Greatest all-time boxer.

[TransporterMalfunction 1]

Many boxers have come and gone but there are only a few who standout from the crowd in the history of this sporting tradition. These men have shown skill, speed, stamina and determination in the face of hardship, yet who do you believe to be the best?

 

As a fight fan I have tried to limit the names down while trying to give a fairly wide choice, and while I am sure many people will go for Ali we must also remember that he was beaten by others who inturn lost at some point.

 

My top five boxers are:

 

5/ Teofilo Stevenson - OK, we may never know how good he really was but he dominated the amateur game. A shame he never battled against Ali and co.

4/ Jake La Motta - The Raging Bull was never knocked down in his entire career, this guy could certainly take a punch and he took several against Sugar Ray! But even then he stayed on his feet.

3/ Sugar Ray Robinson - Robinson was the proto-type Ali. He was quick and could dance around the ring before Ali had even been heard of.

2/ Muhammad Ali - He was fast and tough, no-one could argue against that after his fights with Frazier, but he was never the same fighter after his licence was taken away.

 

1/ And the greatest of all-time....the Brockton blockbuster, Rocky Marciano.

Marciano wins it for pure heart, stamina and irresistible courage. He may not have had the skill but then again he never needed it to finish off the career of Joe Louis and when knocked down by Archie Moore in the second round, he got himself up and belted the living daylights out of Moore.

 

Marciano was and still is the only heavyweight fighter to never lose a fight.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Picking the Greatest is hard to do with the different weight classes so I picked my favorite, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. His fight with Thomas "The Hitman" Herns was arguably one of the greatest middleweight fights ever.

[TransporterMalfunction 1]

Picking the Greatest is hard to do with the different weight classes so I picked my favorite, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. His fight with Thomas "The Hitman" Herns was arguably one of the greatest middleweight fights ever.

In those days there were several good fighters in each division. The modern heavyweight division is beginning to get boring with Lewis the only good boxer around, lets face it, Tyson and Holyfield are past it and the Klitschko brothers are not doing to well at the moment.

 

I wonder if anyone will vote for Tyson.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I miss the Middleweight fights of the 80's, there were some great fights back then. Some of the lower weight classes too, Boom Boom Mancini Roborto Duran and even Sugar Ray Leonard. I knew his son Ray Jr. and mer Sugar Ray a couple times, he grew up in Palmer Park Md and that's where I went to Elementay school.

[Mike 5]

Yeah, I voted for Ali..Can't help it..I remember those fights against Frazier vivdly..How can I vote for Rocky Marciano when I've never seen him fight?..Anyway I do think that Ali was the Greatest..(IMO)..Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee..!

 

And I certainly hope that no one votes for Tyson..

[roguedawg 0]

I voted for Jack Johnson.Not only was the guy strong as an ox,he had great stamina regularly fighting through 15-20 rounds.And he wasn't afraid to be the man that he was,despite the prejudices of his era.An incredible champion.I also like Sonny Liston,and Roberto Duran. :)

[A l t e r E g o 9]

I never watched much boxing after Ali, he was the apex imo.

[TransporterMalfunction 1]

I voted for Jack Johnson.Not only was the guy strong as an ox,he had great stamina regularly fighting through 15-20 rounds.And he wasn't afraid to be the man that he was,despite the prejudices of his era.An incredible champion.I also like Sonny Liston,and Roberto Duran. :)

Duran was a good fighter for his weight although he finally fell to Ray Leonard. I did mean to include this fellow in the list but have just realised that he is missing.

 

On the issue of Liston, his omission was on purpose. In my opinion he was never on of the greats, OK he did defeat Floyd Patterson but that was at a time when the champ was clearly in decline after avoiding many of the top contenders around and with his loss to Ingemar Johansson. Liston came along at the right time and got lucky that his power was enough. Later we saw his inadequacies against the superior Clay/Ali.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Duran was a good fighter for his weight although he finally fell to Ray Leonard.

 

Later we saw his inadequacies against the superior Clay/Ali.

Duran did defeat Ray in the first match, gave up in the second and I forget what happened in the third. Duran should be ranked as one of the greats though, is he still fighting? Last I heard a few years ago he was.

 

As for Liston, did we see the real Liston against Clay? ( :) Like I was born yet to say "We"). I don't know much about Listons career but I have seen a few specials that said Liston could have been one of the greats but the mafia (I think they said mafia) or some other organization got to him and wound up murdering him. I know the official cause of death says overdose but there is sepculation that it was murder.

 

Anyway, my favorite heavyweight is Holyfield.

[TransporterMalfunction 1]

Duran was a good fighter for his weight although he finally fell to Ray Leonard.

 

Later we saw his inadequacies against the superior Clay/Ali.

Duran did defeat Ray in the first match, gave up in the second and I forget what happened in the third. Duran should be ranked as one of the greats though, is he still fighting? Last I heard a few years ago he was.

 

As for Liston, did we see the real Liston against Clay? ( :) Like I was born yet to say "We"). I don't know much about Listons career but I have seen a few specials that said Liston could have been one of the greats but the mafia (I think they said mafia) or some other organization got to him and wound up murdering him. I know the official cause of death says overdose but there is sepculation that it was murder.

