Wilbur’s 100 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time: 60-51
By Brian Wilbur
Hello and welcome again to RSR. We are right in the middle of my list of the top 100 heavyweight boxers ever. I’d like to reiterate and clarify the criteria of my rankings. I ranked all of the boxers based on their records and accomplishments and very little on my personal opinion on their fighting ability. This is how I do all of my lists, including pound for pound lists, because ranking based on accomplishment is the only fair and unbiased way. Wins or good performances over top notch opposition are the main criteria I am looking at when judging a boxer’s career.
With that said, there may be a few boxers who made the list whom I do not particularly think were very good boxers. I may even dislike them or have a personal vendetta against them. Even so, I pledged to do my list in an unbiased manner so there are some names on the list that made me cringe to include them even though they rightfully earned their spot. Maybe you can guess the boxer or boxers I am referring to. Anyway, that leads me to #60 on the list…
60. John Ruiz
Ruiz is the most hated heavyweight of his generation because of his aggravating fighting style. He made the most of his modest skills by jabbing once then clinching his opponent to ensure that no counter punches were returned. The “Quietman’s” best assets were his grit and determination, doing whatever it took to get the win, even if the judges fell asleep and the audience cursed his existence. Though his fights were a chore to watch and he had no remarkable physical talents or skills, you cannot deny his accomplishments. Ruiz beat more than his share of top contenders, was a two time WBA Champion, and had a handful of successful title defenses. He was undeniably difficult to look good against. Now that we no longer have to watch him fight we can finally stop hating and appreciate this grizzled overachiever’s ring success.
Most Famous Fight(s): Three fight trilogy against Evander Holyfield where he lost a UD12 in 2000, won a UD12 in 2001, and fought to a draw the third bout in 2001.
Notable Wins: UD12 over Hasim Rahman in 2003, TKO11 over Fres Oquendo in 2004, DQ10 over Kirk Johnson in 2002, UD12 over Jameel McCline in 2008.
59. Marvin Hart
Hart is a forgotten former Heavyweight Champion from the earliest years of modern boxing. Many consider him among the worst Heavyweight Champions from the time of one belt per weight class. Hart did not have awe-inspiring boxing skills, size, or power and his overall resume did not warrant an induction in the hall of fame. Marvin was a hard-nosed determined bruiser with a good chin. He would unscientifically bull his way into his opponents, taking punches if necessary, in order to bully his opponents. His two-fisted power was good enough to gain the respect of his adversaries. Hart rose toe prominence at the tail end of James Jeffries title reign. Jeffries was planning on retiring and the onus was on him to name the top two contenders to fight for his vacant belt. Youngster Jack Johnson was already considered the heir apparent until Hart defeated him. The win over future great Johnson thrust Hart into the spotlight and Jeffries picked him to fight for his vacant title. Marvin etched his name into the record books by winning the vacant title against stellar light heavyweight Jack Root.
Most Famous Fight(s): KO12 over Jack Root in 1905 to win the vacant title.
Notable Wins: 20 round points win over Jack Johnson in 1905, KO2 over Peter Maher in 1907.
58. Earnie Shavers
Boxing fans are often mesmerized with the big punch and infatuated with hard punching heavyweights. Nobody had a bigger punch in the history of heavyweight boxing than Earnie Shavers. His legendary one-punch KO power was super human and allowed him to score 68 big knockouts from 74 wins, despite being below average in all other attributes. Muhammad Ali said in 1977, “Earnie hit me so hard, he shook my kinfolk back in Africa!” Larry Holmes said that Shavers hit him too hard because it knocked him out and then woke him up. Earnie, an obvious fan favorite because of his power, left a legacy as one of the most entertaining KO artists of all time. His lack of finesse, stamina, and a questionable chin kept him from becoming champion, but he is still remembered because of that big punch and a handful of excellent wins.
Most Famous Fight(s): UD15 loss to Muhammad Ali in 1977, TKO11 loss to Larry Holmes in 1979.
Notable Wins: KO1 over Jimmy Ellis in 1973, KO1 over Ken Norton in 1979, TKO2 over Joe Bugner in 1982.
