This is the newest Yahoo Readers's list of the 10 greatest heavyweights ever. Agree or disagree?

Question

1- Muhammad Ali

2- George Foreman

3- Joe Louis

4- Rocky Marciano

5- Larry Holmes

6- Jack Johnson

7- Lennox Lewis

8- Joe Frazier

9- Mike Tyson

10- Jack Dempsey

Answer 1

well overall it's a pretty good list, but holyfield should replace tyson, foreman and johnson should more or less change places, dempsey should be higher, with lennox being replaced by tunney.

Answer 2

Many of these lists have merit, but here's how I see it

1- Muhammad Ali(undisputable)

2- Jack Johnson(only Ali coulda beaten him on JJ's best day)

3- Mike Tyson(iron mike coulda easily whupped anyone but ali & jack - it's my list so deal w/it!)

4- George Foreman(not gr8st fighter, just too strong 4 most)

5- Joe Louis(he'd have regularly beat those below and had a chance at those above)

6- Rocky Marciano(too much heart, limited skills)

7- Joe Frazier(never underestimate Joe's heart)

8- Larry Holmes(maybe best jab of the heavyweights)

9- Evander Holyfield(his heart puts him in the top ten)

10- Jack Dempsey/Sonny Liston(tie - either had a shot any day of the week, but limited skills - though liston reportedly had an underrated jab)

...and yes lewis doesn't belong anywhere in the top ten!

Answer 3

Not a bad list. I don't agree with it in full. I got Louis ahead of Foreman. Dempsey should be higher. Liston would be up there. Tyson has two losses to Holyfield yet I see Tyson and not Evander? That makes no sense.

Overall not a terrible list.

Answer 4

I can agree that all on this list certainly belong here.  I don't agree with the order.  I'll begin with one clear example.  There are a few ways to grade champions.  The two most significant ways are OVERALL and IN THE RING.  

A good example:  If you are talking about OVERALL, Rocky Marciano might always be ranked above Lennox Lewis.  However, anyone who thinks Marciano would beat Lewis  "IN THE RING"  is simply not being realistic.  There are just too many physical differences.  

I like to rate champions as they performed IN THE RING.  In this case I place Ali and Joe Louis above all others.  Then, adding Liston and Holyfield, I have the TOP 10, AFTER Ali and Louis.  

I agree that Jack Dempsey would be near the bottom.  Given the rules of his time and his accomplishments and the fact that he avoided many of the best fighters of his era, it's hard to rate him very high.  He does belong on the list though.  

Lewis and Holmes would have the best chance to score a win over Ali or Louis.  After Ali and Louis, NO ONE would go undefeated on this list.  Lewis and Holmes would suffer fewer losses than the others in the "TOP 10"   Dempsey, Frazier and Liston would suffer more losses.  

In the middle you have Forman, Holyfield, Marciano, Johnson and Tyson.  Holyfield has the best chance to beat Forman.  George would beat the rest on this list of five.  

Like I said,  I dont think there is a true TOP 10.  None of the champions in 2-12 would go undefeated.  However, If I am to list them IN THE RING my list would be as follows.  

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Larry Holmes

Lennox Lewis

George Forman: He could lose to Evander but he would beat others who would beat Evander.  

Holyfield

Tyson

Marciano

Johnson

It's hard to place Tyson over Marciano.  However, IN THE RING, Mike would have too many physical advantages.  He's BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER.  If they fought during the same era Rocky would still be a bit smaller but he would win.  

Liston

Dempsey

Frazier

Answer 5

I think all the guys mentioned are worthy apart from Tyson who is more top 50, so i would stick Tunney instead.

Ali

Louis

Foreman

Marciano

Holmes

Dempsey

Frazier

Lewis

Johnson

Tunney

Answer 6

I would take Foreman and probably Lennox Lewis off the list and replace them with Gene Tunney and either Peter Jackson or Sam Langford.  Tyson is a tough call.  Mike Tyson of the 80s deserves to be in the top 3, but the later Tyson wouldn't even come close to the Top 10.  So his position at 9 is probably about right.