 

Anyway, my favorite heavyweight is Holyfield.

NOOOO, not Holyfield! Lewis would batter him! :)

 

On the issue of Liston, the circumstances surrounding Ali's victory were considered strange at the time but considering the later fights with Frazier it proved that he could take a few punches as well as throw them. Liston was found dead long after his career was over as after the Ali loss he was no longer considered a contender.

[barry 0]

Has to be ALI for me.

 

:lol:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

NOOOO, not Holyfield! Lewis would batter him! :lol:

Holyfield and Lewis did fight twice. One was a Draw and the other was a decision for Lweis. Both went the full 12 rounds but would Holyfield have won those fights if he was in his prime?

[APW 0]

I'm not a boxing fan way too violent and bloody ^_^

But I know muhammad ali...

^_^ float like a butterfly,sting like a bee!

That man was one bbaaaddd mutha :lol:

[Klingonmike 0]

I voted for Ali, he was the greatest! And most colorful!

[edmcgon 0]

Ali was the greatest during a period of many great boxers (Frazier, Foreman, Spinks, Norton, Liston, etc.). And the man was righteously arrogant. Gotta love him!

 

As a close second, I would name Larry Holmes. Unfortunately for Holmes, he was a great fighter at a time of no other great ones. I would have loved to see him in his prime take on another great boxer in their prime.

:lol:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Ali was the greatest during a period of many great boxers (Frazier, Foreman, Spinks, Norton, Liston, etc.). And the man was righteously arrogant. Gotta love him!

 

As a close second, I would name Larry Holmes. Unfortunately for Holmes, he was a great fighter at a time of no other great ones. I would have loved to see him in his prime take on another great boxer in their prime.

:lol:

Do you think Holmes of 1980 could take Tyson of 1987, Holyfield of 1991 or Lewis of today? Like you say, he faught at a time when his strongest competition was Randall "Tex" Cobb (the "Man With The Head of Steel") and a little later Gerry Cooney (Remember that fight between Cooney and Norton?). I don't know if he could take any of the three I mentioned.

[Lessa_Soong 0]

Boxers?

 

Did someone say BOXERS? ^_^

 

 

WHere? ^_^

 

 

Whose boxers are they? i still don't have pairs from quite a few of you sexy guys. :lol:

 

 

ok, all kidding aside ( but not for too long) Ali was the man!!!! ^_^

[mj 7]

Joe Louis, for what he meant to people in his time.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I just downloaded and watched the Hagler-Hearns fight, it was just one of the most awesome fights I've ever seen.

 

Anyone that likes boxing should try to see this fight, there is non-stop action from the opening bell of round one until the knock-out punch of round 3. If it was smaller I'd upload it here but the file is about 75mb.

[she_wolf 0]

I have to vote for Ali purely because of the man and the boxer he was in his time and sadly because of how he is now.

Its so sad to see him, my heart truly feels for him and how he must feel about himself.I have a close family member with Parkinsons, and seen how slowly it eats away at you but how quickly it destroys your body and also your mind.

 

here`s hoping one day they find a cure B)

[hangon 3]

I VOTED FOR MARVELLOUS MAVIN HAGLER

IN HIS WEIGHT-CLASS WAS THE BEST OF ALL TIME!!!

MY BEST HEAVEYWEIGHT OF ALL TIME HAS TO BE ALI B)

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I wonder if Ali would get as many votes if his original name (Cassius Clay) was used for the poll. My curiosity is this, does he get the votes because he so well known or is it strictly on boxing merit? Ali was 56-5 with 37 knockouts, Jack Dempsey 61-6-8 with 50 Knockouts and Rocky Marciano 49-0 with 43 Knockouts. Yes Ali should rank in the top 2 or 3 but should he be the top one? The record would indicate that Marciano should have that distinction.

[TransporterMalfunction 1]

I just downloaded and watched the Hagler-Hearns fight, it was just one of the most awesome fights I've ever seen.

 

Anyone that likes boxing should try to see this fight, there is non-stop action from the opening bell of round one until the knock-out punch of round 3. If it was smaller I'd upload it here but the file is about 75mb.

Where did you get that from VBG?

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I just downloaded and watched the Hagler-Hearns fight, it was just one of the most awesome fights I've ever seen.

 

Anyone that likes boxing should try to see this fight, there is non-stop action from the opening bell of round one until the knock-out punch of round 3. If it was smaller I'd upload it here but the file is about 75mb.

Where did you get that from VBG?

117088[/snapback]

It took me a while but I just saw this, I got it from Shareaza or KaZaa if I recall. I still have it someplace.

[Jack_Bauer 1]

My choice isn't on this list. For me it would have to be Canadian Boxer George Chuvalo. Absolutely great boxer and an even greater inspiration with all the personal tragedy he has endured.

 

You can read more about him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Chuvalo

[Itchygomba69 0]

I Voted Ali, but the best Ever was Little Mac

[Matt 0]

It really just has to be Ali. He had everything in the ring - speed, strength and skill. He was the best at every aspect of the game - the fighting, the psychology, the entertainment.

 

I love watching his fights, he was the Rembrandt of boxing.