who u think is the best heavy weight of all time?

[jbmagic]

who u think is the best heavy weight of all time?

[vyshka]

It might be better to ask this in the inside the ropes forum, but I
don't think anyone will mind discussing it in here.

I have always liked Joe Louis since I was a kid and saw a show
HBO about him. I don't really have enough knowledge overall of
boxing history though to give an educated opinion on who I think
is the greatest of all time. I will be remedying that shortly though
as I have ordered the following through Amazon:

'The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing' by Harry Mullan
'Boxing: A Pictorial History' by Harry Carpenter
'A Pictorial History of Boxing' by Nat Fleischer and Sam Andre

The last 2 were recommended in another post on here.

[Bogie]

That is a hard question, I don't think any of todays fighters come close. I would probably go with Ali. Case could be made for many, many others. Thats why we all want this game!

[djday45]

My top twenty of the top of my head (my thoughts might be different tomorrow!) would be as follows.

1. Muhummad Ali
2. Joe Louis
3. Jack Johnson
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Rocky Marciano
6. George Foreman
7. Sonny Liston
8. Larry Holmes
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Mike Tyson
11. James Jeffries
12. Joe Frazier
13. Gene Tunney
14. James Corbett
15. Evander Holyfield
16. Ezzard Charles
17. Max Schmeling
18. Jersey Joe Walcott
19. John L Sullivan
20. Bob Fitzsimmons

rgds
Dean

[Mad Bomber]

My top five of all time.

1. Joe Louis
2. Jack Johnson
3. Rocky Marciano
4. Muhammad Ali
5. Larry Holmes

Greg

[Mr Big]

Rocky Marciano. Hard to argue with 49-0, 43 KOs, 11 in the 1st round.

[PittPanther]

If you search this forum, you will undoubtably find a post that has most of the long time posters all time heavy lists. Lots of good debates were sprung because of this topic, however, I think you might be hard pressed to get the "old-timers" to rehash it.

[dempsonny]

My top 20

All of these are prime of course, not the inactive Dempsey that fought Tunney or the inactive Jeffries, the old Foreman or old Liston that fought Ali or the Cleveland Williams after he was shot 4 times by a trooper.

1. Ali
2. Dempsey
3. Johnson
4. Marciano
5. Foreman
6. Liston
7. Louis
8. Langford
9 Jeanette
10 Wills
11 Tunney
12 Frazier
13 McVey
14 Schmeling
15 Cleve. Williams
16 Corbett
17 Charles
18 Older Jersey Joe Walcott
19 Fitzsimmons
20 Max Baer (when he trained for a fight)

Sorry no Holyfield, Lewis or Holmes but Holyfield within next 5.

[darthpb]

Jesus, here you go again, dempsonny. Holmes not even in your top 20!!!!! There has to be more to this than you're letting on. Did you lose a bundle on him or something...lol.

[darthpb]

Oh, and my choice would have to be Ali...keep in mind I was not a big fan until he lost to Spinks and when he was retired and I reflected back on his life and career...I used to think maybe Louis or Jack Johnson but today I would say Ali...

[IceTea]

Ali is the most overrated heavy. He was issued many gift desc Norton, Jones, and otherse.

1- Dempsey
2- Marciano
3- J. Johnson
4- Holmes
5- Tunney

[Claybor]

I agree, NO Ali. At least not #1.

1. J. Louis
2. R. Marciano
3. M. Ali
4. G. Foreman
5. J. Frazier

I omit a lot of the older generation boxers, as my information on them is sketchy, and I've seen little actual footage of most of their fights.

[crusadecat]

I'd go
1. Ali
2. Dempsey
3. Marciano
4. Louis
5. J. Johnson

[Cap]

Sticking just to guys I actually seen fight, I gotta go with:

1. Sam Langford
2. Jim Jeffries
3. Joe Louis
4. Jack Dempsey
5. Gene Tunney
6. Tommy Burns
7. Max Schmeling
8. Jack Johnson
9. Rocky Marciano
10. That new kid Ali Clay or whatever his name is.

Cap

[dempsonny]

darth, I told you he would have a tough time making my top 50 didn't you read my writings. I like CAPS ratings, even with the Canadian slant. Some of Langfords losses were probably fights that he had to lose just to get fights.
I also like crusadecats ratings.
As far as Ali being the most overated, I can't even comment. Even the Ali haters that I know do not deny his greatness. The way he dispatched Foreman, Frazier, Williams, Quarry and the rest is not matched by anyone. He fought in one of the best heavyweight eras in boxing and was king. I do not deny he was on the winning end of some championship biased. I did feel Norton won one of the other bouts. Norton was not a bum. In his prime he could beat anyone except Foreman. I am surprised and regret that Norton and Frazier never met. That's something we can correct in this game.