But they, too, are among the greatest of all time, so thats not too shabby. 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. Weight class: Bantamweight. Ali. That way he knocked some of his opponents out, with a quick lead hook, right after exiting the clinch. Lewis beat tyson and evander and every boxer he ever faced. Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. The boy from Catsville New York is the second greatest. So, without further ado, the best heavyweights of all-time. The Fight of the Century in March 1971, when he handed Muhammad Ali his first loss, was proof of that. Literally knocking over tomato cans. 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. But one needs to think in overall terms and career achievements. Tyson should be number 2 or 3. 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. 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). Holyfield was a boxer-puncher. I remember how he destroyed Holmes! Thats how he knocked many of his opponents out thehard jab stunned them and the cross got the job done. Max Schmeling (1924-1948, 56-10-4): 183, 22. I take Lennox Lewis by knockout in later rounds. Marciano never fought Joe Louis. MF & DAZN: X Series 005 Jay Swingler v NichLmao, Who won the PFL Challenger Series last night? Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time As selected by The Ring magazine in various years. US legend Louis made a record 25 heavyweight title defences and only lost once in his prime: to Max Schmeling, who picked out a flaw in Louiss technique. Frazier above Foreman? Lennox Lewis: Of all the legendary names to inhabit a heavyweight era in the 1990s that was one of the deepest in boxing history, Lewis might very well be its best and most complete fighter. 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. He should be considered as one of the best Lightweights of all time. And a peak Tyson would have obliterated a peak Lennox Lewis too. Jack Johnson usually prevented his opponents from entering into a clinch by resting his hands on their shoulder and pushing them back. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. Absolutely, Mr. Weiler. Pacquiao .more #1680 of 1,902 Weight: 201 lbs (91.1 kg) Not all heavyweight boxers are fast, but that does not stop Michael Hunter from landing quick jabs and hooks on his opponent. The Top 10 Boston Celtics of all Time. Current heavyweight superstars Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder also made the top 50. Very hard to argue against your selections. Then he threw a wide, almost straight elbowed right overhand over the top. Ranking Explanation . Larry Holmes is the very definition of a warrior. 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. Also, this is a ranking of the greatest boxers and not of the best ones. Here, DAZN lists its 10 Best Heavyweights of All Time, in no particular order. He had one of the best jabs in boxing history. 49. His fists were 14 inches around, which are the largest fists measured in the heavyweight boxing division. Arguably the divisions greatest puncher. Antonio Cervantes 69. Rocky Marciano (1947-1955, 49-0-0): 692.2, 2. Second, since we have chosen to rank fighters in one division only so we can spread the glory around, you will not see Gene Tunney, Ezzard Charles orSam Langford here, as they are on our list of the all-time best light heavyweights. And he had more power than Ali, especially with his jab. Go back and watch the Norton fight, even just round 15 if you dont have the time. 9. Check out which of today's heavyweight fighters make our top 10. Fury has combined pure boxing skills with underrated punching power to a supreme level amidst his growing dominance. Reviled early on in his championship reign, he eventually became nothing less than an American icon. When talking The Greatest heavyweights, Alis name reigns supreme. Holmes had been out of action 2 years and was 38. Even one punch was enough as long as it connects clean. Tyson ADMITS he bit EH (classy) out of frustration not knowing what to do when he knew hed lose). Gene Tunney (1915-1928, 79-1-4): 464.7, 6. Required fields are marked *. Many . Roscoe Toles (1931-1950, 45-10-6): 140.1, 31. Dempsey 14. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right Now, Named And Ranked. These are hardly heavyweight limelights and I mention Tysons age 38 because considering the legit comebacks going on, Tyson was NOT that old. Many have failed at this. His duels with George Foreman (Rumble in the Jungle, 1974) and Joe Frazier (Thrilla in Manila . Ingemar Johansson (1952-1963, 26-2-0): 293.6, 15. Marciano fought and beat the Shadow of Joe Louis SHADOW. That allowed him to throw a powerful right cross without his opponents see it by moving his left glove off their eyes a split of the second before the cross lands. In his great boxing career, Jones has won several world titles, and he also won a Silver medal at the Olympics in 1988. And at the end of the day, the effectiveness of the technique is much more important than its appearance. Some were renowned for their speed while others were famous for being heavy hitters. He was parrying the jabs with his right glove, ducking under the hooks and right straights and usually countering with a left hook to the head or to the body. Drederick Tatum is The Simpsons equivalent of former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. 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. Then he was quickly lifting it up while releasing the blow. Jon Jones doesn't believe Conor McGregor is one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. Muhammad Ali is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time according to major Sports publications like Sports Illustrated, NBCSports, BBC, and ESPN SportsCentury. Signature technique:Bob and weave->Left hook to the head. He is an out-boxer (someone who maintain a distance from their opponent and throws fast and long punches) but unlike the most out-boxers, he has knockout power in both his hands. 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. Muhammad Ali 2. Greatest of all time, Rocky Marciano. 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). In 2005, Joe Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. No Holyfield? His fight against Gane for the vacant heavyweight title is the headline event of UFC . 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. Ali was definitely the most famous but also the most successful out-boxer. Lewis 7. He was also fightingcomfortably in both boxing stances orthodox and southpaw and was switching between them to get a superior angle during the fight. When the going got tough, Tyson had problems. Mike Tyson was in an awfully weak era. Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis didnt fear Tyson and were able to subsequently bully the bully. His record is no different than Tommy Morrisons, same tomato cans, Tommy had an even higher KO %. Definitely, George Foreman is one of the most intimidating and exciting boxers to watch. Henry Akinwande (1989-2008, 50-4-1): 126.7, 37. The Rock from Brockton (his nickname) was one of the first boxers who developed this style of boxing. Ken Norton (1967-1981, 42-7-1): 135.2, 32. Respect. The Youngest Heavyweight Champion ever, a record that will never be broken, is the only true accolade Mike has to his name. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Defeating a 26-year-old Michael Moorer at the age of 45 back in November 1994 to once again be crowned as heavyweight champion demonstrated how a heavyweights power is the last to leave his hands. He boasts solid wins over David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer and Vitali Klitschko. 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. 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 . 12. Mike Tyson W: 50 (44 KOs), L: 6, N/C: 2 Best win: KO1. Famous fight:Sonny Liston vs Cassius Clay. Jack Johnson: Boxings first Black champion of the big men was remarkably quick, very hard to hit, and dangerous with either fist. Anthony Joshua (2013 - present, 23-1-0): 116.9, 44. Thats an old-school boxing technique which Foreman effectively applied during the golden age of boxing. Signature technique: Right cross counter over the jab. 18.. This list is absolute dooodooo. 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. 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. 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. Few fighters have had the menacing aura Tyson carried to the ring and while brutal punch power was his trademark, peak Tyson also boasted fast hands, a sneaky jab, head movement and a strong chin. A four time heavyweight champion (not to mention cruiserweight champion), The Real Deal never ducked anyone and fought through adversity too many times to count. More athletic and aggressive than Liston. Evander Holyfield (1984-2011, 44-10-2): 357.7, 10. All a fighter can do is dominate their own era and prove their greatness in their own time. Amen!! But by doing that they often left their head open, which was a perfect opportunity for Iron Myke to land the knockout blow. Langford was tiny when he fought Johnson. No way. Signature technique:Bait a cross -> Counter with a check lead hook. Wills 16. 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. No substance. Bob Foster was one of the best light heavyweight boxers of all time. But thats just for starters. Top 15 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Boxers (Style Breakdown). It was full power with every punch. Sonny Liston a brawler. Holyfield was only person fought well with tyson in his prime. Holyfield I choose him because hes very contemporary to MT) doesnt talk trash. A tall, rangy, Olympic gold medallist with a pulverising jab, high ring IQ and KO power, British-born Lewis could be even higher on this list. Randy Couture: Couture already made our list of the greatest light heavyweights of all time, but his true home for the majority of his career was at heavyweight. Because if you want to walk somebody down, youre probably going to get some punches in the face, so you need to know how to deal with them. None of the fighters listed knocked out opponents the way Tyson did with speed and fury!!!! That way he built huge momentum in his punch and dramatically increased its power. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. Before he went to jail and before Cus DAmato died, he couldnt be touched. But that way Ali was much more mobile and was able to see the punches better and to slip them. Maybe thats not the most exciting boxing style but its definitely really effective when it comes to winning, without taking much damage. Because of his style, Wladimir took much less damage during his career than Vitali. He was a powerful puncher and the most relentless fighter ever. Wheres Tyson? Shut the hell up! Modern heavyweights are often ridiculed as being a pale imitation of the legends of the 20th century whose legacies have been immortalised. Only 2 losses, and he came back and rectified them. He won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and went on to become the first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times. Holmes was 38 when he fought a 21-year-old, peak Tyson, same age as Ali was when he fought Holmes. Cant get upset by your list, since I cant even take you seriously.. The top 10 heavyweights of all time Matt Christie lists the history's finest heavyweights 1. Tyson never once rose from the canvas or walked through fire to win a fight. Eventually, he knocked out Louis with a devastating uppercut putting an end to one of the best heavyweight boxing fights; still remembered by the people. Both equally as boring and predictable. Ali is a three-time heavyweight world champion and is widely considered the best boxer of all time. 4 Naoya Inoue. He was always moving forward, fighting in aclose distance, pushing and bullying his opponents. BoxRec ranked heavyweights, both past and present, and awarded each fighter with an overall score based on its points system. This is supposed to be joke right? How can you leave him off. Applause for not ranking Tyson. Frazier competed during the golden age of heavyweight boxing. A few years ago I've started boxing and I've quickly fallen in love with this awesome sport. 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. Obviously, Liston has, by far, the longest reach in the heavyweight class back then. 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. He was also small for the weight class (510 tall), compared to the other heavyweightsat that time, which was actually an advantage. 3. A jab and a right hand. That way it was really hard for them to catch him. He has no comeback ability. Muhammad Ali-56-5--(37): In terms of social and historical impact no one even comes close. He also kept his hands low and his chin up, which are common mistakes according to many coaches. Sometimes he feinted a punch to the head but then went to the body. And Kevin McBride TKOd Tyson is SIX. I agree with you. Tyson gives up fast when he senses hes losing. Norton 11. Melio Bettina (1934-1948, 83-14-3): 189.5, 20. The Philadelphia icon couldnt cope with Big Georges otherworldly power - but he gave every other boxer he faced, including Ali, absolute hell. Elmer Ray (1933-1949, 99-23-11): 170.8, 24. I agree, those two losses are crap. The Top Ranked Boxers of All-Time from California Walcott. The combination is very tricky becauseby attacking the body first, he made his rivals lower their guards so they can block the body shots. 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. Great fighter but mentally and emotionally not in the same class with the ones you listed. Because all the danger comes from his left hand, so if his opponents are aware of that, they can easily defend his most dangerous weapon and beat Frazier pretty handily. The similaritiesheavyweight champion, jail sentence, exotic lifestyle and signature voiceare. Today I saw alacrity used correctly (perfectly, for that matter). A thunderous left hook, relentless work ethic and an awkward pressure-fighting style: Smokin Joe was a force of nature. Holmes was completely washed up-way past his prime. 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. Plus, hes the only heavyweight world champion to have finished his career undefeated. A more intelligent fighter and harder puncher than Ali. 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. When he was fighting with infighters, he just pushed them away as they tried to close the distance. Top 10 Best UFC Heavyweight Fighters Of All time..Welcome back to Sports Paradise, today on the channel we're going to be talking about the Top 10 Best UFC H. Belcher, a 15-fight UFC veteran, wrapped up his MMA career after a loss to Michael Bisping in April 2013. Signature technique: Multiple hooks to the body. Of course, he has a great strategy for every different opponent. In an era when segregation was still legal, Louis' athleticism made him one of the few African-American celebrities of his time. Tyson should definitely be in the top 10. Essentially, had he entered the UFC at his best, he'd probably be considered their greatest Heavyweight of all time. However, Louis was able to take revenge for this match after two years. Signature technique:Right uppercut to the body -> Right uppercut to the face. Journeyman Leroy Caldwell fought many of the best heavyweights from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Frazier loved this technique changing the levels to make his opponents think hes going to the body and the landing a clean left hook to the head. 10 Best Undefeated Boxers in the History Ranked. Thats why Joe was usually setting his overhandup with a jab to the head. If he had people around him who had cared about him he may have won every fight. Defeating a 26-year-old Michael Moorer at the age of 45 back in November 1994 to once again be crowned as heavyweight champion demonstrated how a heavyweights power is the last to leave his hands. A true STUDENT of the sweet science. 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. Lennox Lewis (1989-2003, 41-2-1): 547.9, 4. This site is owned and operated by Dimitar Ivanov. Tyson was a combination puncher who liked head-body-head combos and has a knockout power in both his hands. Thats a boxer who likes to exchange. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. Evander Holyfield 7. Holyfield held his own, 15 rounds, against a young Lennox Lewis (who destroyed Tyson), and, beat (not on the scorecards) Nikolai Valuev LATE in EVs career. Really? Joe Louis: Deadly power, astonishing timing and accuracy, and an amazing 25 defenses of the heavyweight crown make The Brown Bomber one of the greatest boxers who has ever lived, at any weight. Some sort of elaborate prank? Terence Crawford 63. I think he is one of the greatest because of how better he was than his competition. George Foreman. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures . If only Cus would have lived ten more years I think Tyson would be top 5. Cus was more than just his coach he was Tysons everything and guided him. And the shots you dont see hurt the most. 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. When talking The Greatest heavyweights, Alis name reigns supreme. Rocky Maricano, Riddick Bowe, Jersey Joe Walcott, Floyd Patterson, Wladimir Klitschko, Ken Norton, Chris Byrd, Archie Moore, and Ron Lyle. If you dont think that has anything to do with it you are crazy. 32 Packey McFarland. 10. Famous fight:Jack Johnson vs Frank Moran. Thats why many of his wins are on points (which wasnt highly appreciated by the fans, who want to see knockouts). Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. Greatest Heavyweight Boxers of All Time. 1. 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. Simple: no heavyweight in history faced, let alone defeated, a trio of deadly greats like Liston, Frazier and Foreman. Mike Tyson was knocking people out! 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). Table of Contents 1. Sometimes Archie was using the crossguard to bait his opponents. To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders, Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications, .css-n1h13z{color:black;color:#fff;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-n1h13z{color:#fff;}}Published10:53,03 September 2021 BST.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}}| Last updated10:54,04 May 2022 BST. Bonecrusher Smith happened WAY too early. 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 . Holyfields great defensive skills and toughness allowed him to withstand Tysons punches and eventually to knock him out inthe 11th round (in their first fight). Signature technique:Left hook -> Right Cross. For example, Ali has better footwork and used it much more than Holmes, who liked to pressure his opponents more. Many cite this as a feat of Marciano. Hence, Ali is considered the greatest. Having held the world title for seven years, his late career comeback saw him defeat Ray Mercer and almost upset Oliver McCall.