Cant make this list without Tyson and Holyfield. Ruslan Chagaev (1997-2016, 34-3-1): 123.1, 38. 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. The first black heavyweight champion was a flamboyant, controversial character but in the ring he was a scientist. Granted you can say in his era there was a lack of talent, but this is beyond his control. Where does Tyson Fury rank among the best heavyweight boxers of all time? Evander Holyfield (1984-2011, 44-10-2): 357.7, 10. Best pure puncher who ever got in a ring. Do people not know that Lewis beat Tyson in 8 rounds? Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. But when the other boxers came close to him, he transitioned to a crossguard so he can defend both his body and his head effectively. Salesmanship? Ali. 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. Frazier was able to knock everyone out with it. Brawlers are willing to take a punch so they can land one. The fans' top 5 greatest boxers of all time | NBC Sports After a standout amateur career, he turned pro in 1934. Frazier 6. He was light on his feet, moving around George a lot, and using sharp body-head combinations. Arguably the divisions greatest puncher. So in order to beat such fighter, Holyfield had to fight from the inside. Naturally, heavyweights of the 1950s couldnt compete in-ring with giants like the Klitschko brothers. 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. But of course, there are some differences between both fighters. But by doing that they often left their head open, which was a perfect opportunity for Iron Myke to land the knockout blow. Ferocious. Deontay Wilder! Its very similar to what Roy Jones Jr. does to land his powerful lead hooks. At twenty, he couldve beaten anyone on the list EXCEPT Ali. Current heavyweight superstars Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder also made the top 50. So for Holyfield, the only way to beat such a monster was to fight from the outside and to outpoint him. Tyson was a thicker, harder-hitting Joe Frazier. Holmes fought real fighters men like Earnie Shavers. I agree, those two losses are crap. The only other heavyweights who have held The Ring magazine title twice are Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali. Sonny Liston (1953-1970, 50-4-0): 625.7, 3. The Best Heavyweights Of All Time, Named And Ranked - SPORTbible David Haye (2002-2018, 28-4-0): 133.4, 36. Apollo is hands down the greatest boxer in . 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. When the going got tough, Tyson had problems. Here, DAZN lists its 10 Best Heavyweights of All Time, in no particular order. Wheres Tyson? His duels with George Foreman (Rumble in the Jungle, 1974) and Joe Frazier (Thrilla in Manila . No substance. Rocky Marciano (1947-1955, 49-0-0): 692.2, 2. That allowed him to jab his opponents from a distance without putting himself in danger. 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. Of course, he has a great strategy for every different opponent. And they enabled him to vanquish, among others, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney,Tim Witherspoon, Mike Weaver and Trevor Berbick. And Kevin McBride TKOd Tyson is SIX. It is a damn shame and TRAGEDY what happened to Mike. Which actually was a really effective strategy he beat both those guys. Journeyman Leroy Caldwell fought many of the best heavyweights from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. Really? Fury has combined pure boxing skills with underrated punching power to a supreme level amidst his growing dominance. But when it came time for Tyson to fight top prime guys, Hes 0-6 in fights that actually matter. 8. Marciano was a classical infighter. 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. Max Schmeling (1924-1948, 56-10-4): 183, 22. Signature technique: Jab->Left hook to the body->Left hook to the head. Cant believe some of these comments! The Ring magazine ranked him the No.53 of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. Then he was quickly lifting it up while releasing the blow. Ohh the Tysonites who think boxing was invented in 1984 are out in full force. I would have Tyson at #12, Frazier at #11, Dempsey #10, Holmes #9, W Klitschko #8, Liston #7, Marciano #6, Holyfield #5, Foreman #4, Johnson #3, Louis #2 and Ali #1. Watch the DAZN Boxing Show and live fights on DAZN. Maybe Tyson would beat prime Lennox Lewis, but a prime Larry Holmes? Tyson should definitely be in the top 10. More athletic and aggressive than Liston. No Tyson in the list? 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. Best Light Heavyweight Boxers Of All Time - Punch Prime After he throws a jab, Klitschko often stuck his hand in his opponents face, blocking their vision with his glove. Peak Big George demolished unbeaten Frazier inside two rounds, then did the same to tough Ken Norton. This list is absolute dooodooo. After beating Wilder, Fury is widely regarded as the lineal heavyweight champion. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. (explanation), Can you Headlock in Boxing? Muhammad Ali's comic line - "Earnie hit me so hard, it shook my kinfolk back in Africa" - was meant in part for laughs but you get his point. The difference? With a sublime jab, toughness and an elite boxing brain, Holmes was a terrific all-rounder. Deontay Wilder (2008 - present, 42-1-1): 122.8, 39. A thunderous left hook, relentless work ethic and an awkward pressure-fighting style: Smokin Joe was a force of nature. The old man must have been a wild old rooster! And against George Foreman, he was staying at the ropes blocking all punches for several rounds, gassing Foreman out so he can finish him later. Evander Holyfield should be top ten. Joe Louis won his first world heavyweight title in 1937 and held that title for . This technique is risky and requires good speed. The only four-time heavyweight world champion in boxing history, Holyfields victory over Riddick Bowe and wins over Mike Tyson, in particular, more than illustrate his warrior footprint in the sport's lore. His fists were 14 inches around, which are the largest fists measured in the heavyweight boxing division. DAZN uses cookies to help us deliver our services and improve your user experience. Here, DAZN lists its 10 Best Heavyweights of All Time, in no particular order. Smokin Joe was an absolute buzzsaw. Obviously, Liston has, by far, the longest reach in the heavyweight class back then. You have been beaten and know it but then train to overcome this adversity. Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman. The idea is to distract your opponents attention with the jab. This is supposed to be joke right? Bonecrusher Smith happened WAY too early. Tyson 10. Thats why Joe was usually setting his overhandup with a jab to the head. Signature technique: Multiple hooks to the body. Jon Jones returns at UFC 285 seeking heavyweight title and GOAT status Another thing: Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano would be light heavyweights today. Accurate list! There are many different ways to define who is the greatest boxer. Frazier is the only man to defeat Muhammad Ali when he was anywhere close to his prime. He was much bigger, stronger and athletic than most of his opponents. Ken Norton should get at least an honorable mention. Get it? 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. The record speaks for itself. Critics point out that Marciano was small, clumsy and only made six title defences, mainly against ageing opponents. Holyfield I choose him because hes very contemporary to MT) doesnt talk trash. After winning the world light heavyweight title in 1968 after beating Dick Tiger with a 4th round knockout. & Lennox Lewis could? 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. Absolutely, Mr. Weiler. Three time champ and he was the king of the 90s, which was a very good generation for heavyweights. Ranking the 10 Best Fictional Boxers in History Oliver McCall (1985-2019, 59-14-0): 121.6, 40. To be The Greatest, Ali needed rivals to push him and Frazier was one of his best. 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 constantly changing levels, bobbing and weaving, feinting and throwing body shots. Cant overlook Holmes place in heavyweight history. Tyson lost every fight that ever meant something. Look at Tyson get hammered (YOUNGER than Larry Holmes) in his last two fights against journeymen. Brawlers arent the most technical boxers, thats why they rely mostly on their power and their chin. Posted below are the top 50 heavyweight boxers of all time. And that automatically sets up the cross, because next time he could feint an uppercut and throw a straight right hand instead. Since then Im always trying to improve my skills, by finding and testing new strategies, and training methods. Mayweather, Tyson, Fury, Ali, Canelo: 100 greatest boxers of all time 6. Greatest Boxers of All Time Ranked: The Top 10 | PlayToday Signature technique: Uppercuts in the clinch. He was very precise with this counter. Wills are you crazy? Boxing's 50 Greatest Heavyweight Fighters Of All Time Have - SPORTbible He did what not one of the above mentioned ever did! Id probably say Tommy Burns, a good but small heavyweight from whom he took the crown. Your email address will not be published. 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. Pure sweet science, master class boxing skills on display from Lewis across his brilliant career. Among all the professional boxers in the world, the following 30 can be considered the best boxers of all time. Holmes or V Klitschko never unified the title to become undisputed like the others. Holyfield 9. Gypsy King retained his WBC crown with a stunning KO of Deontay Wilder The Week Staff 11 Oct. He won the first one and was robbed by the judges in the third one. For example, Ali has better footwork and used it much more than Holmes, who liked to pressure his opponents more. His prime was a bit like Iron Mike himself: short, sharp and explosive. Shane Mosley couldnt beat Vernon Forrest, but who had the better career? 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. What time is the Jay Swingler vs. NichLMAO fight tonight. Marciano fought and beat the Shadow of Joe Louis SHADOW. He ducked Shavers, Lyle and even an old Sonny Liston. Anthony Joshua (2013 - present, 23-1-0): 116.9, 44. how could you possible list frazier ahead of foreman, that is crazy, simply because foreman DESTROYED him twice.
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