Top 30 Greatest Boxers of All Time list
galaxy27
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in Sports Talk
stumbled across this and found it interesting. would love everyone's take, but especially @doubledragon 's. when i got to his boy J Louis, i learned a golf-related nugget about him that i was very unaware of.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
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Ah yes, of course that list is totally incorrect! Joe Louis should be in the number 1 spot, not number 3! Yes Joe was a golfer as well as the greatest boxer of all time. He was the first African American to play a PGA sponsored tournament. As a matter of fact, I have a card depicting Joe's golfing days that LarkinCollector gave me.
Let me be perfectly clear, Joe Louis belongs in the number 1 spot!!
Roger that Double D!
I still like Mike Tyson before Don King and Robin Givens ruined him
Right on brother! 🍻
He was amazing early, when he looked like a Joe Frazier with more power.
He kind of went downhill when he started to try to eat his opponents.
That ear biting incident was retaliation for Holyfield getting away with headbutting Tyson, at least that is what I've heard. Evander Holyfield had a habit of headbutting his opponents when he got in close to them, and Tyson had been headbutted a couple of times, and the referee did nothing about it, so Tyson ate Holyfield's ear.
I'm not an expert or even a big fan of historical boxing especially other than heavyweights. And even in the modern era, with a few exceptions i never really followed anything other than heavyweights.
That being said, and i don't even personally like the guy, Muhammad Ali was the best fighter i ever saw considering his weight class. Astonishing quickness for a heavyweight the likes of which has never been seen before or since. Plus he had a rock for a chin and could take a punch, along with unparalleled stamina and heart.
Not to knock the great Joe Louis, but I've seen some of his fights on Youtube, and in my view, prime for prime, Ali would have beaten Louis without too much trouble at all.
So on my list, Ali is clearly #1, with perhaps throwing a blanket over some of those famous middleweights for second.
Not from you, but that story line is BS. Tyson did that because and only because he was badly losing the fight, and saw no way of beating Holyfield.
Tyson knew he would get disqualified and of course he did. It was Tyson's way of saying, "No mas."
Case closed.
Yes, I have heard that lame excuse. The real reason he did it was because he realized he was going to lose the fight.
There's no doubt that Evander's style could be looked at as illegal, but to bite a guy (TWICE) is about as ridiculous as it gets.
Just goes to show that at this point in his career Mike was a complete mess. Tyson was one of the greatest boxers ever before he changed his style. After that he seemed to lose the ability to have any strategy for fighting anyone he couldn't immediately intimidate and knock out early.
Joe Frazier did the same thing (similar anyway) to Ali when he got inside, Ali would then grab Joe by the back of the head and pull him down and in at the same time. There was some controversy to Ali's tactics here, but the referees usually (never?) penalized Ali for it.
I just watched Ali/Frazier 2 yesterday. FANTASTIC fight.
Ali is my #1 as well.
You mention something few ever do about Ali, he could take a punch as well or better than anyone. If you watch any of the Frazier fights and the Foreman fight he more or less let them pound away at his midsection, while he concentrated on their heads. Ali was able to keep his hands up despite the punishment he took to the body.
I think Ali was better than Louis as well, but certainly not by much. Ali did A LOT of clowning around in the ring, if Joe would have caught him fooling around, he had the punching power to knock him out.
Ali took Joe Frazier much too carelessly in their first fight. He didn't realize how tough Smokin' Joe was.
Ali beats Joe Louis with no problem. 5-6 rounds max maybe sooner if Ali wants.
Of course I am biased when it comes to Joe Louis, I'll ride that wagon until the wheels fall off, and then ride the frame of the wagon! That's right, Joe Louis and me are sticking together until the bitter end!!