Journeyman Leroy Caldwell fought many of the best heavyweights from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. But even if you take into account their overall careers, Id still give the edge to Foreman because of his comeback years. He was a pressuring fighter who wasnt afraid to exchange. Ya uhm no. He was doing that by keeping his lead hand low, making himself vulnerable for crosses. Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman. With respect you talk rubbish when you assert that a peak Tyson would obliterate a peak Lennox Lewis!!! 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. 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. Jack Johnson is too high. That definitely wasnt the prime Ali but still, there arent many people who can say that they have a win over such a boxer. 10. He was very precise with this counter. The idea is to distract your opponents attention with the jab. Maybe thats not the most exciting boxing style but its definitely really effective when it comes to winning, without taking much damage. So, without further ado, the best heavyweights of all-time. Pacquiao .more #1680 of 1,902 George Foreman was a classical slugger (or brawler). A former champion in PRIDE and the UFC, he had an extremely impressive run from 1996 to 2006, where he went 28-3-1. But thats not the reason why he is on that list. 32 Packey McFarland. 34 Marcel Cerdan. Ingemar Johansson (1952-1963, 26-2-0): 293.6, 15. And the shots you dont see hurt the most. 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). A metropolis where hundreds of young warriors train and battle each day in its many gyms, it is where Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins all found greatness. BoxRec ranked heavyweights, both past and present, and awarded each fighter with an overall score based on its points system. But in 2021, he made a comeback with BKFC, then had a boxing . He competed from 1996 to 2007, 2009 to 2010, 2011 to 2015, and made a one-fight comeback in 2017. Haha he was falling all over the place, shaking his head like the little bitch that he was!! 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. 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. 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. But that way Ali was much more mobile and was able to see the punches better and to slip them. 3. What is clear is the amount of opponents Tyson overwhelmed with his devastating power. Stone-faced, unstoppable, with a jab that felt like someone jammed an electric light bulb in your face (said opponent James J Braddock). Many fans think his style was boring, calling it jab and grab. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Tyson was a thicker, harder-hitting Joe Frazier. Granted you can say in his era there was a lack of talent, but this is beyond his control. Literally knocking over tomato cans. Brawlers are willing to take a punch so they can land one. (explanation), Can you Headlock in Boxing? Or Williams, Ellis and Folley. Belcher, a 15-fight UFC veteran, wrapped up his MMA career after a loss to Michael Bisping in April 2013. Tyson was not even the best of his era - Lost to Douglas, Holyfield TWICE, Lennox Lewis,Danny Williams and McBride.. Tyson NEVER beat anyone who beat him and Never came back when he was down in a fight . Both equally as boring and predictable. They werent expecting him to generate such power from such short-range, which caught them unprepared. Thats how he knocked many of his opponents out thehard jab stunned them and the cross got the job done. That allowed him to jab his opponents from a distance without putting himself in danger. This site is owned and operated by Dimitar Ivanov. Modern heavyweights are often ridiculed as being a pale imitation of the legends of the 20th century whose legacies have been immortalised. The 10 Hardest Punchers in Heavyweight History - PBC Boxing Essentially, had he entered the UFC at his best, he'd probably be considered their greatest Heavyweight of all time. Ranking The 25 Greatest UFC Fighters Of All Time - Unlock Your Sports World Top 25 Greatest Boxers of All Time - TheSportster List of the 10 greatest heavyweight boxers of all time: Has - DAZN Thats true, Tyson was pretty much out of his prime. In 2005, Joe Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. Ernie Terrell (1957-1973, 46-9-0): 117.5, 43. 18.. 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. He developed one of the hardest jabsin boxing history. Top 10 Light Heavyweights of All Time - The Grueling Truth He peaked early, lost Cus DAmato, then lost all focus because he was very immature. Tyson would have torn apart Holmes in any era. Joey. 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. Weight class: Bantamweight. Famous fight: Archie Moore vs Yvon Durelle I. Holmes style was similar to the style of Muhammad Ali (a classical out-boxer). Jon Jones snubs Conor McGregor in list of five best MMA fighters as he Greatest Boxers of All Time - Top Ten List - TheTopTens Roy Jones Jr. Roy Jones Jr. is also one of the larger fighters on this list. 'Greatest fighter ever': How Jon Jones envisions career after Thats very similar to what Mike Tyson did when he was close to his opponents. What time is the Jay Swingler vs. NichLMAO fight tonight. 6. 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. Current heavyweight superstars Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder also made the top 50. Arturo Gatti (1972- 2009): Arturo Gatti was born in Cassino, Italy, but moved to Montreal as a child and . Elmer Ray (1933-1949, 99-23-11): 170.8, 24. Among his vanquished foes are Sam Langford, Tommy Burns, James J. Jeffries, Stanley Ketchel, Jim Flynn, Joe Jeannette and Sam McVea. Tyson never once rose from the canvas or walked through fire to win a fight. The list obviously includes the likes of Iron Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali but where do they fall on this boxing heavy Show chat replay. Holmes went, what, 48-0. Never knew defeat. Holmes threw that combo usually while he was circling around his opponents. Signature technique: Uppercuts in the clinch. Top 10 Boxers Of All Time: According to many experts and historians, the top 10 boxers of all time are: Muhammad Ali: Ali is widely considered the greatest boxer of all time, he was not only a three-time heavyweight champion, but also a cultural icon and political activist. Most of the knockout blows came from his right hand. With his 25 title defenses,Klitschko has one of the longest title reigns in the heavyweight division. Larry Holmes is the very definition of a warrior. MUHAMMAD ALI 56-5 (37), 1960-1981 ENJOYED three reigns as world champion during a 21-year-career. The Top 10 Boston Celtics of all Time. Bob Baker (1949-1959, 51-16-1): 134.4, 34. His defense was just as impressive as his offensive skills. Jersey Joe Walcott (1930-1953, 50-20-1): 261.7, 16. Ohh the Tysonites who think boxing was invented in 1984 are out in full force. 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. The Rock from Brockton (his nickname) was one of the first boxers who developed this style of boxing. I take Lennox Lewis by knockout in later rounds. Many cite this as a feat of Marciano. Top 10 Boxing Heavyweights of All Time - YouTube Top 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers of All Time - SportsGeeks Had three fights with Ali. None of the fighters listed knocked out opponents the way Tyson did with speed and fury!!!! After beating Wilder, Fury is widely regarded as the lineal heavyweight champion. 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. ESPN rates Fury as the best current heavyweight and one of the heaviest heavyweight boxers of all time with 126 kg in November 2021. 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. A master boxer, Johnson didnt own the raw one-punch power of other heavyweight greats but he was a cunning defensive genius who knew how to land his own shots. Cant believe some of these comments! Cleveland Williams (1951-1972, 80-13-1): 186.6, 21. So Maybe Tyson is in the top10 of his era .. However, what really puts Ali number one all time is his quality of opposition. #3 Cain Velasquez (UFC record: 12-3, MMA record: 14-3) At his best, Cain . Wills 16. Really? The video game? Thats why many of his wins are on points (which wasnt highly appreciated by the fans, who want to see knockouts). That way he stopped the punches even before they were thrown. Tyson would have destroyed a peak Holmes. Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 70-61 70. Joe Louis The brown bomber, was a mix of several boxing styles. But strictly off resume, he belongs closer to the bottom of this list than to the top. The 10 Greatest Heavyweight Boxers Of All Time - Inside the Ropes Boxing Top 12 All-Time Greatest Heavyweights - The Fight City Many people think that Lennox Lewis was a boxer-puncher, but I think he was a combination between an out-boxer and a brawler. Couldnt be hurt. 31 Ezzard Charles. More, and better, accomplishments. Ali finished his career with a 56-5 record with 37 KOs. He was light on his feet, moving around George a lot, and using sharp body-head combinations. Youre the only one with sense. The best American pound for pound boxers right now, named and ranked, The best super-middleweights in the world, named and ranked, The best lightweight boxers in the world, named and ranked, The best British pound for pound boxers right now, named and ranked. Boxing's 50 Greatest Heavyweight Fighters Of All Time Have - SPORTbible I agree, those two losses are crap. Jack Dempsey (1914-1927, 59-6-9): 146.7, 29. 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 . 13 Best Heavyweights In MMA History, Ranked - TheSportster Ali was definitely the most famous but also the most successful out-boxer. 9) Sugar Ray Leonard. Floyd Mayweather 6. As Joe liked to say, Nuff said.. However there is no denying that the current crop a field that includes Wilder,Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and more with WBC and The Ring champ Fury sitting top of the heap have produced the most exciting spell for the 200lbs+ realm in a long time. 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. I agree with you. There are many great heavyweight boxers now like Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder but the names that made people fall in love with heavyweight boxing are the Tyson's and Ali's. This list consists of the greatest heavyweight boxing bouts in the history of the sport. Crazy to think Mike Tyson was not part of that list. Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. And that automatically sets up the cross, because next time he could feint an uppercut and throw a straight right hand instead. Obviously, Liston has, by far, the longest reach in the heavyweight class back then. He destroyed Holmes. Ali 2. It was fast and precise but also very powerful. Lennox Lewis would wear Mike down with a strong jab peppering his face, a powerful dynamite right uppercut at close range, and tying Mike up and leaning on him to weaken and debilitate him. Bob Pastor (1935-1942, 53-7-5): 259.8, 17. DANNY WILLIAMS who LOST 27 fights knocked out a 38 year-old Tyson in 4 rounds. Frazier above Foreman? Evander Holyfield (1984-2011, 44-10-2): 357.7, 10. As did fights from the greatest of the greats, from Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali to Larry Holmes . 9. 25 greatest heavyweight boxing fights of the last 100 years Sorry, if Holmes is on they should both be in the top 5. Signature technique:Right uppercut to the body -> Right uppercut to the face. Cant understand this fixation with Tyson, all these guys mop the floor with Tyson. For example against Sonny Liston, he was moving a lot, making him miss and countering him. Famous fight:Jack Dempsey vs Jess Willard. Vitali Klitschko (1996-2012, 45-2-0): 349.2, 11. Amazingly, he defended his title on 14 different occasions against 13 different boxers from the year he won it until 1974. 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. The pair met in Las Vegas in April 2000 and Holyfield was awarded a highly controversial 12-round unanimous decision to emerge as boxing's first-ever four-time heavyweight champ. All the people who claim he never beat anyone forget that he won the title in a tournament. He reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, and is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was usually circling to his left while jabbing his opponents. Then he threw a wide, almost straight elbowed right overhand over the top. Tyson is in the top 5, hands down. Thats why Joe was usually setting his overhandup with a jab to the head. And Joe knew exactly how to do that he was able to time almost every punch and to dodge it or block it. The Best Boxing Records of All Time - Best Boxing You can see in some of his fights how he rag dolls the other boxers and even picking them up after dropping them. Lennox was feinting a right cross to make his opponents lower their head to dodge the shot. Tyson better than Holmes? Unless perhaps Tyson Fury has anything to say about that. Sonny Liston, Floyd Paterson (twice), Foreman, Frazier (twice), Norton (twice) and many more hall of famers around that. That way his opponents didnt see the punch at all. Usually, its easier to counter the jab by slipping it inside (moving your head to your left) but Marciano was leaning to his right most of the time while he was fighting, so it was much natural for him to move his head to his right and slip the jab outside. After he throws a jab, Klitschko often stuck his hand in his opponents face, blocking their vision with his glove. 10 Best Undefeated Boxers in the History - Way of Martial Arts In 1980, Holmes beat Ali in the 10th round by corner stoppage. Sugar Ray Leonard 9. Mickey Walker 64. JOE LOUIS has been named the greatest heavyweight of all time by George Foreman - with Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson also on the list but no WBC champion Tyson Fury. Without a doubt for me. If you dont think that has anything to do with it you are crazy. However there is no denying that the current crop a field that includes Wilder,Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and more with WBC and The Ring champ Fury sitting top of the heap have produced the most exciting spell for the 200lbs+ realm in a long time. Give me a break. Final record: 66-3, with 52 knockouts. 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. Wheres Tyson? Zurcher vs. Evans full card results. Frazier competed during the golden age of heavyweight boxing. He was also competing in the light heavyweight division althoughnever got the belt there. You have been beaten and know it but then train to overcome this adversity. Maybe Tyson would beat prime Lennox Lewis, but a prime Larry Holmes? 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. Its very similar to what Roy Jones Jr. does to land his powerful lead hooks. Fury has made a case to be considered one of the best heavyweights ever, but just how good is he? 1. OP doesn't seem to be asking for P4P. By Tyson Bruce 1. Retired undefeated. Top 10 Heavyweight Boxers in the World - Players Bio 4 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. TGT Tips! And not only that but also his hands were huge. Signature technique:Bait a cross -> Counter with a check lead hook. Unless perhaps Tyson Fury has anything to say about that. If he had people around him who had cared about him he may have won every fight. His prime was a bit like Iron Mike himself: short, sharp and explosive. He has no comeback ability. Jack Johnson: Boxings first Black champion of the big men was remarkably quick, very hard to hit, and dangerous with either fist. Foreman, who in 1994 knocke Peak Big George demolished unbeaten Frazier inside two rounds, then did the same to tough Ken Norton. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. He is where he belongs: Honorable Mention, with a lot of other very good but not great heavyweights. Because of his style, Wladimir took much less damage during his career than Vitali. Boxing record: Total fights - 22, Wins - 20, Wins by KO - 14, Losses - 1, Draw -1. There are many different ways to define who is the greatest boxer. Max Baer, Max Schmeling, James J. Braddock and Jersey Joe Walcott all felt Louis wrath. And they enabled him to vanquish, among others, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney,Tim Witherspoon, Mike Weaver and Trevor Berbick. He reinvented himself over and over again. He spent five years of his prime in jail and then people fought him. 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. Applause for not ranking Tyson. When he was fighting with infighters, he just pushed them away as they tried to close the distance. 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. Deontay Wilder (2008 - present, 42-1-1): 122.8, 39. He never gave any of the three rematches in their heavyweight primes. Mike Tyson W: 50 (44 KOs), L: 6, N/C: 2 Best win: KO1. Marciano was a classical infighter. A thunderous left hook, relentless work ethic and an awkward pressure-fighting style: Smokin Joe was a force of nature. The Top Ten. No way. That way he dropped Muhammad Ali in their first fight. Michael Hunter. Kick ass on half that page at least. Name: Naoya Inoue. He has done it all from being a boxing sensation to enjoying a successful career as an actor and a rapper. MF & DAZN: X Series 005 Jay Swingler v NichLmao, Who won the PFL Challenger Series last night? 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. Tyson 10. Greatest Boxers of All Time Ranked: The Top 10 | PlayToday 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). He beat everyone and won all the belts. A fearsome puncher no doubt, but see Holyfield above. 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. Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. Required fields are marked *. And Ali proved himself the best of them all. 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.