Holmes had been out of action 2 years and was 38. And Ali proved himself the best of them all. No one better to learn from. Beating Sonny Liston to win his first championship as a 7-to-1 underdog, defeating chief rival Joe Frazier two out of three times, stopping the undefeated George Foreman as a 4-to-1 underdog (to regain the title), outpointing Kenny . Montreal is The Fight City. Look at the fear Tyson compounded with ferocious punches for Trevor Berbick, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno and Donovan Ruddock to name a few amidst his reign of terror during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s. But that allowed him to cover much more distance and surprise his opponents (nobody was probably expecting a pro boxer to move that way). The Top Ranked Boxers of All-Time from California Fury has made a case to be considered one of the best heavyweights ever, but just how good is he? Smokin Joe was an absolute buzzsaw. 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. 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. Thats a really effective combination, especially when fighting against someone fast and slick, who like to move his head a lot. The cartoon? 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. Final record: 66-3, with 52 knockouts. Mike Tyson 5. Hasim Rahman (1994-2014, 50-9-2): 115.1, 46. 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). The video game? 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'. The first fight makes our list of the "25 Greatest Heavyweight Contests of the Last 100 years. Tyson would have torn apart Holmes in any era. Sugar Ray Robinson 3. Frazier was a very carefully managed fighter who could not win against power punchers. Holyfield 9. Beat every fighter he ever faced, avenging his two defeats plus the (ridiculous) draw he got in the first Holyfield fight. Also, both loses clearly because he didnt take the fights as seriously as he should have, but when he did, he made quick work of both. Both Louis and Ali have stated in their primes, Rocky probably would have beaten them. Couldnt agree more. Ferocious. Ingemar Johansson (1952-1963, 26-2-0): 293.6, 15. Lennox Lewis made the cut and Iron Mike didnt..laughable. After three years in prison, Tysons quickness was gone. But The Easton Assassin (Larrys nickname) was faster and more explosive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. Ive read a couple of bios and researched that era. Johnsons defense should rank him number one. Holyfield was a boxer-puncher. Floyd Mayweather 6. Sorry, if Holmes is on they should both be in the top 5. THATs reality, Tyson fans. He was also fightingcomfortably in both boxing stances orthodox and southpaw and was switching between them to get a superior angle during the fight. Another boxings greatest robberies. When Ali first retired, in 1978, he was a three-time heavyweight champ whod avenged every defeat. In an era when segregation was still legal, Louis' athleticism made him one of the few African-American celebrities of his time. Manny Pacquiao: One of the dominant boxers of his time, Pacquiao has won ten world titles in eight divisions and defeated such champions as Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar DeLaHoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley, Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman. Holmes was a deadbeat along with Klitschko. Nationality: Japanese. And they probably didnt expect to get three of those hard jabs to the head in a row. BoxRec ranked heavyweights, both past and present, and awarded each fighter with an overall score based on its points system. 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. Do people not know that Lewis beat Tyson in 8 rounds? Yes, Frazier is a better fighter than a Foreman, even though Foreman beat him up, twice. Mike Tyson earn his stripes. Mike Tyson was the best fighter I ever saw. 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. Both ruined the division for a decade. Nearly none of his games lasted more than 15 rounds. He was usually circling to his left while jabbing his opponents. And he had a real power in his punches no matter what he was throwing. I agree with you. Name: Naoya Inoue. Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. Robinson cannot beat a heavyweight. He was able to knock everyone out with every type of punch, even with a simple jab. George Foreman (1969-1997, 76-5-0): 233.3, 19. Belcher, a 15-fight UFC veteran, wrapped up his MMA career after a loss to Michael Bisping in April 2013. Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975, 40-12-1): 114.2, 47. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. Cus was more than just his coach he was Tysons everything and guided him. Both fighters liked to jab their opponent while circling to their left. The next time he changed levels like he is going to throw a body shot, but then he sprang up with a hook to the head. Melio Bettina (1934-1948, 83-14-3): 189.5, 20. 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. 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. Throw in Norton, Quarry, Patterson, Lyle and Bonavena too. That way he dropped Muhammad Ali in their first fight. A peak Tyson could not obliterate a mediocre Bonecrusher Smith, who had limited counter punching skills. Ted Kid Lewis 65. Check out which of today's heavyweight fighters make our top 10. Plus, hes the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. Jack Johnson won the heavyweight belt in 1908 and become the first African American heavyweight boxing champion. This is supposed to be joke right? Picking just 10 great heavyweights from 100+ years means some elite champions have to miss out. 