of the best Lightweights of all time. Lewis only fought guys who were at the end of their careers. Frazier 6. Jersey Joe Walcott (1930-1953, 50-20-1): 261.7, 16. These were the titles bestowed to the greatest fighter in the Rocky movies, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world: Apollo Creed ( Carl Weathers ). I take Lennox Lewis by knockout in later rounds. He had one of the best jabs in boxing history. Signature technique:Exit the clinch with an explosive lead hook. That way he stopped the punches even before they were thrown. Antonio Cervantes 69. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. 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. But thats just for starters. Really? Tyson would have destroyed a peak Holmes. He was good everywhere, no matter if he was fighting from the inside, or from a long distance. Antoni Nogueira is one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the heavyweight division. Frazier loved this technique changing the levels to make his opponents think hes going to the body and the landing a clean left hook to the head. That allows you to mask your step and land the body shot. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. 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. Foreman was also very tough and has a great punching power which makes it really hard to exchange with him. Signature technique: Right cross counter over the jab. Famous fight: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Calvin Brock. Top 15 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Boxers (Style Breakdown). Cleveland Williams (1951-1972, 80-13-1): 186.6, 21. That shows how adaptive and smart fighter Holyfield was in his prime which is the reason why he is one of the greatest ever. Sammy Angott 67. The idea is to distract your opponents attention with the jab. The reason why he is one of the greatest boxers is that he has wins over boxers fighting in all styles out-boxers, brawlers, other infighters. Tags: Evander Holyfield George Foreman Greatest Heavyweight Boxers Jack Johnson Joe Frazier Joe Louis Larry Holmes Lennox Lewis Mike Tyson Muhammad Ali of all time Rocky Marciano Tyson Fury. At 18, he won a Gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. 10. Boxing movies share tropes with sports movies generally, but throughout its history, the real-life version has tended to attract both bona fide athletes and a cross-section of America's less . Roberto Duran 8. Final record: 66-3, with 52 knockouts. This is the website where I share everything Ive learned. Holyfields great defensive skills and toughness allowed him to withstand Tysons punches and eventually to knock him out inthe 11th round (in their first fight). But that was way easier to be said than done. Larry Holmes (1973-2002, 69-6-0): 330.3, 13. Jack Johnson won the heavyweight belt in 1908 and become the first African American heavyweight boxing champion. In an era when segregation was still legal, Louis' athleticism made him one of the few African-American celebrities of his time. Anyone know Bernard Hopkins? Tyson better than Holmes? Cus was more than just his coach he was Tysons everything and guided him. Harry Wills: Vastly underrated today, its easy to forget that for a time in the 1920s The Black Panther was the best heavyweight in the world, and there was great demand for a showdown with official world champ Jack Dempsey, but it never came to be. In a real fight with Smokin Joe, it was really hard to see the punch coming, because of the way he moved. He is not the greatest because he wasnt a role model. He was usually circling to his left while jabbing his opponents. Liston 13. Deontay Wilder! Which makes your opponent lower his guard to protect his body and you can land a hard hook to the head. Holmes was completely washed up-way past his prime. But no style is perfect and every boxer has his weaknesses. Muhammad Ali (1960-1981, 56-5-0): 757.9. You can check out the heavyweights that finished outside of the top 50 over at BoxRec. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Lennox Lewis would wear Mike down with a strong jab peppering his face, a powerful dynamite right uppercut at close range, and tying Mike up and leaning on him to weaken and debilitate him. Vitali Klitschko (1996-2012, 45-2-0): 349.2, 11. Kick ass on half that page at least. But strictly off resume, he belongs closer to the bottom of this list than to the top. Sonny Liston a brawler. Greatest of all time, Rocky Marciano. Check out which of today's heavyweight fighters make our top 10. Some were renowned for their speed while others were famous for being heavy hitters. 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. In total, he participated in 31 boxing matches with 28 wins, only 3 losses, and 24 knockouts. In 2005, Joe Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. Jack Johnson: Boxings first Black champion of the big men was remarkably quick, very hard to hit, and dangerous with either fist. At 31-0-1, all thats left for the reigning WBC and lineal world heavyweight champion and former unified world champ is to snatch undisputed glory as the cherry on top. And a peak Tyson would have obliterated a peak Lennox Lewis too. Larry Holmes is the very definition of a warrior. He was much bigger, stronger and athletic than most of his opponents. With respect you talk rubbish when you assert that a peak Tyson would obliterate a peak Lennox Lewis!!! Its very similar to what Roy Jones Jr. does to land his powerful lead hooks. So, without further ado, the best heavyweights of all-time. Tyson, maybe, but I have no issue with him being left off. Holyfield held his own, 15 rounds, against a young Lennox Lewis (who destroyed Tyson), and, beat (not on the scorecards) Nikolai Valuev LATE in EVs career. