Yet another 'Who do you think' Question

[Willie Pep 229]

Lefty was bad mouthing Joe Louis in a different thread. Claims Louis' fame is based on beating has-beens and ham and eggers over a long career. Maybe, maybe not!

But it got me thinking . . . which HW Champion can lay claim to having the three toughest defenses?

Winning the title can't be on the list . . . has to be defenses of the title he chose to take on.

I figure it has to be at least three or more, one tough fight doesn't get you there, so out goes Tunney.

So anyway, if Louis' 20 plus defenses doesn't get him to the top of the list, then who has the defenses that does?

Who has the most impressive successful defenses history?

[JAB5239]

Lefty was bad mouthing Joe Louis in a different thread. Claims Louis' fame is based on beating has-beens and ham and eggers over a long career. Maybe, maybe not!

But it got me thinking . . . which HW Champion can lay claim to having the three toughest defenses?

Winning the title can't be on the list . . . has to be defenses of the title he chose to take on.

I figure it has to be at least three or more, one tough fight doesn't get you there, so out goes Tunney.

So anyway, if Louis' 20 plus defenses doesn't get him to the top of the list, then who has the defenses that does?

Who has the most impressive successful defenses history?

Louis longevity and ability to stay focused for 25 defenses is unparalleled. An incredible feat. That is why I rate him the best heavyweight ever. But Ali's resume is stronger. If we talking strictly title defenses, I think Joe's 25 outweigh Ali's slightly better.

[QueensburyRules]

If we talking strictly title defenses, I think Joe's 25 outweigh Ali's slightly better.

- -But that ain't the question he asked, Einstein.

[QueensburyRules]

Lefty was bad mouthing Joe Louis in a different thread. Claims Louis' fame is based on beating has-beens and ham and eggers over a long career. Maybe, maybe not!

But it got me thinking . . . which HW Champion can lay claim to having the three toughest defenses?

Winning the title can't be on the list . . . has to be defenses of the title he chose to take on.

I figure it has to be at least three or more, one tough fight doesn't get you there, so out goes Tunney.

So anyway, if Louis' 20 plus defenses doesn't get him to the top of the list, then who has the defenses that does?

Who has the most impressive successful defenses history?

- -3 toughest and the most successful defenses 2 different things.

No matter, has to be between Wlad and Joe as the successful title defenses.

3 toughest defenses for Joe were Schmeling, not physically but by the magnitude of event wise and personal redemption.

Then Billy Conn, and then post war jj Walcott that was two fights.

For Wlad the Haye fight was grueling, not by the fight that he dominated, but by the vicious lead up and all around breaking of contracts that Haye engaged in.

Then Povetkin, again not the fight that he dominated but the lead up with Russia and Ukraine being in a low simmering war with the bout being held in Russia.

And then Chagaev who was an emergency replacement where Wlad had to be inoculated with multi vaccines and a dangerous lefty to boot in the middle of the WBA not recognizing the bout to strip Chagaev after the bout

[billeau2]

Lewis should be up there, along with Ali. Its hard to pinpoint because "toughest" is open to interpretation. What I like about Lewis is he sought out the best comp, often forsaking a mandatory that was garbage in the process. Among those he beat coming up... Shannon Briggs, Michael Grant, (instead of a pathetic Ruiz), Tommy Morrison, Tua... I mean Lewis fought a lot of talented guys who were exposed by Lewis.


Also, it hard to evaluate "talent." In the days of Louis there was a general standard. Most guys fighting had been fighters, they had general skills that are often lacking in modern challengers.

[QueensburyRules]

- -The "pathetic" Ruiz and Byrd on a good run of Ring/Boxrec top ten ratings.

Lewie didn't fight them because he knew they'd make him look like stink.

[GhostofDempsey]

Lewis is really the only one I can think of, but Marciano's short title defense run included Walcott and Charles 2x--one could argue those are as good or better than Louis' defenses over Shmeling, Conn and Walcott--one of which Walcott was robbed and . Ali's initial title run wasn't all that impressive. A fix against Liston, an older and smaller Patterson, a shot Cleveland Williams. Terrell, Bonavena and Chuvalo were his best wins on his initial run, not saying much since they had a combined 21 losses to their records. Quarry was all but done. After winning the title from Foreman he got gifts against Norton, Young and arguably Shavers. Best win was Lyle and Frazier.

[Marchegiano]

- -3 toughest and the most successful defenses 2 different things.

No matter, has to be between Wlad and Joe as the successful title defenses.

3 toughest defenses for Joe were Schmeling, not physically but by the magnitude of event wise and personal redemption.

Then Billy Conn, and then post war jj Walcott that was two fights.

For Wlad the Haye fight was grueling, not by the fight that he dominated, but by the vicious lead up and all around breaking of contracts that Haye engaged in.

Then Povetkin, again not the fight that he dominated but the lead up with Russia and Ukraine being in a low simmering war with the bout being held in Russia.

And then Chagaev who was an emergency replacement where Wlad had to be inoculated with multi vaccines and a dangerous lefty to boot in the middle of the WBA not recognizing the bout to strip Chagaev after the bout

Yeah, just throw out all context and focus on semantics of the last phrase.

[The Old LefHook]

This place is absolutely chock full of blind halfwits. Is this forum published in Braille as well? It should be. You creeps, there isn't anything on the books that comes close to the first Charles fight for Rock's title. Joe Louis almost getting beaten by puny, feather-fisted Conn is not even a contender.

Did Lennox Lewis suffer some kind of big damage in a defense but came through to win anyway? No, that was not Lewis. If he suffered big damage, he also lost the fight. He lost every fight he suffered much damage in.

It was impossible for Marciano to come back and KO Charles. No other heavyweight could have gone on from that point. Yet Marciano did. No other heavyweight would have. Every single other would have quit in mortal concern for his mortal coil.

Lewis whipped a hell of a ledger of good opponents, it's just that they were not such hard fights for him, which indeed proves he was quite good. Lewis either totally outclassed his opponents, or lost to them embarrassingly. Knocked cold twice in his prime. That simply does not happen to ATGs.

And Joe Louis, knocked cold in his absolute prime by a fighter as mediocre and average as Schmeling.

Pushed to the limit by another great fighter is one thing, pushed to the limit by the likes of a Galento or Schmeling is quite another.

[Anthony342]

Louis longevity and ability to stay focused for 25 defenses is unparalleled. An incredible feat. That is why I rate him the best heavyweight ever. But Ali's resume is stronger. If we talking strictly title defenses, I think Joe's 25 outweigh Ali's slightly better.

As do I. What's with the 10 characters BS on here?