Greatest Athlete in Boxing History

[QueensburyRules]

Maybe its been asked before, heck maybe even by me, but who do you feel is the greatest athlete in boxing history? This doesn't mean taking into account boxing skill, or toughness, or smarts, rather based on athletic measurables (though we obviously don't have any).

So looking at strength, speed, agility, endurance, and body- who do you feel is the greatest athlete to ever enter the ring?

I'd always felt the answer was RJJ, or maybe Ali, but is there another?

- - Ali weren't athletic in the traditional sense, but he was fast afoot and hands in the ring even though he flopped other sports in HS.

AJ, Wlad, and Vit could've been champion decathletes.

[The D3vil]

Roy Jones
Roy Jones
Roy Jones

He'd play a semi-pro basketball game & box the same night.

[Bronson66]

- - Ali weren't athletic in the traditional sense, but he was fast afoot and hands in the ring even though he flopped other sports in HS.

AJ, Wlad, and Vit could've been champion decathletes.

Wlad engaged in no other sport than boxing.

Vitali did sport Karate and Kick Boxing in which he was ko'd by Pele Reid and banned from representing the Ukraine in the Olympics because of his PED abuse, he never did other athletics.

There is zero proof to indicate either of the Klits would be successful in the Decathlon events let alone be champions.

Joshua was a good school sprinter managing11.6 in the 100 m, and was a decent performer in athletics,he may have been a factor in the decathlon,had he gone down that route.

However there is no justification for saying he could have been a champion.

There is no record of any of them
Long Jumping
Shot Putting
High Jumping
400M Running
110m Hurdling
Discus Throwing
Pole Vaulting
Javelin Throwing
Running1,500m

And Joshua is the only one who showed any ability at the 100m sprint. I did 11.2 over the 100yds on grass .in plimsolls when in was 16,so to project AJ's time into potential championship ability is a huge leap,no pun intended.

The greatest decathlete is the UK's Daley Thompson.

[QueensburyRules]

Wlad engaged in no other sport than boxing.

Vitali did sport Karate and Kick Boxing in which he was ko'd by Pele Reid and banned from representing the Ukraine in the Olympics because of his PED abuse, he never did other athletics.

There is zero proof to indicate either of the Klits would be successful in the Decathlon events let alone be champions.

Joshua was a good school sprinter managing11.6 in the 100 m, and was a decent performer in athletics,he may have been a factor in the decathlon,had he gone down that route.

However there is no justification for saying he could have been a champion.

There is no record of any of them
Long Jumping
Shot Putting
High Jumping
400M Running
110m Hurdling
Discus Throwing
Pole Vaulting
Javelin Throwing
Running1,500m

And Joshua is the only one who showed any ability at the 100m sprint. I did 11.2 over the 100yds on grass .in plimsolls when in was 16,so to project AJ's time into potential championship ability is a huge leap,no pun intended.

The greatest decathlete is the UK's Daley Thompson.

- - Wlad trained in Kickboxing with Vit.

Pele was DQed for using a spin kick that was not part of the rules.

Facts are they went for Boxing $$$, not medals though Wlad won Gold in the Olympics.

Jim Thorpe is the great Decathlete who also won the Pentathlon as well as placed in the top ten of single jumping events. He set the 1500M Decathlon record time that lasted into the 21st Century.

Moreover, he did it not ever participating in some of the events before, a rookie, and....he did it in a mismatched pair of running shoes he picked out the Olympic trash after his track shoes were stolen, prob by one of U ancestors...yeah!!!

[Marchegiano]

Wlad engaged in no other sport than boxing.

Vitali did sport Karate and Kick Boxing in which he was ko'd by Pele Reid and banned from representing the Ukraine in the Olympics because of his PED abuse, he never did other athletics.

There is zero proof to indicate either of the Klits would be successful in the Decathlon events let alone be champions.

Joshua was a good school sprinter managing11.6 in the 100 m, and was a decent performer in athletics,he may have been a factor in the decathlon,had he gone down that route.

However there is no justification for saying he could have been a champion.

There is no record of any of them
Long Jumping
Shot Putting
High Jumping
400M Running
110m Hurdling
Discus Throwing
Pole Vaulting
Javelin Throwing
Running1,500m

And Joshua is the only one who showed any ability at the 100m sprint. I did 11.2 over the 100yds on grass .in plimsolls when in was 16,so to project AJ's time into potential championship ability is a huge leap,no pun intended.

The greatest decathlete is the UK's Daley Thompson.

Wouldn't their exercise routines be pretty revealing?

[billeau2]

Maybe its been asked before, heck maybe even by me, but who do you feel is the greatest athlete in boxing history? This doesn't mean taking into account boxing skill, or toughness, or smarts, rather based on athletic measurables (though we obviously don't have any).

So looking at strength, speed, agility, endurance, and body- who do you feel is the greatest athlete to ever enter the ring?

I'd always felt the answer was RJJ, or maybe Ali, but is there another?

If you take all round I think you nailed it... We have some savants as well. Nicolay Loche had incredible reflexes although he wasn't athletic otherwise. Guys like Camacho had incredibly fast hands.

[billeau2]

Ken Norton

Good One! Norton got by on 100% athletic ability. Saying this tongue in cheek.

[Anomalocaris]

Why are people totally ignoring Valuev?

[GhostofDempsey]

A agree with several of the fighters already mentioned; Norton, RJJ, and I would argue most fighters are great athletes. Boxing is the most demanding sport in terms of overall fitness, stamina, endurance, and having to dig deep when you've got nothing left in the tank. Outside of some flabby heavyweights, a majority of boxers go through some of the most rigorous training to prepare for a fight. When I was training boxers I would get athletes from other sports walking into the gym. Basketball platers, rugby players, wrestlers, hockey players, soccer players, football, etc. All of them said the boxing workout was the most intense. Of those, the soccer players had the best stamina.

[QueensburyRules]

A agree with several of the fighters already mentioned; Norton, RJJ, and I would argue most fighters are great athletes. Boxing is the most demanding sport in terms of overall fitness, stamina, endurance, and having to dig deep when you've got nothing left in the tank. Outside of some flabby heavyweights, a majority of boxers go through some of the most rigorous training to prepare for a fight. When I was training boxers I would get athletes from other sports walking into the gym. Basketball platers, rugby players, wrestlers, hockey players, soccer players, football, etc. All of them said the boxing workout was the most intense. Of those, the soccer players had the best stamina.

- - Been training on light and heavy bags for about 30 years now as part of my large exercise regimen. Great stuff, but somehow I don't think TwoTonToney did more than spar for the latter half of his lazy career.