57. Oliver McCall
Known as the Atomic Bull, McCall was the George Chuvalo of his generation. He possessed an unbreakable chin, modest boxing skills, and crushing punching power. Oliver could be out-boxed by skilled defensive specialists but he was a tough challenge for all contenders because he would stalk you for the entire fight and be dangerous for every second of every round. His combination of strength and durability brought him all the way to the top of the sport, though briefly. He won the WBC Heavyweight Championship with a stunning knockout win over Lennox Lewis. Unfortunately for McCall, he encountered various problems outside of the ring including a drug habit, mental issues, and legal problems, that all affected his ring performance. McCall lost the rematch to Lewis when he had a mental breakdown in the middle of the fight. McCall started crying and refused to fight back, creating one of the most bizarre moments in boxing history. Oliver is still active today, trying to make up for his largely wasted potential, but his days as an elite contender are over.
Most Famous Fight(s): TKO2 over Lennox Lewis in 1994.
Notable Wins: UD12 over Larry Holmes in 1995, KO10 over Henry Akinwande in 2001.
56. Billy Conn
“The Pittsburgh Kid” was a magnificent Light Heavyweight Champion during his era and possibly could have established himself as the best light heavyweight of all time if he had not abandoned the division in order to fight as a heavyweight. During his brief time as the 175 pound kingpin, Conn was a pound for pound aspirant, defeated the best from middleweight (including Al McCoy), the best at light heavyweight (including Gus Lesnevich), and a slew of heavyweight contenders. Then Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis was in need of a viable challenger. Conn did not have any equals at light heavyweight and had proven that he could compete at heavyweight so the Louis vs. Conn match was a perfect fit. Conn was a pure boxer with prodigious hand and foot speed and danced circles around Louis for twelve rounds. Billy then foolishly went for the KO in the 13th despite being ahead on the scorecards and despite being a light punching smaller man. Louis, perhaps the most dangerous puncher of all time, made Conn pay and knocked him out that round. Billy’s career essentially peaked and ended with his fights against Louis.
Most Famous Fight(s): KO13 loss to Joe Louis in 1941, KO8 loss to Joe Louis in 1946.
Notable Wins: KO13 over Bob Pastor in 1940, UD12 over Lee Savold in 1940.
55. David Tua
In addition to this list, Tua would also make the short list of the greatest heavyweight contenders to never win a world title. David’s left hook was arguably the best and hardest left hook ever thrown in the sport’s history. The Samoan warrior had a short stature and short arms, but was a wide as he was tall and generated tremendous power from his tree trunk-like legs. Tua looked like a Mike Tyson clone as a young prospect who destroyed his opponents early and often. Standing and trading punches with Tua in the center of the ring was a death sentence because he would surely mow you down and get the best of exchanges. Not only could he deliver a vicious punch, but Tua could absorb shots to the jaw with alarming ease. Tua’s downfall was his weight problems. David’s body changed in his late 20’s and he added about 20 pounds to his frame, which morphed him from a quick Terminator into a slow plodder. The Tuaman still retained his big punch and chin that allowed him to win, but he was no longer the beast he was in his early days.
Most Famous Fight(s): UD12 loss to Lennox Lewis in 2000.
Notable Wins: KO1 over John Ruiz in 1996, TKO11 over Oleg Maskaev in 1997, KO1 over Michael Moorer in 2002.
54. Eddie Machen
Machen was a feared prospect and then a respected contender who reached his peak in the late 1950’s. He could box well with a stiff jab and most of the time was content winning the fight on points, but Eddie had good power that he showed off when the openings presented themselves. Machen impressed the boxing world on his way up to the top of the heavyweight rankings and was on the cusp of securing a title shot against Floyd Patterson. However, a draw against Zora Folley and a stunning loss to Ingemar Johansson derailed his quest for the belt. Eddie continued his career with mixed success from there. He is perhaps most revered for be able to go the distance with a prime Sonny Liston during the time when Liston’s legend was at its peak.
Most Famous Fight(s): UD12 loss to Sonny Liston in 1960, UD15 loss to Ernie Terrell in 1965 for the vacant WBA belt.