Answer 7

There are a few things that I think should be changed.  George Foreman definately should not be number 2 of all time.  He was a tremendous puncher but I think that he should be in the middle or near the bottom of the top 10.  I would not put Lennox Lewis in the top10.  He was the best of his era, but I think that Holyfield's era was tougher and I think that Evander was better in his prime.  Lewis could be replaced by someone like Gene Tunney or Holyfield.  I would also not put Mike Tyson in the top 10.  He was devestating in his prime, but he did not beat enough other great fighters to be considered in the top 10 in my eyes.  He could be replaced by someone like Jersey Joe Walcott or Ezzard Charles.  Lastly, I would not put Jack Dempsey at the bottom of the top 10, I think that he is at least top 5 of all time.

Answer 8

Disagree----- I agree more with Tony J in that sense that so many old-time greats ( like Sam Langford, Tom Sharkey,  Peter Jackson, Jim Jefferies & Bob Fitzsimmons ( who else won the middleweight + light-heavyweight + heavyweight titles )  have been forgotten that few realize they face & beat opponents bigger than Lewis or Forman -----In no order, I would keep Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Larry Holmes & add Jim Jefferies, Bob Fitzsimmons, Sam Langford, Max Schmeling & Gene Tunney

Answer 9

Dido Blogbaba!

Answer 10

Not a bad list.  Only issue is with Foreman, he should not be number 2.  He would be near the bottom of my top 10 list, if he makes it at all.

Answer 11

The blogbaba's list reads like this:

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Johnson

4. George Forman

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Larry Holmes

7. Jack Dempsey

8. Joe Frazier

9. Evander Holyfield

10. Gene Tunney

Answer 12

Its ok. My list:

1. Ali

2. Holmes

3. Joe Louis

4. Dempsey

5. JOhnson

6. Marciano

7. Foreman

8. Frazier

9. Gene Tunney

10. Either Holyfield, Liston or Lewis

Answer 13

1.  Joe Louis

2.  Muhammad Ali

3.  Rocky Marciano

4.  Larry Holmes

5.  George Foreman

6.  Jack Johnson

7.  Joe Frazier

8.  Gene Tunney

9.  Jack Dempsey

10.  Evander Holyfield

11.  Ezzard Charles

Answer 14

Top tens are hard because it gets into the who accomplished more category more then the who could whip who`s butt competition it should be.

First off scratch Johnson who was nothing more then a big bully who lost his title to a overgrown cowboy who didn`t start boxing till the age of 30.

Ali deserves the number one spot being as others stated he had plenty of heart and more talent then any of the others.

I`d give Tyson the number two spot even though my number three in Foreman would probably KO him. Rocky at 4th is respectable. Lennox Lewis at 5th being as he`s one of the few who avenged every defeat he suffered. Holmes did enough and proved enough to deserve a 6th place finish. 7th Tunney, 8th Dempsey, 9th Holyfield, !0th Frazier

Answer 15

I couldnt disagree with that list, it is pretty much how i would of put my top ten all time, i know Louis fans always have him at 1 or 2 but for me Big Georges comeback to win a title goes down as one of the greatest achievements in Heavyweight boxing history. I may swap 7 with 8 and swap 9 with 10 but to me that is as close to a list that i would of created myself as could be.

Answer 16

Amazing how Jack Dempsey's record of 77 wins and only one loss is over looked. I would put Dempsey first, Ali second, Foreman third, Louis fourth, Marciano fifth and the rest is up for grabs.

Not so sure Lennox Lewis should be included in the top ten.

Answer 17

Excellent job.  I have not a single argument against any fighter in that group.  Well done folks.

Answer 18

I think it is pretty accurate, all these fighters contributed to thew sport and dominated in their respective eras so i think it pretty accurate, for blogbaba, putting gene tunney over tyson is foolish, tunney did not dominate his division the way tyson did (moreover you seem to have a bias against tyson for some reason) and do not forget that tyson made boxing very popular in the 80's.....personally i think this list is fairly accurate everyone of these boxers dominated their division as undisputed champs.