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Who was the best heavyweight boxing champion of all time?
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Jack Dempsey beyond a doubt. He took the title from Jess Willard. Who killed the previous challenger in the ring. Willard had also taken the title from Jack Johnson. Another powerful opponent. Dempsey 6'1" 180 lbs. the victor fought Willard 6'7" 245 lbs from a crouch. Before the fight [one of the most brutal in boxing history] was over. Dempsey cracked his skull, shattered his jaw, broke ribs, broke his nose, knocked out 4 of his teeth and partially deafened him.
His restaurantt was on B'way around the corner from my Aunt's residents. He stopped to shake my hand and was a kind attentive man as I remember. -
Of the fighters I have seen, Mike Tyson in his prime appeared to be unstoppable.Comment
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I vote for Jack Dempsey, This cat was bad to the bone!Comment
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Rocky Marciano undersized and undefeated,also Ali fought everyone in an era when everyone was someone and lost three years of his prime.I didn't like his politics but he was great.Comment
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Another vote for Rocky Marciano.Comment
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Marciano or Ali get my vote.Comment
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I never saw Marciano, or Dempsey fight, but I remember my father and uncles talking about them. Both great fighters, no doubt about it. When I was growing up, Ali was probably the best.Comment
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MUHAMMAD ALI is what i thinkComment
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Rocky Marciano was the only undefeated champ. Joe Louis also retired undefeated, but made a comeback and was beaten by Ezzard Charles.
It was said that Marciano's punches to his opponents' arms had a paralyzing effect.Comment
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All very good picks of some very heroic fighters. One thing I believe that wasn't mentioned about the heavy weight champ. He was usually celebrated through an ethnic or political venue. Usually the new immigration or very humble means. The older rules were very different and corruption was rampant. A boxer literally put his life on the line. One boxer that went against the grain was Jack Johnson. He was champ in America in very different times. A black man he drove expensive cars, escorted two white women in public [Jim Crow Laws], flouted convention. He even got the entire staff of an all white brothel fired by getting served. He was threatened that if he stepped into the ring against a white opponent he would be shot. He was arrested for driving a white woman across state lines [the Mann Act]. He was maligned by sports writer Damon Runyon. All this when the Klan was king and a sitting President and Supreme Court Justice called "Birth of a Nation" history written in light. On a lighter note he was denied passage on the Titanic. I believe he should get a mention just for risking his life and deifying the norm and being the bad boy in boxing.
PS If you want to see a good boxing documentary rent " Unforgivable Blackness".Comment
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Mohammad Ali or Rocky Marciano.Comment
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Mohammad Ali or Rocky Marciano.Comment
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Sorry about the double post.Comment
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The fastest and the greatest boxer of all time was Muhammad Ali. In 1974 during the "Rumble in the Jungle" Ali layed against the ropes on purpose, just to prove he could take a punch. George Forearm was hitting Ali's body like two iron balls and most of the fight Forearm was swinging at air. Forearm punched himself out in that famous "Rope a Dope".
Ali also won the series against the great Smoking Joe Frazier 2-1.
One of Ali's quotes;
"I'm not the greatest; I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round."
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