Best Heavyweight Ever

[RonC]

at 45 years old, I remember the Ali/Frazier/Foreman/Norton era. This was an awesome time for a boxing fan. Ali is regarded as best of that group, but all of these guys were damned good. There is not 1 heavy today who could give any one of these guys a contest. Alot of guys younger than me put Mike Tysons name in with these guys, but I say no way. Ali, Frazier and Foreman would have destroyed Tyson.
When I talk to my older uncles about boxing in their days, they all talk about 1 guy as being the best. Thats Rocky Marciano. I have been paying attention to his old films, and reading up a lot on other boxers opinions of him. Damn, he was amazing. Small heavyweight, iron chin, absolutely no fear in him, and regarded as the hardest puncher of his era. Again, not a guy today who could stand in the ring with him.

 

[tedski]

It's difficult to answer a "best of all time" as the heavyweights of today are much bigger than years past. I think each era (every 10 years or so) has it's great fighters in the various weight classes.

Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko were/are all arguably the best heavyweights of their time.

IMO, Tyson does belong on the list as he was great for a short period of time. He probably could have been one of the all-time greats, but he fell in with the wrong crowd, was raped financially by Don King and took out his anger on women.

I'd rate Ali, Marciano and Joe Louis as probably the top 3 - in no particular order.

 

[Garvey]

I'm torn. On one hand, I think Muhammad Ali was the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Ali's speed made him simply unbeatable -- and after his absence from the ring, he showed all of the qualities of a great fighter: stamina, a great chin, a fight strategist, and heart.

But I still can't dismiss Rocky Marciano. Watch the tape and you just can't see why so many people dismiss him. But the intangibles Marciano brought to the ring may make him the greatest ever. Look through his history and you find a fighter who went his entire career without a loss or a draw -- an amazing 49 straight wins. Sure, he may not be the best technical fighter, and at times his defense was non-existent, but he fought with more heart and desire than anyone that ever stepped into the ring. Marciano seemingly willed himself to win. Put Marciano in his prime in any era and he would always be a great fighter.

 

[RonC]

thats the thing about Marciano, he wasnt a great techical fighter. What actually made him great was his iron chin. He could take a helluva punch. Because he knew he could not get hurt, he would set up his punches perfectly. he would plant his foot, and use every bit of power from his toe to his fist, and put it all into a punch. in most experts opinions, he is the the hardest puncher ever.

 

[RigilKent]

im to young and dont watch enough boxing

 

[jwintosh]

ali,,, floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee!!

 

[daniyal]

In my opinion Ali is the GREATEST (and not simply because he professed it from time to time). Boxing as a sport has become extremely technical in the last 20-30 years and boxers are getting better by the day at exploiting their opponents weaknesses. I say a fighter today of Ali's calibre would've probably have beaten Marciano (this is the same guy people said Foreman would knock into next week). Ali had brains and a heart Marciano was raw and brutal, Ali was power and finesse. Ali would've studied the tapes and seen what to do he would've floated around the ring and probably made Marciano look flat footed.

Other than Ali and Marciano I think the modern day heavyweight great was Tyson before Cus d'Amato died.. after Cus Tyson was a shell of the fighter he was in may ways Tyson was the modern day Rocky Marciano, a mean, nasty fighter with iron for fists.

Greatest pound for pound of all time? Now that I think would be a much more interesting discussion... sadly the heavy weights get all the glory.