re: Who’s your top 10 heavyweight boxers of all time?

I think he had a better argument for the second fight. He and his corner fricked up in the third fight, thought they were in control and coasted through the final round, which was a bad mistake. Ali closed with one of the best rounds of his career in the second fight and it paid off.

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10&11 are the Klitscko Brothers

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I think as far as modern heavyweights go, Usyk and Fury (who beat Wladimir Klitsko) would be over them. Fury was looking like he could go down as a top 5-8 all-time and Usyk pummeled him twice. It'd be hard to put Fury over him now on an all time list but Usyk is *only* 23-0. 23 wins isn't necessarily a lot when you talk all-time but my god he's incredible.

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InkStainedWretch

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Wladimir was for sure, but his brother Vitaly was pretty much an action fighter who did his best to bust up his opponents in his fights.

Too bad some of that pure aggression wasn't part of Wladimir's DNA as it would have saved Manny Stewart many pleadings and lectures to try to get him to up his game in the ring.

I would have

1) Ali
2) Joe Louis
3) Joe Frazier
4) Lennox Lewis
5) George Foreman
6) Holyfield
7) Tyson
8) Larry Holmes
9) Jack Dempsey
10) Rocky Marciano
11) Sonny Liston
12) Jack Johnson
13) Wladimir Klitschko
14) Oleksandr Usyk
15) Riddick Bowe
16) Tyson Fury
17) James Jefferies
18) Vitali Klitschko
19) Floyd Patterson
20) Gene Tunny

just missing would be Anthony Joshua, Ken Norton

IMO Lennox Lewis is the most under rated fighter.....Tyson would be top 3 if he hadnt went to jail, maybe #1. He had the potential to be greatest ever

Joe Louis
Ali
Lennox Lewis
Larry Holmes
Oleksander Usyk
Vitali Klitschko
George Foreman
Jack Johnson
Rocky Marciano
Gene Tunney

Holyfield, Vlad, and Dempsey next three

Louis was dominant for a decade, and his only loses were to Schmeling (avenged), Ezzard Charles (one of the greatest light heavyweights ever), and Marciano when he was old.

Ali got gifted a lot of decisions, but he won the lineal 3 times. Can't take that away from him. The wins over Liston, Foreman and Frazier (although Frazier is overrated historically) is his legacy.

Lennox cleaned house in one of the best eras in heavyweight history and avenged both fluke losses. Dominated the other two best heavyweights of his era.

Larry Holmes owned the heavyweight division for 7 years. It wasn't the strongest era but Holmes fought all comers and won them all until Spinks, another of the light heavyweight ATGs.

Usyk has beaten the next three best heavyweights and did it decisively, all while giving up several inches and lots of pounds. Head to head, he's one of the greatest of all time. His motor, defensive skills, footwork, and handspeed are all at a level most heavyweights haven't seen and has enough power at 6'3" 220 lbs to be a champion in any era.

Vitali was untouchable after Lewis retired. Boring af to watch, but untouchable.

Foreman regaining the title in 1994 cemented his legacy. Before his comeback, he was like Tyson "he could have been so great if only he had a brain". The comeback showed he was a lot more than a puncher.

Jack Johnson revolutionized the sport. The color barrier is one thing, but Johnson's defensive prowess at the time was second to none. He started a new era when he beat Jeffries.

Marciano retiring undefeated is still a great accomplishment. Head to head, he's not a top 50 all time heavyweight, but he beat all comers including Jersey Joe Walcott, Archie Moore, and Ezzard Charles twice. That's enough to be recognized for.

Gene Tunney finished his career 65-1-1. He had a loss and a draw with Harry Greb, who is in his own rights an ATG. He beat Greb 3 times, by the way. He beat Dempsey twice when nobody thought anyone could do it.

No Dempsey?

Dempsey is 12th on my list behind Holyfield, he's on the cusp of the top 10, I have the most enormous possible respect for him. I will say that he lost something when he got rich and famous and secure compared to when he was young and hungry and poor and liked to have killed Jess Willard to win the title.

My second 10 is Holyfield, Dempsey, Bowe, Tunney, Wlad K., Langford, Charles, Wills, Schmeling and Patterson.