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. Walcott. Tyson gives up fast when he senses hes losing. 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. Dont be a hater all your life! He was the mad experiment of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, boxing minds ever in Cus Damato. No substance. Ken Norton. 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. Well, at least Foremans hands. 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. Very impressive. Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman. A victory also could put Jones, 35, back in the conversation for top pound-for-pound fighter, a spot currently held by featherweight Alexander Volkanovski. For your information, 38 isnt your prime, so yeah. Today's big question Where does Tyson Fury rank among the best heavyweight boxers of all time? And he was able to use it really effectively. Joe Frazier (1965-1981, 32-4-1): 340.3, 12. 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. Famous fight: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Calvin Brock. And not only that but also his hands were huge. Sonny Liston, Floyd Paterson (twice), Foreman, Frazier (twice), Norton (twice) and many more hall of famers around that. In boxing history, Gerald Arthur Cooney came as the one who gave contenders the most powerful punches. By Tyson Bruce 1. Credit: PA 50. 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. Muhammad Ali The Greatest was not only one of the best heavyweights of all time, he was also one of the most colorful. Muhammad Ali. But they, too, are among the greatest of all time, so thats not too shabby. Huh? Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 70-61 70. What time is Shevchenko vs. Grasso tonight? He was light on his feet, moving around George a lot, and using sharp body-head combinations. Ezzard Charles But such punches are very easy to be seen because they require building huge momentum. Thats why they dont have complex footwork and they arent light on their feet like, for example, the out-boxers. Muhammad Ali 2. However, Louis was able to take revenge for this match after two years. 1. Famous fight: Vitali Klitschko vs Corrie Sanders. The technique was simple he leaned all his weight on his front foot before throwing the punch. It was avenged in devastating style: two minutes and four seconds of violence that left Schmeling with broken bones in his back. Signature technique:Left hook -> Right Cross. He was a bully and a quitter. 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. Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports. He was constantly changing levels, bobbing and weaving, feinting and throwing body shots. Tyson better than Holmes? Henry Akinwande (1989-2008, 50-4-1): 126.7, 37. l give credit to any boxer who can rectify their losses. Joe Louis The brown bomber, was a mix of several boxing styles. Primo Carnera (1928-1946, 89-14-0): 111.2 48. Best pure puncher who ever got in a ring. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Thats why it was hard for them to defend them. Joe Frazier (32-4-1, 27 KO) Joe Frazier had beaten many great opponents including Buster Mathis, Doug Jones and Muhammad Ali (once). 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. 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. His record is no different than Tommy Morrisons, same tomato cans, Tommy had an even higher KO %. Foreman, who in 1994 knocke Marciano never fought Joe Louis. 10 Best Undefeated Boxers in the History Ranked. During the whole fight, he stood his ground and waited for Myke to attack first so he can counter him. That allowed him to jab his opponents from a distance without putting himself in danger. ESPN rates Fury as the best current heavyweight and one of the heaviest heavyweight boxers of all time with 126 kg in November 2021. Cant overlook Holmes place in heavyweight history. Doughlas got lucky and Lewis no match to him . Bob Baker (1949-1959, 51-16-1): 134.4, 34. Wladimir Klitschko (1996-2017, 64-5-0): 537.5, 5. Joe Frazier: The man they called Smokin Joe doesnt get enough love on most ATG lists, but overlooked are two things: 1. But its his late-career comeback that sealed Foremans greatness. Maybe that was the reason why he has such a knockout power. A gift and a curse. Muhammad Ali: Why is Ali number one? And Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles. He was known for his deadly hitting power throughout his famous boxing career. And dont forget Terrell, Shavers and Chuvalo. FOUR. The idea is to distract your opponents attention with the jab. Oliver McCall (1985-2019, 59-14-0): 121.6, 40. Tyson had little heart but plenty quit in him. March 3, 2023 8:50 am ET. Didnt he get beaten by a fat man? For this combo Vitaly used his left hook, not to hurt his opponents but just to push their head to his right, where he can catch them with his devastating right cross. 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. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. Accolades: A . No Mike Tyson is a shame!! Wills 16. Which makes your opponent lower his guard to protect his body and you can land a hard hook to the head. Remove altitude and behavior, he is the greatest. That way he was nullifying the reach and height advantages of his opponents. Tyson 10. Very surprising. They were both under six feet and 200 pounds. And they are similar in age so how can you talk about their primes? He was also small for the weight class (510 tall), compared to the other heavyweightsat that time, which was actually an advantage. Mike Tyson started every fight by putting pressure on his opponents. Eventually he would be being hit with pinpoint left hooks and right crosses. After that, he finished the combo with a powerful lead hook to the head. I must say I like your list. 