Rate these 12 heavyweights in order of best?

Question

Oscar Bonavena

Ken Norton

Jerry Quarry

Ron Lyle

Earnie Shavers

Chuck Wepner

George Chuvalo

Gerry Cooney

Randall Tex Cobb

Cleveland Williams

Jimmy Young

Jimmy Ellis

Also do you think any of them would be able to beat Wladimir Klitschko.

Answer 1

All except Cobb and Wepner could have beaten WK.

Answer 2

This is a tough one because I was just a kid at that time but here it goes:

1. Ken Norton

2. Jimmy Young

3. Jimmy Ellis

4. Ron Lyle

5. Cleveland Williams

6. Earnie Shavers

7. Jerry Quarry

8. Oscar Bonavena

9. George Chuvalo

10. Chuck Wepner

11. Gerry Cooney

12. "Tex" Cobb

Answer 3

hmmm

Answer 4

1) Ken Norton

2) Jimmy Ellis

3) Earnie Shavers

4) George Chuvalo

5) Cleveland Williams

6) Jimmy Young

7) Gerry Cooney

8) Ron Lyle

9) Oscar Bonavena

10) Jerry Quarry

11) Randall "Tex" Cobb

12) Chuck Wepner

Only Norton would be able to beat Wlad. Wlad is a boxer not a slugger. Norton had problems with sluggers who backed him up. Wlad would allow Norton to come forward as Holmes and Ali did. Therefore it would be competitive bout with plenty of feints and jabbing from both fighters. Norton also had enough skill and comparable size in comparison to Wlad (Norton was 6' 3" 220).

Postnote: Shavers might have a puncher's chance but he'd have to catch Wlad very early in the fight.

Answer 5

Really tough question and a good one.  Here goes:

Ken Norton

Jimmy Ellis

Oscar Bonavena

Jimmy Young

Jerry Quarry

George Chuvalo

Earnie Shavers

Gerry Cooney

Cleveland Williams

Ron Lyle

Chuck Wepner

Randall "Tex" Cobb

Out of these fighters, I would say that Bonavena, Norton, Quarry, Shavers, Chuvalo, Cooney, Williams, Young, and Ellis would have been at least competitive enough to win.  I don't believe that Wepner, Lyle, or Cobb would beat Klitschko.