Greatest Boxer Ever?

[dontcallme]

Jack Johnson was the boxer of all time. You're arguing about 2nd place.

Jack Johnson is an interesting shout. He had to go through so much nonsense to get a title shot and by doing so he became an iconic figure. Because of the politics he didn't get the title until he was relatively old so he is among those who have a claim to being the greatest but no way is it an indisputable claim.

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I used to get up early to watch Ali's fights on TV

The best boxer IMO was Sugar Ray Leonard

Trainer of both, Angelo Dundee, RIP.

 

[VincenzoCoccotti]

Until the Benn fight it is no contest for me, Gerald McClellan, his sheer destructive ability puts him above anyone pound for pound for me, an absolute beast.

Tyson was good but he was lucky in that he was in a crap era for heavyweight boxing and didn't have to contend with Ali/Norton/Shavers/Foreman/Frazier/Holmes (at his peak), any of those would have torn Tyson a new asshole IMHO.

Michael Spinks/Razor Ruddock/Gerald Coetzee/Frank Bruno/Trevor Berbick doesn't have the same ring to it

 

[HappySpur]

Jack Johnson is an interesting shout. He had to go through so much nonsense to get a title shot and by doing so he became an iconic figure. Because of the politics he didn't get the title until he was relatively old so he is among those who have a claim to being the greatest but no way is it an indisputable claim.

I just thought he deserved mention. His weak chin would have probably been his fatal flaw in the modern era. But his stamina cannot be questioned as fights could go to 45 rounds back then.

He was indisputably a wizard of defensive fighting.

But other reasons we give for him not being up to the standards of Ali or somebody more modern are footwork and muscularity, but he didn't have a good coach until Chonyski, which is when he went on his ten year run. So if one coach made such a difference, I imagine fighting in the modern era with so much better understanding and better training methods would have helped him overcome most of those.

 

[SugarRay]

Jim Wilde. See, you don't even have to venture off these shores to find the answer.

 

[opensaysme]

I just thought he deserved mention. His weak chin would have probably been his fatal flaw in the modern era. But his stamina cannot be questioned as fights could go to 45 rounds back then.

He was indisputably a wizard of defensive fighting.

But other reasons we give for him not being up to the standards of Ali or somebody more modern are footwork and muscularity, but he didn't have a good coach until Chonyski, which is when he went on his ten year run. So if one coach made such a difference, I imagine fighting in the modern era with so much better understanding and better training methods would have helped him overcome most of those.

Was just about to come into this thread and put Johnson's name in the hat.

 

[SugarRay]

Johnson was superb apparently but he also avoided certain fighters when champ.

One could easily argue that Sam Langford was a better fighter back then. Certainly pound for pound.

 

[Kingstheman]

Joe Louis.

 

[Mullers]

Greatest of All Time - Sugar Ray Robinson
Current 'Greatest' - Floyd Mayweather Jr
Future G.O.A.T - Andre Ward

Yeah I'd go along with that, especially where Andre Ward is concerned, he looks unbeatable at this time.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Rocky Balboa. His fights against Apollo Creed and Clubber Lang were classics.

 

[SugarRay]

It's easy to pick apart Balboas record though. 20 odd defeats before he was 30, lost to an old and unmotivated Creed and was well behind in the rematch before winning. Lang was unproven, couldn't handle the heat when under pressure. He also splattered Rocko in their first fight.
Drago was an amateur and had never had a pro bout. Very inexperienced yet he gave Balboa all he could handle.

 

[Rumbaldo]

Drago was an amateur and had never had a pro bout. Very inexperienced yet he gave Balboa all he could handle.

Whoa whoa whoa Ivan Drago could punch 2150 (whatever that means) and was on performance enhancing drugs

http://youtu.be/IwvoTDoO9Hg