Top 10 Heavies from best to worst

[BKM-]

I'll have to agree with LondonRingRules here. Ali has definitely dropped in both the P4P and Heavyweight rankings. Don't get me wrong, Ali is still a top 2 Heavyweight on everyone's list, but Joe Louis has nearly matched the amount when it comes to people who know a little bit about Boxing, as well as the historians. Or maybe i'm just seeing the pink Elephants.

[Dynamite76]

Obviously ducked? What's obvious about it? Page lost major fights at the time and there wasn't any pressing issue to fight him. Thomas was just another talented up and comer who hadn't yet proven himself. The fact that Holmes fought Witherspoon when he didn't have to when eveyone knew how dangerous Tim was speaks volumes. Do you have some kind of beef against Larry or something?

Poet

No Beef, Larry's great, but after Witherspoon, he kind of took it easy as far as contenders who definitely had a good shot of beating him.When he should've fought Page ( in 1983 ), he didn't do it. Fought Scott Frank and Marvis Frazier and gave up the belt, rather than fight him.

[-CANE-]

Been away for 5 days and just catching up on your discussions.

I have to say that both Holmes and Tyson both fought in weak eras compared to Ali and Lewis.

I have to agree with Hawkins and LRR on certain points.

While both fought relatively weak opposition I think that regarding common opponents Holmes fought them when they were younger and stronger but some of Tyson's other opponents like Bruno and Tucker were better than the Rodriguez's of this world.

So what I'm trying to say is there isn't much difference in their oppostion at all.

While I disagree with LRR on quite a lot of things I do see what he was trying to say about Ali slipping in the rankings, not by a lot but from 1st to 2nd.

Yes Tyson looked so much more impressive against inferior oppostion than Holmes could ever dream of, because of their styles. But Holmes was a better fighter in the fact he could deal with a higher level of fighter better than Tyson could. Tyson looked awesome against grade c fighters but the better the fighter he fought the more he struggled especially if the fight went past 5 rounds and they were not intimidated and could take a punch and fire back.

Because of Tyson's style and the manner in which he dispatched this mediocre opposition his greatness is magnified by many who grew up to witness this. Many of his fans were not boxing fans and became so because of the way he tore threw these opponents and how it was portrayed by both the TV and newspaper media. He got many people interested in the fight game because of how he rejuvinated a dying sport and for that I will be forever grateful to the man, but that does not make him a great great fighter.

His power could have knocked out anybody but his chances against great fighters like Louis,Ali,Holmes,Lewis,Foreman and many more would diminish greatly after a few rounds.

Nevertheless he is probably the most exciting heavyweight of all time, I cannot deny that. But in 50 years time he won't be spoken of as great as he is now when people look back at his achievments, and I think Holmes,Holyfield,Lewis and obvisously Louis and Ali will be held in higher asteem by the vast majority of boxing fans.

Just like Jack Dempsey before him who was regarded as the best or one of the top3 now has slipped down many ratings lists. There are many similarities in Tyson and Dempsey. And over the next few decades Tyson will slip down many peoples all time lists.

[them_apples]

It's to bad people only look at records, because IMO Holmes and Tyson could take Louis, even though his record clearly out-shines theirs.

[Brockton Lip]

If that's the case then why doesn't every good fighter get an obscene amount of first round Ko's..since it's so easy.
...Do you think a fighter get's world popularity by being a joke?

Styles make fights. Many all time greats don't hae many first round KO's, its not their style to do so.
And yes they can get world popularity by being a joke (not saying anyone is but just look at many things in the media)

It's to bad people only look at records, because IMO Holmes and Tyson could take Louis, even though his record clearly out-shines theirs.

If I'm not mistaken, you look at records and numbers more than many posters on here.

[LondonRingRules]

Tyson looked awesome against grade c fighters but the better the fighter he fought the more he struggled

** Unbelievable.

Don't know which is more preposterous, the claim that would have to follow using this logic that Holmes and Spinks were grade c fighters.

Or perhaps next post claiming that Larry could even think of beating prime Louis when Larry lost to every prime HOF heavy he ever faced, with Louis being the consensus best HOF heavy ever.

Unbelievable.

[-CANE-]

** Unbelievable.

Don't know which is more preposterous, the claim that would have to follow using this logic that Holmes and Spinks were grade c fighters.

Or perhaps next post claiming that Larry could even think of beating prime Louis when Larry lost to every prime HOF heavy he ever faced, with Louis being the consensus best HOF heavy ever.

Unbelievable.

Why do you have to turn what someone says into something different.

I not once stated Holmes or Spinks were grade c fighters.

I was talking off the fighters he met on the way up and the likes of Bruce Seldon. I would class Smith,Tucker,Bruno and other such fighters as B class and he looked impressive in beating these but showed against Bruno that he could be beat by someone better and didn't look that impressive against Smith or Tucker because they were better than c class. And when he moved upto what I consider as A class fighters he looked less impressive and more likely to get beat.

Try actually reading what people are saying and stop insinuating that we mean one thing when we actually have said something else.

I loved Tyson and Holmes and they were both completely different fighters and I admired them for different reasons. I think they fought pretty much the same class of opposition but because I disagree with you in how we regard both of these fighters you insult me and make false accusations as to what I have said in order to try and make me look ******, when all your doing is making yourself look like a complete and utter idiot and a huge Tyson nuthugger in the process.

[-CANE-]

It's to bad people only look at records, because IMO Holmes and Tyson could take Louis, even though his record clearly out-shines theirs.

Maybe they could of but that doesn't make them better fighters as so many people have said before sports evolve and fighters have gotten bigger and trained better.

You have to disregard this and put Louis growing up at the same time as Holmes or Tyson and he would have been even better than what he was back then or vice versa. Then when you have done this maybe you can then start to imagine how a fight might have panned out.

Having done this then Louis stands a gret chance of beating them.
Even back then as he was he could compete no problem as he was way ahead of his time had they grown up in the same area with the same potential of talent then he more than likely beats them both.

[The Iron Man]

Just like Jack Dempsey before him who was regarded as the best or one of the top3 now has slipped down many ratings lists. There are many similarities in Tyson and Dempsey. And over the next few decades Tyson will slip down many peoples all time lists.

I actually think time will aid tyson. People focus more on the bad things that happend in his career and forget other heavies had the same **** going on. Granted not all of them but the majority of the "Greats". Once people start to forget they will look at his record and his accomplishments which will put him on or higher on some peoples list!

[-CANE-]

I actually think time will aid tyson. People focus more on the bad things that happend in his career and forget other heavies had the same **** going on. Granted not all of them but the majority of the "Greats". Once people start to forget they will look at his record and his accomplishments which will put him on or higher on some peoples list!

I have to disagree with you on this Iron.
In 30 to 50 years when people are reading about him it will always be mentioned about his out of ring antics and be talked of.

I think when reading and watching him they will see he was an exciting and devastating heavyweight who could of achieved much more than he did, but also when it came down to it in his big fights against great fighters he was always found wanting and just didn't have the true heart to dig as deep as he could in order to obtain victory like Holyfield did on so many occasions.

I think history will be kinder to Lewis and as time goes on people will realise what a great heavyweight he was and what he actually achieved and will move up on many peoples lists.