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. Famous fight:Jack Dempsey vs Jess Willard. Here are the top 25 greatest boxers of all time: 26 Honorable Mentions: Gene Tunney, Marvin Hagler, Julio Cesar Chavez, Manny Pacquiao & The Klitschko's The history of boxing is such that this could be a list of the 250 greatest boxers of all-time, and there would still be some great names left out. But one needs to think in overall terms and career achievements. George Foreman has eclipsed boxing icon, Mike Tyson, as the all-time toughest heavyweight. Except that he was a fighter who occasionally, frustratingly, came in unprepared and fought below his level. Louis 3. Signature technique:Exit the clinch with an explosive lead hook. And Jersey Joe Walcott, who made him look amateurish and dropped him at like 39 years of age. 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. Weight class: Bantamweight. Many fans think his style was boring, calling it jab and grab. What about Tyson? On his first night as a . Without further ado, here is my countdown of Canada's 5 greatest boxers of all-time: 5. Fury has combined pure boxing skills with underrated punching power to a supreme level amidst his growing dominance. Holyfield should be on the list. Frazier competed during the golden age of heavyweight boxing. 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!' Style:Infighter (swarmer) / Aggressive counterpuncher. 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. Top 12 All-Time Greatest Welterweight Fights, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Muhammad Ali Performances, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Punchers, Top 12 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is Forever The Greatest. Dempsey was also developed great head movement, footwork and he was able to fight in both stances. Louis' points total puts him well clear of the 'Greatest,' who finished second with an impressive 757.9 points. Most great boxers have done this and Lennox Lewis only lost twice and then won in the rematch. The greatest heavyweight is the best boxer by default, as they beat everyone across ALL divisions. The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time. Does tag team boxing have a future in the sport? For example, they both had knockout power and they both used their size and strength to control their opponents in the clinch. There was never a Plan B, and theres a point in every boxers career when hes going to need one. In this article we will list 10 of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. And a peak Tyson would have obliterated a peak Lennox Lewis too. Lennox was most dangerous at a long distance where he can throw his right cross or uppercut with devastating power. 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. Of course, there are somesimilarities in the styles of the two brothers. These are hardly heavyweight limelights and I mention Tysons age 38 because considering the legit comebacks going on, Tyson was NOT that old. Yeah, Holmes lost twice to Michael Spinks, while Tyson knocked out Spinks in 90 seconds. Both equally as boring and predictable. Roy Jones Jr. Roy Jones Jr. is also one of the larger fighters on this list. Thats why many of his wins are on points (which wasnt highly appreciated by the fans, who want to see knockouts). Tyson would have destroyed a peak Holmes. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. Retired undefeated. Does tag team boxing have a future in the sport? That list is crap. Had three fights with Ali. His 68 knockouts speak for themselves. That shows how adaptive and smart fighter Holyfield was in his prime which is the reason why he is one of the greatest ever. Tyson should be number 2 or 3. Your email address will not be published. Jack Johnson usually prevented his opponents from entering into a clinch by resting his hands on their shoulder and pushing them back. Mike Tyson should be in the top 12! 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. And those are things you cant see very often back then. Holmes threw that combo usually while he was circling around his opponents. A 1987 version of Mike would have demolished him. Evander Holyfield (1984-2011, 44-10-2): 357.7, 10. Thats how he knocked many of his opponents out thehard jab stunned them and the cross got the job done. The only other heavyweights who have held The Ring magazine title twice are Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali. Tyson could not get past the defense of Lewis and he got knocked out. You can see that in his fight against Joe Frazier. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. Cant believe some of these comments! Listons Jab-Cross wasnt the normal 1-2 (jab-cross) combination with light but quick jab and powerful right hand. Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time As selected by The Ring magazine in various years. Not his fault if he fought and beat old men as champ. 9) Sugar Ray Leonard. Which actually was a really effective strategy he beat both those guys. Holyfield, for example, beat Tyson twice. Vitali Klitschko (1996-2012, 45-2-0): 349.2, 11. Date of Birth: 10 July 1988, Age: 34 years old. He should be considered as one of the best Lightweights of all time. Antoni Nogueira is one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the heavyweight division. But then he threw an uppercut making his opponents fall right into the punch. Apollo is hands down the greatest boxer in . Big heart, just would not be beaten. When talking The Greatest heavyweights, Alis name reigns supreme.