He had one of the best jabs in boxing history. Today I saw alacrity used correctly (perfectly, for that matter). We saw the skill but we were ROBBED of the will, his future, and his full potential. BoxRec ranked heavyweights, both past and present, and awarded each fighter with an overall score based on its points system. Wills are you crazy? #3 Cain Velasquez (UFC record: 12-3, MMA record: 14-3) At his best, Cain . Get it? His jab wasnt the usual fast and snappy jab that most of the boxers are using. Signature technique:Left hook -> Right Cross. I must say I like your list. But The Easton Assassin (Larrys nickname) was faster and more explosive. Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time. Famous fight: Vitali Klitschko vs Corrie Sanders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. 'Big' George, 71, won the world heavyweight championship repeatedly. 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'. Tyson should be on here all right. All a fighter can do is dominate their own era and prove their greatness in their own time. Biggest joke of the year . More athletic and aggressive than Liston. Jon Jones doesn't believe Conor McGregor is one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. Then he just waited for his opponents to take the bait, so he can counter them with a short lead hook to the head. The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time. 18.. Signature technique:Right uppercut to the body -> Right uppercut to the face. A one-dimensional fighter. What about Tyson? Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. Holmes or V Klitschko never unified the title to become undisputed like the others. One of the favorite Holyfields combinations started with a quick jab to the head, then he lowered his body and head while making a step forward and throwing a lead a hook to the body. You can see that in his fight against Joe Frazier. The Brockton Blockbuster owns the most famous heavyweight record: 49-0. 8. Signature technique:Bob and weave->Left hook to the head. Before he went to jail and before Cus DAmato died, he couldnt be touched. The video game? Holmes was completely washed up-way past his prime. Tyson had little heart but plenty quit in him. Liston was nearly knocked out by Cleveland Williams, and also had trouble from Amos Lincoln, but he beat both of them. Before he went to jail, everyone ducked him. Ken Norton should get at least an honorable mention. Famous fight:Jack Dempsey vs Jess Willard. Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. Marcel Thil 68. And Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles. 9) Sugar Ray Leonard. 9. Two comeback fights, when he was pushing 40, spoiled that record - but nothing can change the fact that he is indeed The Greatest. Plus, he's the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated. He was good everywhere, no matter if he was fighting from the inside, or from a long distance. Simple yet effective. But when it came time for Tyson to fight top prime guys, Hes 0-6 in fights that actually matter. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. Signature technique: Uppercuts in the clinch. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. (Grand Rapids, MI, February 24, 1977) is an American professional boxing promoter and former professional boxer. 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. He was usually circling to his left while jabbing his opponents. Hasim Rahman (1994-2014, 50-9-2): 115.1, 46. At 18, he won a Gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. However, what really puts Ali number one all time is his quality of opposition. Like most of the brawlers, Liston wasnt the fastest boxer which caused him problems against quick out-boxers, as you can see in his fight with Ali. Tyson at 12 is good. Johnson never granted a title shot to another African-American boxer - maintaining the odious colour bar during his six-year reign - but he was ahead of his time in the ring. Belcher, a 15-fight UFC veteran, wrapped up his MMA career after a loss to Michael Bisping in April 2013. Id probably say Tommy Burns, a good but small heavyweight from whom he took the crown. 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.. For example against Sonny Liston, he was moving a lot, making him miss and countering him. Tyson gives up fast when he senses hes losing. 1. In 2005, Joe Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. Pure sweet science, master class boxing skills on display from Lewis across his brilliant career. Antoni Nogueira is one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the heavyweight division. Cant get upset by your list, since I cant even take you seriously.. Definitely, George Foreman is one of the most intimidating and exciting boxers to watch. Thats a really effective combination, especially when fighting against someone fast and slick, who like to move his head a lot. 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. Using this technique Klitschko made many of his KOs. Eddie Machen (1955-1967, 50-11-3): 157.1, 26. Three time champ and he was the king of the 90s, which was a very good generation for heavyweights. Evander also won their second fight after Tyson was disqualified after he bit Evanders ear several times but it was clear that Mike did that out of desperation. 