Notable Wins: TKO10 over Tommy “Hurricane” Jackson in 1957, UD10 over Bob Baker in 1957, UD10 over Doug Jones in 1961, UD10 over Jerry Quarry in 1966.
53. Chris Byrd
Byrd was a natural light heavyweight who never fought in his natural weight class. He made the decision very early on that he wanted to fight at heavyweight against naturally bigger opponents. The timing was right because Chris countered the lumbering, unskilled giants of his era with fundamentals and defense. Byrd was a light hitter, scoring just one knockout in his 7 title fights, and that one KO was due to an opponent’s injury, not from a punch. Instead of power punching, his game was standing in front of his opponents and making them miss. Byrd frustrated his foes with his unique flat-footed elusiveness and then made them pay with lightning quick counter punches. His skills allowed him to be the IBF title holder for over three years. Byrd was the quintessential pure boxer of his generation.
Most Famous Fight(s): UD12 over Evander Holyfield in 2002, TKO7 loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 2006.
Notable Wins: UD12 over David Tua in 2001, TKO9 over Vitali Klitschko in 2000
52. Billy Miske
Miske saw his best days in the 1910s and 1920s. He started his career as a middleweight, fought for a while at light heavyweight, and then decided to pack on the pounds to his six foot frame and become a heavyweight. In 1916, Miske was diagnosed with Bright’s disease, a term no longer used in the medical field but is historically synonymous with a variety of kidney disorders. Back then such a diagnosis meant an early death and the doctor gave Miske five years to live. He continued fighting against doctors orders and had some of his best years as a pugilist during this time. Miske was swift, durable, and extremely tough. He hung in there and lasted the distance with greats like Jack Dempsey, Fred Fulton and Harry Greb and also recorded wins over some of the top heavyweight contenders of his day. Unfortunately his illness started to catch up with him. By the time he received his only title shot in 1920, he was no longer able to fully train. Billy was knocked out by Jack Demspey, which represented his only career KO loss. After that, Miske knew that he was going to die soon yet bravely fought on in order to earn money for his wife and children after he passed. His last fight, on November 7th 1923, Miske somehow managed to pull himself out of bed to fight respected contender Bill “KO” Brennan. Billy had been bed ridden in the months leading up to the match but begged his manager to get him the match so that he could have money to put on one last nice Christmas for his family. Miske surprising won the match with a 4th round KO, had a wonderful Christmas with his family, then died on New Years Day at the age of 29. With the resolve he showed in knocking out Brennan while on his death bed makes one wonder what Miske could have accomplished in the boxing ring if he had not suffered from his kidney disorder.
Most Famous Fight(s): KO3 loss to Jack Dempsey in 1920 for the title, a 10 round newspaper draw against Jack Dempsey in 1918.
Notable Wins: 15 round points win over Bill “KO Brennan in 1919, KO2 win over Fireman Jim Flynn in 1918, TKO13 win over Jack Renault in 1922, KO1 over Willie Meehan in 1922, KO1 over Fred Fulton in 1922, KO4 win over Bill “KO Brennan in 1923.
51. Tommy Gibbons
Gibbons fought in the same era as the great Gene Tunney but based on their fighting style you could hardly tell them apart. Both men were natural light heavyweights who moved up in weight. Both men helped pioneer modern boxing technique, being some of the first heavyweights to employ the stick and move and fight like the boxers of today. Both men had great jabs, prodigious defense, and used their cutting edge boxing technique to gain an edge over most of their opponents. Gibbons made his mark on the division by beating almost every heavyweight put in front of him. As similar to Tunney as he was, he was simply not as good. The two fought in 1925 and Gibbons was knocked out in 12 rounds. He was also unable to defeat Jack Dempsey as Tunney did, but to Tommy’s credit, he lasted the distance against Dempsey in the famous 1923 title fight that bankrupted the small town of Shelby, Montana.
Most Famous Fight(s): UD15 loss to Jack Dempsey in 1923.
Notable Wins: UD10 over Billy Miske in 1922, 10 round newspaper decision over Georges Carpentier in 1924, TKO6 over Kid Norfolk in 1924.
Thanks for reading everyone. In the next edition I’ll jump into the hallowed top 50.