Ring ****zine's 20 Greatest Heavyweights (1998)

[Perfect Plex]

1.Muhammad Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Evander Holyfield
4.George Foreman
5.Larry Holmes
6.Rocky Marciano
7.Sonny Liston
8.Joe Frazier
9.Jack Johnson
10.Jack Dempsey
11.Ezzard Charles
12.Jim Jeffries
13.Jersey Joe Walcott
14.Mike Tyson
15.Gene Tunney
16.Harry Wills
17.Sam Langford
18.John L. Sullivan
19.Max Schmeling
20.Max Baer

Thoughts?

[Jim Jeffries]

1.Muhammad Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Evander Holyfield
4.George Foreman
5.Larry Holmes
6.Rocky Marciano
7.Sonny Liston
8.Joe Frazier
9.Jack Johnson
10.Jack Dempsey
11.Ezzard Charles
12.Jim Jeffries
13.Jersey Joe Walcott
14.Mike Tyson
15.Gene Tunney
16.Harry Wills
17.Sam Langford
18.John L. Sullivan
19.Max Schmeling
20.Max Baer

Thoughts?

Holyfield at 3 and no Bowe cracking the top 20 is certainly interesting. Johnson seems a bit low. Walcott above Tyson seems odd. Liston at 7 without Patterson cracking 20 as well.

[Scott9945]

1.Muhammad Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Evander Holyfield
4.George Foreman
5.Larry Holmes
6.Rocky Marciano
7.Sonny Liston
8.Joe Frazier
9.Jack Johnson
10.Jack Dempsey
11.Ezzard Charles
12.Jim Jeffries
13.Jersey Joe Walcott
14.Mike Tyson
15.Gene Tunney
16.Harry Wills
17.Sam Langford
18.John L. Sullivan
19.Max Schmeling
20.Max Baer

Thoughts?

A good example of how ridiculously overrated Holyfield became after the two Tyson fights.

[BigStereotype]

A good example of how ridiculously overrated Holyfield became after the two Tyson fights.

Besides Ray Robinson and Ali, who's got a better resume?

[JAB5239]

Besides Ray Robinson and Ali, who's got a better resume?

Many, many fighters my friend. Greb, Langford, Ross, McLarnin, Charles, Armstrong etc., etc..

At heavyweight I'd say Louis, Langford, Charles, maybe Lennox.

The thread is greatest heavyweights though. In my opinion greatness should be judged by resume and longevity first, than by consistency. Holy's biggest downfall has always been his inconsistency. Catch him on the right night and he was a beast. On other nights he was letting fighters like Cooper and Vaughn Bean hang with him while he was prime. Thats knocks his standing down for me. I have him about 8 or 9, O'd have to check. Funny thing is, when I first started posting on AOL in 1999 I had Holy 3rd on my list. Scott is right, those two fights with Tyson blinded people to many of Evanders shortcomings.

[sonnyboyx2]

Many, many fighters my friend. Greb, Langford, Ross, McLarnin, Charles, Armstrong etc., etc..

At heavyweight I'd say Louis, Langford, Charles, maybe Lennox.

The thread is greatest heavyweights though. In my opinion greatness should be judged by resume and longevity first, than by consistency. Holy's biggest downfall has always been his inconsistency. Catch him on the right night and he was a beast. On other nights he was letting fighters like Cooper and Vaughn Bean hang with him while he was prime. Thats knocks his standing down for me. I have him about 8 or 9, O'd have to check. Funny thing is, when I first started posting on AOL in 1999 I had Holy 3rd on my list. Scott is right, those two fights with Tyson blinded people to many of Evanders shortcomings.

Does Lewis win over Holyfield & Tyson (both well past it) also blind people to Lewis?

[JAB5239]

Does Lewis win over Holyfield & Tyson (both well past it) also blind people to Lewis?

The Tyson fight was meaningless. Holyfield was still fighting at a high level though as he proved in the rematch so Lewis should get credit.

[Mersey]

Lewis should be above Tyson.

[SBleeder]

Why on earth is Foreman ranked so highly?

[Scott9945]

Does Lewis win over Holyfield & Tyson (both well past it) also blind people to Lewis?

When Lewis fought Holyfield, almost everyone had Holy higher on the all time list. The odds for the fight were close to even. So how is Evander now labeled as "well past it"? At the time nobody considered it a mismatch in anyway.