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. And not only that but also his hands were huge. (Legal and Illegal Clinching). Ruslan Chagaev (1997-2016, 34-3-1): 123.1, 38. But Marciano did one thing really well: win. He was a pressuring fighter who was really explosive (especially with his left hook). By Tyson Bruce 1. Any ranking also shouldnt be about which boxer beats which in some fantasy fight. 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. Amen!! A 1987 version of Mike would have demolished him. Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. Ali and George Foreman were much bigger. No iron Mike on top of the list? Bob Foster was one of the best light heavyweight boxers of all time. So he was a thought matchup for everyone. Most great boxers have done this and Lennox Lewis only lost twice and then won in the rematch. Rocky Marciano (1947-1955, 49-0-0): 692.2, 2. And he was able to use it really effectively. Ali finished his career with a 56-5 record with 37 KOs. Name: Naoya Inoue. 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. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. Nikolay Valuev (1993-2009, 50-2-0): 233.4, 18. And a peak Tyson would have obliterated a peak Lennox Lewis too. He was very precise with this counter. A true STUDENT of the sweet science. 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. He was known for his deadly hitting power throughout his famous boxing career. 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. Norton 11. Its very similar to what Roy Jones Jr. does to land his powerful lead hooks. He was light on his feet, moving around George a lot, and using sharp body-head combinations. Ezzard Charles Shorboxing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. They werent expecting him to generate such power from such short-range, which caught them unprepared. A jab and a right hand. Amazingly, he defended his title on 14 different occasions against 13 different boxers from the year he won it until 1974. 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. Mike Tyson was in an awfully weak era. Marciano 4. Tyson in his prime was unstoppable. Fury has combined pure boxing skills with underrated punching power to a supreme level amidst his growing dominance. 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. No one could take him, bigger fighters were not given the room or the time to punch. Also, this is a ranking of the greatest boxers and not of the best ones. Accolades: A . Then show me a fight where Tyson did anything similar. He is where he belongs: Honorable Mention, with a lot of other very good but not great heavyweights. Karel Sys (1932-1954, 117-15-10): 115.4, 45. Top 15 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Boxers (Style Breakdown). 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. Johnsons defense should rank him number one. 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. So in order to beat such fighter, Holyfield had to fight from the inside. And as we know, the sport never stops toevolves so Joshua has an unfair advantage over Ali. Not a bad list, but a few observations: Langford was tiny when he fought Johnson. And lame. They usually, stay at a mid-range, in position dangerous for both for them and for their opponents. He should be considered as one of the best Lightweights of all time. He was the mad experiment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxing minds ever in Cus Damato. Tyson Fury (2008 - present, 30-0-1): 173.2, 23. Thats an old-school boxing technique which Foreman effectively applied during the golden age of boxing. Joe Baksi (1940-1954, 61-9-3): 109.8 49. Roberto Duran 8. Oliver McCall (1985-2019, 59-14-0): 121.6, 40. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. They were both under six feet and 200 pounds. Sonny Liston, Floyd Paterson (twice), Foreman, Frazier (twice), Norton (twice) and many more hall of famers around that. 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). After that, he finished the combo with a powerful lead hook to the head. A former champion in PRIDE and the UFC, he had an extremely impressive run from 1996 to 2006, where he went 28-3-1. Unless perhaps Tyson Fury has anything to say about that. 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. 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). Very impressive. Essentially, had he entered the UFC at his best, he'd probably be considered their greatest Heavyweight of all time. Deontay Wilder (2008 - present, 42-1-1): 122.8, 39. 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. Of course, he has a great strategy for every different opponent. A more intelligent fighter and harder puncher than Ali. Or Williams, Ellis and Folley. His joint record of defeating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight championship and winning 14 championship bouts was unbeaten for 35 years. Without further ado, here is my countdown of Canada's 5 greatest boxers of all-time: 5. Lennox was most dangerous at a long distance where he can throw his right cross or uppercut with devastating power. Famous fight: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Calvin Brock. Shut the hell up! The idea is to distract your opponents attention with the jab. Mike Tyson started every fight by putting pressure on his opponents. For example, Muhammad Ali is a much greater boxer than Anthony Joshua, because of his competition and the things he accomplished but I dont think that he is able to beat Joshua if they fought in their primes. Frazier above Foreman? If he had people around him who had cared about him he may have won every fight. He was a bully and a quitter. Cant overlook Holmes place in heavyweight history. Well, at least Foremans hands. But its his late-career comeback that sealed Foremans greatness. Tyson is in the top 5, hands down. Tyson never fought anyone in there prime or of any note before 1990. Roscoe Toles (1931-1950, 45-10-6): 140.1, 31. Then he was quickly lifting it up while releasing the blow. In his great boxing career, Jones has won several world titles, and he also won a Silver medal at the Olympics in 1988. 