re: Best Heavyweight Boxer Ever

The one thing that ruined the Heavyweight division was Don King. His greed and basic robbery of fighters caused many of fight not to be made.

butter bean

Where's Rocky Marciano?

Interesting question, usually GOAT discussions depend on the criteria, so we mean best career or who was the best when they were at the top of their game, even if it was brief. If you go by the second criteria, it would be hard to argue against Mike Tyson. The dude was legitimately an animal in the ring for a few years.

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Ruiz because he got lucky
Wilder because they duck folks

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Agree on Ruiz. We'll see if Joshua is legit in the rematch.

Wilder-Ortiz will probably go like the first fight, which means Wilder-Fury will be the monster match.

Until the winner fights Joshua (assuming he wins).

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Interesting question, usually GOAT discussions depend on the criteria, so we mean best career or who was the best when they were at the top of their game, even if it was brief. If you go by the second criteria, it would be hard to argue against Mike Tyson. The dude was legitimately an animal in the ring for a few years

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Agree. And even how they performed in their era vs how you think they'd fare head to head changes the dynamic.

For example, I don't think Tyson could beat Ali, but I think Lennox or Holmes could beat Ali head to head just because they have the same tools he did plus more power.

a prime Holmes would have worked Tyson. That left jab was a monster. The thing I loved about holmes until the end was he fought all the mandatory contenders. Then King did his magic and the IBF became a thing. I still say to this day Holmes was robbed vs Spinks. It was the worst decision in pro fighting I had seen until that time. Then the Hagler Leonard fight happened and the ultimate robbery happened. Nobody can convince me Leonard did not have people on the take in Vegas. He never lost a fight there, hell Hearns owned him in the rematch and they called it a draw.

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Lennox isn't #1, but he'd absolutely work Tyson if both in their primes.

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Tyson in 5

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I just don't see it. Lost to Norton, who was marginal, lost to Spinks, who wasn't even marginal, lost to Frazier in his prime, beat the Zora Folleys and Chuck Wepners of the world and got a lot of attention for it because he was controversial.

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Frazier was better than anyone Lewis fought. Most of the top heavyweights have a loss or two in their prime. Lewis had McCall and Rahman.

Marciano and Louis had better records, but they weren't fighting multiple fights vs top ten alltimers like Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton and guys in that era did.

Ali also lost a few late in his career after the Parkinsons was evident. I'm not sure it's fair to ding him for that, because it's less a comment on his skill than it is him not knowing when to quit.

You should get back into it. You might be surprised to see the Heavyweight champions nowadays are all 6'5"-6'9".(Except Ruiz. He's built like me).

Wilder has the best right hand since Shavers. I'm not his biggest fan but every fight he's in will be fun to watch.

Fury might be the best and most entertaining of all and looks like a 6'9" Gru (you'll get that if you have kids)

There are a bunch of young heavyweights built like a Tyson, only much taller coming on right now.

And that's just heavyweights. Lower classes are decent too. Light Heavys especially if Canelo sticks around.