Let's say all heavyweight greats were in the same era?

[Mintcar923]

I know this is very far-fetched but its very intriguing! If Dempsey, Johnson, Louis, Marciano, Patterson, Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, & the Klits happen to be of the same era. All of them have modern training facilities and with the best trainer/managers of their careers. And every one of them are at their very best!

No ABC belts.. Who will be undisputed champ? What do you think will be the scenerio's? What fights would their corresponding managers make? Who will have who's number?? I suppose every one here will have a different take on it...

Myself... I'll have to think about this very carefully

[Sugarj]

I know this is very far-fetched but its very intriguing! If Dempsey, Johnson, Louis, Marciano, Patterson, Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, & the Klits happen to be of the same era. All of them have modern training facilities and with the best trainer/managers of their careers. And every one of them are at their very best!

No ABC belts.. Who will be undisputed champ? What do you think will be the scenerio's? What fights would their corresponding managers make? Who will have who's number?? I suppose every one here will have a different take on it...

Myself... I'll have to think about this very carefully

Whoever did come out on top would seriously suffer for it.

I'll go Ali. Hand on heart, I don't think I've seen anyone who I think would definitely beat him in his prime (Late 1966-1967). I'd like to think that when a heavyweight comes along who probably would beat him I'll be objective (and not senile/stuborn/deluded) enough to acknowledge it.

As heavyweights get bigger and more athletic, there has to be a point at which he'd be simply too small to compete effectively......but not yet!

[Barn]

Ali holds it. He's the best heavyweight fighter ever.

Joe Louis has a chance as well though.

Depends the order of fights I guess, if Joe Louis wins it from Ali, then Tyson has a shot against Louis. If Tyson gets it then Liston could come along and beat him.

All told though I think Ali does it, if all the fighters fought each other 3 times. Ali would come out with the best record in my opinion.

[King of Anal]

Ali because the champ should be pretty like him.. the rest are too ugly

[SBleeder]

As heavyweights get bigger and more athletic, there has to be a point at which he'd be simply too small to compete effectively......but not yet!

Heavyweights are getting bigger... but they're getting more unathletic.

There will never be a heavyweight champion against whom Ali would have no chance against.

[MRBOOMER]

Ali because the champ should be pretty like him.. the rest are too ugly

You so ugly the sweat roll back off your forehead so it don't have to touch your face.

[New England]

Heavyweights are getting bigger... but they're getting more unathletic.

There will never be a heavyweight champion against whom Ali would have no chance against.

in boxing, i agree

the best athletes in the world don't box anymore. they used to. the level of athleticism has gone down. the size has gone up.


men are getting bigger and more athletic in other athletic realms, though. if the best giant athletes start to box again, the way they used to, there's no reason why they cannot "evolve."
a WW will always have trouble with ray robinson, because he'll have to weigh 147 lbs at a weigh in.

hell, in 10000 years men might be eight or nine feet tall.
your average spartan was considered to be a very robust man at 5'4" and 140 lbs.

[Sugarj]

Heavyweights are getting bigger... but they're getting more unathletic.

There will never be a heavyweight champion against whom Ali would have no chance against.

The very best larger heavyweights have been athletic though. Lewis, Bowe and Wlad at their very best were excellent technicians with good footwork and quick hands. Dare I say an in shape Buster Douglas too.

Prior to 1990 I can't think of too many 6'5+, 240Lbs+ guys in heavyweight history with the athleticism of these examples.

Don't get me wrong, much as I think Lewis, Bowe etc would give prime Ali problems.....I wouldn't expect them to beat him. But 50-100 years from now we might have 300Lb+ 7 foot odd heavyweights with 90+ inches of reach and a fair modicum of athleticism. When/if will we have to conceed that a 212Lb Ali might not be able to compete simply due to size differential? As good as Ray Robinson was, he wasn't going to be beating heavyweights. Size does have to play a part eventually.....and it would with Ali. Granted, Ali would decimate Valuev.....but in a few years guys of that size and bigger might well have quick hands and feet and much better workrate.

The days of the large heavyweight being slow, plodding and uncoordinated may be coming to an end. The likes of the Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Abe Simon stereotypes may end up firmly in the past.

[them_apples]

there were tall tribes back in the day too, men that on average were over 6'3. Goliath for example was 6'6. The only difference now is the world is spreading out and mating with each-other.

[them_apples]

The very best larger heavyweights have been athletic though. Lewis, Bowe and Wlad at their very best were excellent technicians with good footwork and quick hands. Dare I say an in shape Buster Douglas too.

Prior to 1990 I can't think of too many 6'5+, 240Lbs+ guys in heavyweight history with the athleticism of these examples.

Don't get me wrong, much as I think Lewis, Bowe etc would give prime Ali problems.....I wouldn't expect them to beat him. But 50-100 years from now we might have 300Lb+ 7 foot odd heavyweights with 90+ inches of reach and a fair modicum of athleticism. When/if will we have to conceed that a 212Lb Ali might not be able to compete simply due to size differential? As good as Ray Robinson was, he wasn't going to be beating heavyweights. Size does have to play a part eventually.....and it would with Ali. Granted, Ali would decimate Valuev.....but in a few years guys of that size and bigger might well have quick hands and feet and much better workrate.

The days of the large heavyweight being slow, plodding and uncoordinated may be coming to an end. The likes of the Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Abe Simon stereotypes may end up firmly in the past.

well they are all slow and plodding right now so I guess we have a long ways to go. David Haye has a bit of speed but he's a blown up cruiser or a smaller HW who lifted weights, Wlad and Vitali are slow in my book - although a bit more athletic than typical men their size.