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. What is clear is the amount of opponents Tyson overwhelmed with his devastating power. This is no small achievement. Signature technique:Bait a cross -> Counter with a check lead hook. Without further ado, here is my countdown of Canada's 5 greatest boxers of all-time: 5. Maybe that was the reason why he has such a knockout power. 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.. He was constantly changing levels, bobbing and weaving, feinting and throwing body shots. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. Rocky Marciano A staggering 49-0 record 43 of which by knockout and counting wins over the likes of Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore, Marciano was among the most feared heavyweights of all time. George Foreman has eclipsed boxing icon, Mike Tyson, as the all-time toughest heavyweight. Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman. Tyson should be number 2 or 3. 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. Among all the professional boxers in the world, the following 30 can be considered the best boxers of all time. Foremans last 10 opponents were unbeaten or just had 1 loss. Before he went to jail, everyone ducked him. The video game? Simply, he beat more great heavyweights than any fighter before or since. Fury has made a case to be considered one of the best heavyweights ever, but just how good is he? Muhammad Ali has been named the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time and the greatest athlete of the 20th century by the magazine 'Sports Illustrated'. He was the mad experiment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxing minds ever in Cus Damato. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. Muhammad Ali. Mike Tyson W: 50 (44 KOs), L: 6, N/C: 2 Best win: KO1. Scoring a pair of second-round TKOs of Joe Frazier and Ken Norton are a sample size of how terrifying Foreman was in his era. He was light on his feet, moving around George a lot, and using sharp body-head combinations. 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. 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. They werent expecting him to generate such power from such short-range, which caught them unprepared. 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). The Top Ranked Boxers of All-Time from California The strategy of Smokin Joe was simple to make his opponents step back using his constant pressure, feints, body shots and wrestling techniques (such as pushing the other boxers chest with his head). The difference? Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. Dempsey was also developed great head movement, footwork and he was able to fight in both stances. However, what really puts Ali number one all time is his quality of opposition. Eventually, he knocked out Louis with a devastating uppercut putting an end to one of the best heavyweight boxing fights; still remembered by the people. Roscoe Toles (1931-1950, 45-10-6): 140.1, 31. Muhammad Ali: Why is Ali number one? Jersey Joe Walcott 66. His joint record of defeating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight championship and winning 14 championship bouts was unbeaten for 35 years. A three-time world heavyweight champion, Lewis outpointed Evander Holyfield (essentially twice), laid Mike Tyson flat on his back via a devastating knockout and let Vitali Klitschko know that hes not to be messed with as part of his polished resume. A thunderous left hook, relentless work ethic and an awkward pressure-fighting style: Smokin Joe was a force of nature. Amazingly, he defended his title on 14 different occasions against 13 different boxers from the year he won it until 1974. He peaked early, lost Cus DAmato, then lost all focus because he was very immature. Michael Hunter. Arguably the divisions greatest puncher. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. (Grand Rapids, MI, February 24, 1977) is an American professional boxing promoter and former professional boxer. Well, at least Foremans hands. Simple yet effective. Ali. 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. A staggering 49-0 record 43 of which by knockout and counting wins over the likes of Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore, Marciano was among the most feared heavyweights of all time. Muhammad Ali-56-5--(37): In terms of social and historical impact no one even comes close. Literally knocking over tomato cans. Johnsons story as a whole is worth learning about. Possessing an uncanny ability to absorb punishment and keep coming until he landed his crushing right hand, Marciano never looked like an elite boxer but try telling that to all the men he pulverised in the ring. Your email address will not be published. No Tyson in the list? Holmes defeated famous boxers including Trevor Berbick, Tim Witherspoon, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney, and even the legendary Muhammad Ali. Go to YouTube and watch his comeback wins (after nearly being stopped) vs Mike Weaver, Earnie Shavers, Renaldo Snipes. