Best Boxers

Going back to the human kind, the great thing to do for anyone who still likes boxing,is to work with someone punch-drunk - it's a real lesson. The really good stuff, apparently, was when poor buggers were employed to come round in booths and challenge anybody to ten minutes or so in the ring. Drunken miners , 'mountain fighters' the professionals used to call them, could often see off even a well-trained professional's mind pretty totally in that time. I worked in a pub with one, who was kept on as a a sort of charity - the shakes meant he couldn't pick up a glass without spilling half a pint, poor dab. My favourite antique bit of film is of our local hero (my grandfather taught him, though not boxing!), Tommy Farr, going the distance with Joe Louis way back when. After that his manager, whom I did know when I was a boy, said, 'Relax a bit now, Tommy: meet as few girls, have a few drinks', and proceeded to make a lot of money betting against him - then set up a big local garage with his winnings. That was, of course, when everyone here was unemployed and we produced boxers galore. I think no-one with enough to eat goes in for it really. We certainly don't much now..
 
Penderyn said:
Going back to the human kind, the great thing to do for anyone who still likes boxing,is to work with someone punch-drunk - it's a real lesson. The really good stuff, apparently, was when poor buggers were employed to come round in booths and challenge anybody to ten minutes or so in the ring. Drunken miners , 'mountain fighters' the professionals used to call them, could often see off even a well-trained professional's mind pretty totally in that time. I worked in a pub with one, who was kept on as a a sort of charity - the shakes meant he couldn't pick up a glass without spilling half a pint, poor dab. My favourite antique bit of film is of our local hero (my grandfather taught him, though not boxing!), Tommy Farr, going the distance with Joe Louis way back when. After that his manager, whom I did know when I was a boy, said, 'Relax a bit now, Tommy: meet as few girls, have a few drinks', and proceeded to make a lot of money betting against him - then set up a big local garage with his winnings. That was, of course, when everyone here was unemployed and we produced boxers galore. I think no-one with enough to eat goes in for it really. We certainly don't much now..
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I miss the good ol' days of Bread and Circuses. That's when Reality TV was reality. ;)

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WitoldPilecki said:
IMO Heavyweight goes to
#1 Vitali Klitschko
#2 Rocky Marciano.
#3 Muhammad Ali
#4 George Foreman.
#5 Mike Tyson
#6 Wladimir Klitschko
#7 Lennox Lewis
#8 Tyson Fury
#9 Evander Holyfield.
#10 Andrew Golota.
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Not sure if you are just joking here...although with Golota on your list, my guess would be that you are. You shoulda put Wepner in there instead of Golota.

Klitschko was good, but Ali woulda murdered him. So would Forman

And Marciano??? You gotta be kidding. I'm of Italian heritage...and the temptation to over rate him is great, but he does not belong on that list at all in my opinion.

Ali should be number one in the heavyweight class...with Forman, Holmes, and even Joe Frazier up there. Sonny Liston was one hell of a fighter also...just with bad shit happening all the time.

I honestly thought Forman would last for 40 years. Of all things, he got out-thought by Ali.

In any case, the Marciano choice was you big mistake.
 
Penderyn said:
Yup. I think the thing about boxing is general hunger and desperation: make for very good fights.
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Hunger for what? It takes a lot to be a boxer and not everyone can make the grade. Do you feel the same about kickboxing? Martial art competitions? American football? Soccer? Rugby?
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Ali vs Joe Lewis. Ali meets his match. A fighter his equal in ring skill but a harder and more precise puncher. Joe Louis by TKO in the 14th rd.
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NEVER. Not even if they fought 50 times would it happen.

Jack Johnson vs. Tyson or Forman would be something to see.
 
Frank Apisa said:
Not sure if you are just joking here...although with Golota on your list, my guess would be that you are. You shoulda put Wepner in there instead of Golota.

Klitschko was good, but Ali woulda murdered him. So would Forman

And Marciano??? You gotta be kidding. I'm of Italian heritage...and the temptation to over rate him is great, but he does not belong on that list at all in my opinion.

Ali should be number one in the heavyweight class...with Forman, Holmes, and even Joe Frazier up there. Sonny Liston was one hell of a fighter also...just with bad shit happening all the time.

I honestly thought Forman would last for 40 years. Of all things, he got out-thought by Ali.

In any case, the Marciano choice was you big mistake.
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I'm going to disagree on Marciano & Golota.

Look at Marciano's knock out ratio.

Look at how Golota gave Riddick Bowe brain damage.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
You saw Marciano fight??!!

When I said “seen” I meant live. Like a live telecast, ppv or in person.

Now if you’re not old enough to have seen Ali then I can understand Klitchco as he was the best heavyweight of his era.

But not in Ali’s league. Now an interesting fantasy fight,assuming both fighter are in their Prime would be Forman vs. Klitschko. I’d take Foreman to knockout Klitschko in the 6th rd. The knock on Klitschko was he was never an undisputed champ though he was a unified Champ. Foreman was an undisputed champ. So was Ali. Ali had ten successful undisputed championship defenses. Klitschko had none. Ali had 14 successful defenses as unified champ. Klitschko had 17 which places him second all time to Joe Lewis who was the best heavyweight all time (but I never saw him fight live).

I place Klitschko in a four way tie for fourth with Frazier, Tyson and Liston but Klitschko beat Ali in his prime? That’s funny.
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Klitschko had a higher knock out ratio, and held the title longer than Muhammad Ali.

Klitschko is also much bigger than Muhammad Ali.

Klitschko also had a higher IQ, a PhD degree, and was very well trained.

I have little doubt, that Klitschko would beat Muhammad Ali in the ring.
 
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