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. But in 2021, he made a comeback with BKFC, then had a boxing . Cant understand this fixation with Tyson, all these guys mop the floor with Tyson. With his never back style, granite chin and knockout power, he was a really exciting fighter to watch. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. Critics point out that Marciano was small, clumsy and only made six title defences, mainly against ageing opponents. But one needs to think in overall terms and career achievements. 4 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. 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. He was poorly managed and handled. Sometimes Archie was using the crossguard to bait his opponents. Thats why Joe was usually setting his overhandup with a jab to the head. The Easton Assassin was, for a long stretch, the most underrated heavyweight champion. Plus, he's the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated. He competed from 1996 to 2007, 2009 to 2010, 2011 to 2015, and made a one-fight comeback in 2017. Mike Tyson earn his stripes. Applause for not ranking Tyson. Tyson was a combination puncher who liked head-body-head combos and has a knockout power in both his hands. Fury has made a case to be considered one of the best heavyweights ever, but just how good is he? But of course, there are some differences between both fighters. 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. Retired undefeated. These are hardly heavyweight limelights and I mention Tysons age 38 because considering the legit comebacks going on, Tyson was NOT that old. Both Louis and Ali have stated in their primes, Rocky probably would have beaten them. After winning the world light heavyweight title in 1968 after beating Dick Tiger with a 4th round knockout. Very hard to argue against your selections. Ali, who is often considered the best boxer of all time, fell short of capturing the top spot in the rankings. Thudding around the ring? 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. However, Louis was able to take revenge for this match after two years. Joey. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. Jersey Joe Walcott 66. The mold of a perfect fighter. Tyson, maybe, but I have no issue with him being left off. Holyfield, for example, beat Tyson twice. Jersey Joe Walcott (1930-1953, 50-20-1): 261.7, 16. Marciano never fought Joe Louis. What time is Shevchenko vs. Grasso tonight? That way his opponents didnt see the punch at all. Holyfield should be on the list. Jack Dempsey 7 5 The Best Cruiserweight Boxers of All Time 6 Manny Pacquio Super bantamweight, Flyweight, Welterweight 15,393 votes Age: 44 Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH ( PAK-ee-ow; Tagalog: [pkja]; born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino professional boxer and politician, currently serving as a senator of the Philippines. And at the end of the day, the effectiveness of the technique is much more important than its appearance. 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. 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. And as the other boxers tried to close the distance, Wladimir got into a clinch or headlocked them (which is much easier when fighting with shorter boxers). Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. 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. Ali didnt have the power of boxers such as Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, but he was really skilled and was definitely very smart fighter with high fight IQ. Signature technique: Right cross counter over the jab. Accurate list! I think he is one of the greatest boxers not only because of the fact he was a champion or because of his title defenses but also because of his unique style. Which makes your opponent lower his guard to protect his body and you can land a hard hook to the head. 31 Ezzard Charles. Riddick Bowe 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. The similaritiesheavyweight champion, jail sentence, exotic lifestyle and signature voiceare. 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. Unless perhaps Tyson Fury has anything to say about that. Yeah, Holmes lost twice to Michael Spinks, while Tyson knocked out Spinks in 90 seconds. Holmes 8. No Mike Tyson is a shame!! Jack Dempsey (1914-1927, 59-6-9): 146.7, 29. My gripe is not fully with the omissions of Tyson, and Holyfield, as much as it is that those two were put in the same so called, Honorable pool as one of the god damn Klitschko brothers. 