Ten Heavyweight Champions Considered Great But Who Is Best?

By Boxing News - 02/20/2022 - Comments

By Ken Hissner: Jack “Galveston Giant” Johnson, Jack “Manassa Mauler” Dempsey, Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, “Smokin” Joe Frazier, “Big” George Foreman, Larry “Easton Assassin” Holmes, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield and “Iron” Mike Tyson.

Amateur career: Ali, Frazier, and Foreman Olympic Gold Medalists

Title Defenses: Joe Louis 25, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes 19

Knockouts: Foreman 68, Louis 52, Marciano 43

Records: Johnson 54-11-8 (34), Dempsey 53-6-8 (43), 66-3 (52), Louis 66-3 (52), Marciano 49-0 (43), Muhammad Ali 56-5 (37), Frazier 32-4-1 (27), Foreman 76-5 (68), Holmes 69-6 (44), 44-10-2 (29), Holyfield 44-10-2 (29), Tyson 50-6 (44)

Best Known For:

  • Jack Johnson first black champion
  • Jack Dempsey crushed giant champ Jesse Willard, long count loss Gene Tunney, knockout of the ring by Luis Firpo, and got back in the ring to score to score the knockout.
  • Joe Louis 25 defenses
  • Rocky Marciano 49-0 retired unbeaten
  • Muhammad Ali 1960 Olympic champ and 3-time title world champion
  • Joe  Frazier Olympic champ and 3 fights with Ali

Image: Ten Heavyweight Champions Considered Great But Who Is Best?

Best known for part 2

  • George Foreman Olympic champ crushed Frazier in the first fight
  • Larry Holmes 48-0 before the first loss and only one to stop Ali
  • Evander Holyfield Olympic champ, cruiserweight champ and beat Tyson twice
  • Mike Tyson youngest to ever win the title at 21
  • Jack Johnson great boxer but beat 5:07 Burns for the title, defending against light heavyweight champ Philadelphia Jack O’Brien and middle champ Stanley Ketchel
  • Joe Louis called defenses “bum of the month club” avenged first loss to Max Schmeling, served in Army during his career

Best known for  part 3

  • Rocky Marciano beat Louis, former champs Joe Walcott, and Ezzard Charles
  • Muhammad Ali Olympic champ, big underdog stopped Sonny Liston, 3 fights with Ken Norton and Joe Frazier
  • Joe Frazier was first to beat Ali
  • Larry Holmes got to 48-0 though Witherspoon and Carl “Truth” Williams fights questionable wins, stopped Ali, the first heavyweight champ to lose to light heavyweight champ in Michael Spinks

Best known for part  4

  • George Foreman winning Olympic title waving American flag in the ring, destroying unbeaten Joe Frazier in Jamaica
  • Evander Holyfield kite man coming into the ring against Riddick Bowe and only one to beat Bowe
  • Mike Tyson most feared fighter, big favorite losing to Buster Douglas in Japan
  • Most people say either Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali is the best ever.

What do you think?

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