most underrated underapreciated champion of all time

[Brassangel]

holmes was great but liston was the best all time.. he hurt his shoulder vs ali.. and up to that point he was winning the fight..

Liston was certainly NOT winning that fight at that point. In fact, it's difficult to so much as find a moment where Sonny even lands a glove on Ali until he flicked powder in his eyes.

Even so, Liston was great. I think the reason he rarely finds a way into some people's top ten list is because of accomplishment. He beat Patterson, yes, but as champion, his list of defenses is pretty...eh. No one is denying that he should have been given chances earlier, where he surely would have reigned for many years. I have him between 6-8 all-time right now.

Larry Holmes is definitely underappreciated, though it's hard to find someone that won't put him in their top ten.

Lennox Lewis is flat out denied because people say he had a glass jaw, plus, there's a general hatred towards contemporary fighters. The man was extremely talented, and improved with age. Given his size and skill, he could have competed in any era.

[StarshipTrooper]

Well, I agree Liston belongs in the top ten: In fact I have him somewhere 4-7. Holmes I have in the same bracket. Lennox I coinsider a near great that just misses out making the list. Bear in mind I'm a Lennox fan and NOT a Lennox hater. I DO think he was on the chinny side and that's the main reason I don't have him higher.

PS. I believe he was better than Bowe and Bowe KNEW it and punked out by tossing the belt in the garbage rather than fight Lennox.

Poet

[BKM-]

But there were many more Champions who didn't have a great chin, and got knocked out cold. What burned him is the fact that he slacked off that one time(I don't think he was against McCall) and got knocked out by 1 punch. What should have been enough to prove they were flukes, were the rematches. And people still have issues with Oliver's breakdown, but that wasn't Lewis' fault. And also the way he retired, the whole VK thing. But the main thing for Lennox Lewis were his chin myths.

I just don't think it's fair to discredit a guy that did infact take huge shots from big hitters, and became a very dominant champion in his time.

[StarshipTrooper]

Well, I'm not like some who think he is completely glass jawed in the mold of Floyd Patterson. Obviously those guys are out there. I'm more inclined to place his chin as mearly average. I think this not because of the KOs but because of the number of times I saw him wobbled in fights. The reason it hurts him in my rankings is because chin is one of the factors I give the most weight to; way more than hitting power in fact.

Poet

[DELETED ACCOUNT 06]

Thanks for the video mate. Very interesting and sad at the same time.

Have a present, cos i can't give no K right now.

[Phantasm]

I agree with most on here...Larry Holmes is the most underappreciated Heavyweight of All Time.

[Terry A]

Holmes

I also agree that Larry Holmes is the most under appreciated Hvy Champ.
Gene Tunney also comes to mind, but Holmes gets the nod from me.

He would be hard to beat in any era.

[wmute]

Liston was certainly not the best of all time. Liston was older than his "age" suggested, and I do think he should've gotten his title shot years earlier. The truth is, his out of the ring exploits made it hard to give him a break. Nonethelss, you are not the greatest heavyweight champion of all time if you only have one successful title defense.

And you DO NOT give up the most prized possession in boxing because your shoulder hurts.

But Liston cleaned up the division while Cus kept Patterson away from him, no? it is a bit unfair to count his defenses. I agree on the general shadiness of his behavior in the Ali fights.

[wmute]

I think Liston was appreciated in his time.

Holmes was not considered in his time, making him the most bitter HW champ in history...

I mean you are close to beat Marciano's and Louis' record and people give you **** as if you were some Ingemar Johanson kind of guy, I would be pissed too! Imagine the disrespectful **** Mayweather would have talked in his shoes..

[StarshipTrooper]

Holmes was an awesome fighter. He SHOULD have been more respected in his day and it's a shame he wasn't.

Poet