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. Other Links > Boxing > Top Ranked Ranked Boxers by State Visit Our Patreon Page to Create Your Own All-Time Fantasy Teams and See Other Bonus Material . All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Champions is the title. Arturo Gatti (1972- 2009): Arturo Gatti was born in Cassino, Italy, but moved to Montreal as a child and . Terence Crawford 63. Floyd Mayweather 6. how could you possible list frazier ahead of foreman, that is crazy, simply because foreman DESTROYED him twice. Sonny Liston a brawler. For your information, 38 isnt your prime, so yeah. Then he threw a wide, almost straight elbowed right overhand over the top. Frazier is the only man to defeat Muhammad Ali when he was anywhere close to his prime. No way. Feel free to add your thoughts and comments! Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975, 40-12-1): 114.2, 47. Foreman was also very tough and has a great punching power which makes it really hard to exchange with him. Who is the Greatest Boxer of All Time? He was a pressuring fighter who wasnt afraid to exchange. But that allowed him to cover much more distance and surprise his opponents (nobody was probably expecting a pro boxer to move that way). When was Tyson ever able to overcome anyone who fought back? Henry Cooper (1954-1971, 40-14-1): 118.8, 42. Both fighters liked to jab their opponent while circling to their left. Worst list Ive ever seen 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 . As Joe liked to say, Nuff said.. And they are similar in age so how can you talk about their primes? 27 Abe Attell. With his 25 title defenses,Klitschko has one of the longest title reigns in the heavyweight division. 30 Terry McGovern. Gypsy King retained his WBC crown with a stunning KO of Deontay Wilder The Week Staff 11 Oct. And Ali proved himself the best of them all. Listons Jab-Cross wasnt the normal 1-2 (jab-cross) combination with light but quick jab and powerful right hand. Chris Byrd (1993-2009, 41-5-1): 142.9, 30. 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 . The order in which we presented the respective lists had no logic; we started with the middleweights, before going on to rank the bantamweights, light heavyweights, flyweights, featherweights, welterweights and, most recently, the lightweights but naturally, we saved for last the guys at the top of the beanstalk: the big men; the heavyweights. No one better to learn from. Lennox Lewis 11. On his first night as a . 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. Since then Im always trying to improve my skills, by finding and testing new strategies, and training methods. Joe Frazier (32-4-1, 27 KO) Joe Frazier had beaten many great opponents including Buster Mathis, Doug Jones and Muhammad Ali (once). Floyd Patterson (1952-1972, 55-8-1): 321.5, 14. 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. During the whole fight, he stood his ground and waited for Myke to attack first so he can counter him. It lasted two rounds. I agree with you. Besides this strategy, his size advantage was also a huge factor in those two fights (Lewis is 65 tall with 84 reach). And dont forget Terrell, Shavers and Chuvalo. 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. Actually, considering his height and reach disadvantage compared to his opponents (he was5ft1012tall, and has the shortest reach in the heavyweight history only68), that was the best style for him. Brawlers are willing to take a punch so they can land one. He would have no chance if he fought from a distance against someone with a longer reach. Really? 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. Thats why they dont have complex footwork and they arent light on their feet like, for example, the out-boxers. Many cite this as a feat of Marciano. Sorry. Thats true, Tyson was pretty much out of his prime. Tyson is a video-game. Yes, Frazier is a better fighter than a Foreman, even though Foreman beat him up, twice. 2. 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. MUHAMMAD ALI 56-5 (37), 1960-1981 ENJOYED three reigns as world champion during a 21-year-career. He fought a total of 81 fights with 76 stunning wins. Nor did he obliterate a mediocre Tony Tucker, both title fights in 1987. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History. George Foreman has eclipsed boxing icon, Mike Tyson, as the all-time toughest heavyweight. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports. 32 Packey McFarland. In my opinion, Moore was a boxer-puncher (someone who is good everywhere inside, outside, can fight in any stance, etc) because he was fighting effective no matter if it was in the clinch or from a long distance where he was circling around his opponents and jabbing them Muhammad Ali style. After a standout amateur career, he turned pro in 1934. Tyson lost every fight that ever meant something. George Foreman: One of the hardest punchers in boxing history is revered both for his amazing power and his incredible comeback in the 1990s which culminated in his regaining the world title two decades after he lost it in the famous Rumble in the Jungle. His terrifying demolitions of Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, plus his legendary slugfest with Ron Lyle, will never be forgotten. Frazier was able to knock everyone out with it. 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.