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. As Joe liked to say, Nuff said.. Your email address will not be published. how could you possible list frazier ahead of foreman, that is crazy, simply because foreman DESTROYED him twice. Date of Birth: 10 July 1988, Age: 34 years old. Louis is the prime example of what it means to be a boxing legend. Topics:.css-wpf514{color:#72B97D;}Mike Tyson, Boxing News, Boxing, Joe Louis, Lennox Lewis, muhammad ali, Wladimir Klitschko, Drake has made TWO mammoth bets on Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, fans think he's 'cursed' one of them, 'Hold my hands up!' In this article we will list 10 of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. In boxing history, Gerald Arthur Cooney came as the one who gave contenders the most powerful punches. Dont let that KO reel fool ya. Ken Norton (1967-1981, 42-7-1): 135.2, 32. You can see that in his fights with Mike Tyson and his fight with Evander Holyfield where he was just pushing them back or pushing their heads down every time they closed the gap. With his, size, his punching power, and his chin, Foreman wasnt afraid to trade punch for punch no matter what type of opponent he was facing. Bob Pastor (1935-1942, 53-7-5): 259.8, 17. Thats why Joe was usually setting his overhandup with a jab to the head. Id probably say Tommy Burns, a good but small heavyweight from whom he took the crown. 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. But Marciano did one thing really well: win. Riddick Bowe So in order to beat such fighter, Holyfield had to fight from the inside. There is no way Frazier can be ranked above Foreman. Shut the hell up! 3. Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. Top 50 fighters of 21st century named 50-31 50: Andy Ruiz 49: Ray Mercer 48: Frank Bruno 47: Jack Sharkey 46: Paddy Ryan 45: David Tua 44: Ron Lyle 43: Gerry Cooney 42: Michael Spinks 41: Roy. So for Holyfield, the only way to beat such a monster was to fight from the outside and to outpoint him. He would have no chance if he fought from a distance against someone with a longer reach. Fraziers iconic and convincing victory over Muhammad Ali, and 2. the fact he is second only to Ali in terms of the best boxers competing in the strongest era in division history. No way. 29 Bob Fitzsimmons. His prime was a bit like Iron Mike himself: short, sharp and explosive. Often titled the greatest boxer of all time, Leonard was also regarded as "Boxer of the Decade" back in the 1980s. 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. Retired undefeated. Both fighters liked to jab their opponent while circling to their left. Hence, Ali is considered the greatest. 1. That list is crap. Modern heavyweights are often ridiculed as being a pale imitation of the legends of the 20th century whose legacies have been immortalised. He was a very patient fighter who wasnt always taking the risk to finish his opponents off. No Holyfield? Power, toughness, and unsurpassed conditioning were Rockys calling-cards, along with a brutal relentlessness which no one in his era could withstand. Lennox was feinting a right cross to make his opponents lower their head to dodge the shot. Holyfield was a completely different fighter in his fight against George Foreman. He was able to knock everyone out with every type of punch, even with a simple jab. His style relied mostly on footwork, speed and timing. Cant get upset by your list, since I cant even take you seriously.. 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. Dempsey 14. I agree, those two losses are crap. But even if you take into account their overall careers, Id still give the edge to Foreman because of his comeback years. Signature technique: Multiple hooks to the body. When Louis first retired in 1948, he did so as champion with a 58-1 win-loss record. 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. Critics point out that Marciano was small, clumsy and only made six title defences, mainly against ageing opponents. Famous fight:Jack Dempsey vs Jess Willard. Tyson should be on here all right. There will be many famous names and some iconic fights, knockouts, and upsets. Tyson could not get past the defense of Lewis and he got knocked out. Thats true, Tyson was pretty much out of his prime. He ducked Shavers, Lyle and even an old Sonny Liston. Marciano was a classical infighter. Marcel Thil 68. And as we know, the sport never stops toevolves so Joshua has an unfair advantage over Ali. Table of Contents 1. It was fast and precise but also very powerful. The only other heavyweights who have held The Ring magazine title twice are Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali. Simple: no heavyweight in history faced, let alone defeated, a trio of deadly greats like Liston, Frazier and Foreman. Wladimir Klitschko (1996-2017, 64-5-0): 537.5, 5. 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. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right Now, Named And Ranked. Thats why it was hard for them to defend them. Joe Louis Knockouts - Best of Brown Bomber (Tribute) 2. It is a damn shame and TRAGEDY what happened to Mike. Salesmanship? He beat everyone and won all the belts. Plus, he's the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated.