A fearsome puncher no doubt, but see Holyfield above. Twenty-five consecutive title defenses more than imprinted Louis as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. 4. Muhammad Ali: Why is Ali number one? Vitali Klitschko (1996-2012, 45-2-0): 349.2, 11. & Lennox Lewis could? Top 100 greatest boxers of all time: 70-61 70. Langford was tiny when he fought Johnson. The legendary Joe Louis was named the best of the best across all eras of boxing, with BoxRec awarding the 'Brown Bomber' a whopping 1,012 points. Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports. Then he was quickly lifting it up while releasing the blow. More, and better, accomplishments. Ali is a three-time heavyweight world champion and is widely considered the best boxer of all time. Very hard to argue against your selections. Drederick Tatum is The Simpsons equivalent of former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Holmes was well old by then and took the fight with only a few weeks to train after a long lay off. MUHAMMAD ALI 56-5 (37), 1960-1981 ENJOYED three reigns as world champion during a 21-year-career. Many boxers thoughtthat this makes him predictable and easy to deal with. 6. 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. He was also small for the weight class (510 tall), compared to the other heavyweightsat that time, which was actually an advantage. Henry Akinwande (1989-2008, 50-4-1): 126.7, 37. Apollo is hands down the greatest boxer in . Couldnt be hurt. Thats very similar to what Mike Tyson did when he was close to his opponents. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. Do people not know that Lewis beat Tyson in 8 rounds? The top 10 heavyweights of all time Matt Christie lists the history's finest heavyweights 1. Using this technique Klitschko made many of his KOs. 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. Foreman destroyed Frazier on two occasions. However, Vitalis style was much more entertaining to watch and he was much more appreciated by the fans. l give credit to any boxer who can rectify their losses. And they enabled him to vanquish, among others, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney,Tim Witherspoon, Mike Weaver and Trevor Berbick. Not his fault if he fought and beat old men as champ. 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.. Holmes was a deadbeat along with Klitschko. I must say I like your list. 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). Clarence Henry (1948-1954, 34-6-1): 167.9, 25. The 10 Best Heavyweight Boxers In The World Right Now, Named And Ranked. 1 Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (January 17, 1942 - June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet, and philanthropist. Joey. Mike Tyson was in an awfully weak era. That way his opponents didnt see the punch at all. Brawlers arent the most technical boxers, thats why they rely mostly on their power and their chin. Beat every fighter he ever faced, avenging his two defeats plus the (ridiculous) draw he got in the first Holyfield fight. March 3, 2023 8:50 am ET. There is no way Frazier can be ranked above Foreman. You can check out the heavyweights that finished outside of the top 50 over at BoxRec. He reinvented himself over and over again. Tyson should be number 2 or 3. 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. Tyson could not get past the defense of Lewis and he got knocked out. His 68 knockouts speak for themselves. Without further ado, here is my countdown of Canada's 5 greatest boxers of all-time: 5. He also kept his hands low and his chin up, which are common mistakes according to many coaches. And a peak Tyson would have obliterated a peak Lennox Lewis too. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. 3. 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. No iron Mike on top of the list? Greatest Boxers of All Time The Top Ten 1 Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (January 17, 1942 - June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet, and philanthropist. He also liked to put his gloves on his opponents gloves to trap their hands. He was usually much bigger and stronger than his opponents and he easily controlled them in the ring. Holyfield 9. 10 Best Undefeated Boxers in the History Ranked. Jack Johnson usually prevented his opponents from entering into a clinch by resting his hands on their shoulder and pushing them back. 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. 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. Without a doubt for me. Nor did he obliterate a mediocre Tony Tucker, both title fights in 1987. 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!' 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. Liston wasnt the tallest or the biggest boxer. The first black heavyweight champion was a flamboyant, controversial character but in the ring he was a scientist. Usually, he did this when his opponents were pressed against the ropes. And at the end of the day, the effectiveness of the technique is much more important than its appearance. Roscoe Toles (1931-1950, 45-10-6): 140.1, 31. 12. Ali. 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. Jimmy Ellis (1961-1975, 40-12-1): 114.2, 47. All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Champions is the title. 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. Ernie Terrell (1957-1973, 46-9-0): 117.5, 43. Frazier above Foreman? Holyfield should be on the list. He boasts solid wins over David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Tommy Morrison, Ray Mercer and Vitali Klitschko. Joe Frazier (1965-1981, 32-4-1): 340.3, 12. Frazier is the only man to defeat Muhammad Ali when he was anywhere close to his prime. 32 Packey McFarland. Which makes your opponent lower his guard to protect his body and you can land a hard hook to the head. DAZN uses cookies to help us deliver our services and improve your user experience. Except that he was a fighter who occasionally, frustratingly, came in unprepared and fought below his level. Signature technique:Exit the clinch with an explosive lead hook. Kick ass on half that page at least. Your email address will not be published. Muhammad Ali The Greatest was not only one of the best heavyweights of all time, he was also one of the most colorful. 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. He fought in one of the best heavyweight eras and was clearly the best within it for a long time. Louis is the prime example of what it means to be a boxing legend. No iron mike?? 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. Tyson is in the top 5, hands down. Thats how he knocked many of his opponents out thehard jab stunned them and the cross got the job done. Tyson took the title in a lackluster period after an admittedly STRONG early run but gave out fast. 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. 1. 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. Alan Belcher has been the BKFC heavyweight champion for less than a week, and he has lofty ambitions about the types of fights that could come next. Are you guys kidding me? He was constantly changing levels, bobbing and weaving, feinting and throwing body shots. Signature technique:Left hook -> Right Cross. Wheres Tyson? Norton 11. And Joe knew exactly how to do that he was able to time almost every punch and to dodge it or block it. In his short prime, Tyson is a serious challenge for anyone. He had one of the best jabs in boxing history. Holmes fought real fighters men like Earnie Shavers. That way he was nullifying the reach and height advantages of his opponents. Lennox was feinting a right cross to make his opponents lower their head to dodge the shot. Eventually he would be being hit with pinpoint left hooks and right crosses. For example, in the fight with Myke Tyson, he fought from a close distance, because he knew that Myke is very good at slipping jabs and long punches. 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. But that way Ali was much more mobile and was able to see the punches better and to slip them. He was a very patient fighter who wasnt always taking the risk to finish his opponents off. That means this isn't a ranking from 1 to 10; rather the ten who, in this writer's opinion, make the cut. The boy from Catsville New York is the second greatest. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. This technique is risky and requires good speed. All the people who claim he never beat anyone forget that he won the title in a tournament. Granted you can say in his era there was a lack of talent, but this is beyond his control. Ted Kid Lewis 65. 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 . 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. When it comes to the best heavyweight boxers of all time, the name Larry Holmes shines brighter like the sun. 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. Among his vanquished foes are Sam Langford, Tommy Burns, James J. Jeffries, Stanley Ketchel, Jim Flynn, Joe Jeannette and Sam McVea. Once boxers lose their quickness, theyre never the same. Here, DAZN lists its 10 Best Heavyweights of All Time, in no particular order. 1. Jon Jones doesn't believe Conor McGregor is one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. FOUR. Sonny Liston (1953-1970, 50-4-0): 625.7, 3. Mickey Walker 64. Wheres mike Tyson? A former champion in PRIDE and the UFC, he had an extremely impressive run from 1996 to 2006, where he went 28-3-1. Was the baddest man on the planet!!!! He developed one of the hardest jabsin boxing history. Worst list Ive ever seen This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. McVea and Jeannette were great, but were at their best several years after they last fought Johnson. A one-dimensional fighter. 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. And that automatically sets up the cross, because next time he could feint an uppercut and throw a straight right hand instead. Frazier was able to knock everyone out with it. Go to YouTube and watch his comeback wins (after nearly being stopped) vs Mike Weaver, Earnie Shavers, Renaldo Snipes. Yeah the same one who lost his title to a light heavy? In total, he participated in 31 boxing matches with 28 wins, only 3 losses, and 24 knockouts. Having held the world title for seven years, his late career comeback saw him defeat Ray Mercer and almost upset Oliver McCall. Shut the hell up! 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'. Most of the times Johnson kept a distance from his opponents and fought from the outside but that doesnt mean he wasnt able to out grapple them in the clinches. He was much bigger, stronger and athletic than most of his opponents. He could do no more than beat them but, perhaps wisely, he didnt wait to face any up-and-coming boxers! 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. TGT Tips! Alexander Povetkin (2005 - present, 35-2-1): 148.3, 28.