Cant overlook Holmes place in heavyweight history. 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. Go back and watch the Norton fight, even just round 15 if you dont have the time. Of course, there are somesimilarities in the styles of the two brothers. 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. He was able to knock everyone out with every type of punch, even with a simple jab. That way it was really hard for them to catch him. Foremans last 10 opponents were unbeaten or just had 1 loss. It was full power with every punch. 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. Thats because he has knockout power, especially with his right hand, but he wasnt effective at all when he needed to fight at a close range. The similaritiesheavyweight champion, jail sentence, exotic lifestyle and signature voiceare. & Lennox Lewis could? Many fans think his style was boring, calling it jab and grab. But then he threw an uppercut making his opponents fall right into the punch. A one-dimensional fighter. Does tag team boxing have a future in the sport? Anyone know Bernard Hopkins? 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. Go play somewhere else, child. Larry Holmes (1973-2002, 69-6-0): 330.3, 13. Because Joshua is much bigger and he is generations ahead of Ali. 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 became a national hero at a dark time during the nation's history and a symbol of anti-Nazi sentiment leading into World War 2. Back in the day, Leonard was also part of "The Fabulous Four.". In boxing history, Gerald Arthur Cooney came as the one who gave contenders the most powerful punches. Hard to justify given what Foreman did to Frazier twice, but of course, styles make fights and Foreman was the worst possible match for Frazier. 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. Hahahahahaha. 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. Thats why it was really hard to predict when Frazier was going to throw the left hook. When talking The Greatest heavyweights, Alis name reigns supreme. 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. Lennox Lewis made the cut and Iron Mike didnt..laughable. Pacquiao .more #1680 of 1,902 On his first night as a . All eyes will be on Jon Jones at UFC 285 as arguably the greatest MMA fighter in history makes his long-awaited return as a heavyweight after three years away.. Expectations are high as Jones, 35 . Muhammad Ali-56-5--(37): In terms of social and historical impact no one even comes close. Plus, hes the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. A young Holmes most likely beats Tyson, but apart from that, Holmes is without a doubt in the top ten all-time, while Tyson, to the surprise of many, is not. That way he stopped the punches even before they were thrown. The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. You can see in some of his fights how he rag dolls the other boxers and even picking them up after dropping them. So, without further ado, the best heavyweights of all-time. Then show me a fight where Tyson did anything similar. Obviously, Liston has, by far, the longest reach in the heavyweight class back then. Signature technique: Multiple hooks to the body. Everyone, maybe save Sonny Liston and Vladimir Klitschko, overcame tough situations in a fight and found a way to win. He was usually circling to his left while jabbing his opponents. Joey. Rocky Maricano, Riddick Bowe, Jersey Joe Walcott, Floyd Patterson, Wladimir Klitschko, Ken Norton, Chris Byrd, Archie Moore, and Ron Lyle. These were the titles bestowed to the greatest fighter in the Rocky movies, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world: Apollo Creed ( Carl Weathers ). So for Holyfield, the only way to beat such a monster was to fight from the outside and to outpoint him. And Ali proved himself the best of them all. Tyson usually used that combination when his opponents were covered up and were pressed against the ropes. Another interesting fact about him is that he made an unexpected return after 10 years away from the right to become the oldest man who won the heavyweight title. And Jersey Joe Walcott, who made him look amateurish and dropped him at like 39 years of age. No one better to learn from. Jack Johnson usually prevented his opponents from entering into a clinch by resting his hands on their shoulder and pushing them back. MF & DAZN: X Series 005 Jay Swingler v NichLmao, Who won the PFL Challenger Series last night? 34 Marcel Cerdan. The difference? Thats why it was hard for them to defend them. He was known for his deadly hitting power throughout his famous boxing career. Accurate list! Tyson would never beat Sonny Liston or Joe Frazier or Deontay Wilder for that matter. Many . Tyson would have destroyed a peak Holmes. But when the other boxers came close to him, he transitioned to a crossguard so he can defend both his body and his head effectively. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. No way. 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). His fight against Gane for the vacant heavyweight title is the headline event of UFC . A peak Tyson could not obliterate a mediocre Bonecrusher Smith, who had limited counter punching skills. MUHAMMAD ALI 56-5 (37), 1960-1981 ENJOYED three reigns as world champion during a 21-year-career. BoxRec ranked heavyweights, both past and present, and awarded each fighter with an overall score based on its points system. In a real fight with Smokin Joe, it was really hard to see the punch coming, because of the way he moved. Often titled the greatest boxer of all time, Leonard was also regarded as "Boxer of the Decade" back in the 1980s. Famous fight: Vitali Klitschko vs Corrie Sanders. Well, at least Foremans hands. More athletic and aggressive than Liston. Crazy to think Mike Tyson was not part of that list. He was always moving forward, fighting in aclose distance, pushing and bullying his opponents. 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. And if the other boxer continued to move forward, Johnson punished him by throwing quick but powerful uppercut (or sometimes hook) to the chin from the inside. Nationality: Japanese. 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. Larry Holmes is the very definition of a warrior. Since then Im always trying to improve my skills, by finding and testing new strategies, and training methods. A gift and a curse. Lennox Lewis: Of all the legendary names to inhabit a heavyweight era in the 1990s that was one of the deepest in boxing history, Lewis might very well be its best and most complete fighter. Except that he was a fighter who occasionally, frustratingly, came in unprepared and fought below his level. TGT Play! Odds Deals Podcasts US USA Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Louisiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey 'Bones' hasn't fought since picking up a controversial decision win over Dominick Reyes in . 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. Cant get upset by your list, since I cant even take you seriously.. 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. Do people not know that Lewis beat Tyson in 8 rounds? Simple: no heavyweight in history faced, let alone defeated, a trio of deadly greats like Liston, Frazier and Foreman. Deontay Wilder (2008 - present, 42-1-1): 122.8, 39. And Joe knew exactly how to do that he was able to time almost every punch and to dodge it or block it. If only Cus would have lived ten more years I think Tyson would be top 5. Hence, Ali is considered the greatest. 18.. His defense was just as impressive as his offensive skills. At a very leisurely pace over the last couple of years, The Fight City has offered its own idiosyncratic rankings of the all-time greatest boxers in each of the eight traditional weight classes. 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. 33 Ted (Kid) Lewis. Wills 16. When the going got tough, Tyson had problems. No Tyson in the list? Jeffries 15. Its very similar to what Roy Jones Jr. does to land his powerful lead hooks. George Foreman has eclipsed boxing icon, Mike Tyson, as the all-time toughest heavyweight. His joint record of defeating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight championship and winning 14 championship bouts was unbeaten for 35 years. But thats just for starters. 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. Your email address will not be published. No way. Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time. After he throws a jab, Klitschko often stuck his hand in his opponents face, blocking their vision with his glove. Top 15 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Boxers (Style Breakdown) - ShortBoxing Top 15 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Boxers (Style Breakdown) Written by Dimitar Ivanov in Boxing facts Approx Reading Time: 23 minutes There are many different ways to define who is the greatest boxer. Foreman was also very tough and has a great punching power which makes it really hard to exchange with him. He is like Morrison, as Stevey below says. 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. His jab wasnt the usual fast and snappy jab that most of the boxers are using. No place for Riddick Bowe, who had the tools but not the application, nor - controversially - his rival Evander Holyfield: the cruiserweight GOAT (but there are some legitimate question marks over the sculpted warriors rise in weight). Louis 3. Holmes was a deadbeat along with Klitschko. And that was exactly what he did. Among all the professional boxers in the world, the following 30 can be considered the best boxers of all time. Brawlers arent the most technical boxers, thats why they rely mostly on their power and their chin. 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. Mike tyson in his prime was unstoppable. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. Which makes your opponent lower his guard to protect his body and you can land a hard hook to the head. 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. No Holyfield? 1 Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (January 17, 1942 - June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet, and philanthropist. 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. Modern heavyweights are often ridiculed as being a pale imitation of the legends of the 20th century whose legacies have been immortalised. Some were renowned for their speed while others were famous for being heavy hitters. Whoever made this list is a Damm fool if you dont put Mike Tyson either 2 or 3 and to not even have Evander Holyfield on the list but Lennox Lewis have to be the dumbest people ever.I mean ever, Youve got to be the dumbest. Weight: 201 lbs (91.1 kg) Not all heavyweight boxers are fast, but that does not stop Michael Hunter from landing quick jabs and hooks on his opponent. Foreman demolished Frazier in both their fights, the only man that did or could. Thats true, Tyson was pretty much out of his prime. He fought in one of the best heavyweight eras and was clearly the best within it for a long time. When you think of how hard it is to be a successful heavyweight boxer, (or even an unsuccessful one) it is amazing to consider that Mrs. Klitschko gave birth to two, who made it all the way. But in 2021, he made a comeback with BKFC, then had a boxing . 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. Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. Amazingly, he defended his title on 14 different occasions against 13 different boxers from the year he won it until 1974. Ali was definitely the most famous but also the most successful out-boxer. He also liked to put his gloves on his opponents gloves to trap their hands. If a new fan asked me what Johnsons best win was and why, Id have a hard time convincing them. George Foreman was a classical slugger (or brawler). Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Walcott. That definitely wasnt the prime Ali but still, there arent many people who can say that they have a win over such a boxer. The first fight makes our list of the "25 Greatest Heavyweight Contests of the Last 100 years. For your information, 38 isnt your prime, so yeah. Elmer Ray (1933-1949, 99-23-11): 170.8, 24. 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. Literally knocking over tomato cans. Famous fight:Jack Dempsey vs Jess Willard. As Joe liked to say, Nuff said.. Not a bad list, but a few observations: Granted you can say in his era there was a lack of talent, but this is beyond his control. He won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and went on to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times. Style:Infighter (swarmer) / Aggressive counterpuncher. Remove altitude and behavior, he is the greatest. Antonio Cervantes 69. Not to be mentioned is BS. In more recent times, Deontay Wilder and his 10 consecutive title defenses demonstrated his own feared punching power and greatness that shouldn't be overlooked, either. Signature technique: Jab->Left hook to the body->Left hook to the head. Get it? In this article we will list 10 of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Cant make this list without Tyson and Holyfield. He should be considered as one of the best Lightweights of all time. Holmes defeated famous boxers including Trevor Berbick, Tim Witherspoon, Leon Spinks, Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney, and even the legendary Muhammad Ali. So Maybe Tyson is in the top10 of his era .. A tall, rangy, Olympic gold medallist with a pulverising jab, high ring IQ and KO power, British-born Lewis could be even higher on this list. But such punches are very easy to be seen because they require building huge momentum. Oliver McCall (1985-2019, 59-14-0): 121.6, 40. Sonny Liston: In the late 50s and early 60s Liston devastated the division with knockouts over Cleveland Williams, Nino Valdes, Roy Harris, Zora Folley and Eddie Machen, before taking the title from Floyd Patterson in 1962. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. When Louis first retired in 1948, he did so as champion with a 58-1 win-loss record. But can we put him up there with the absolute all-time greats just yet? For example against Sonny Liston, he was moving a lot, making him miss and countering him. Greatest of all time, Rocky Marciano. Joe Frazier (1965-1981, 32-4-1): 340.3, 12. Muhammad Ali (1960-1981, 56-5-0): 757.9. During the whole fight, he stood his ground and waited for Myke to attack first so he can counter him. Tyson Fury (2008 - present, 30-0-1): 173.2, 23. Smokin Joedid most of his knockouts, with that punch, while he was walking his opponents down. Power, toughness, and unsurpassed conditioning were Rockys calling-cards, along with a brutal relentlessness which no one in his era could withstand.