With respect to fighters such as Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey, and Jack Johnson, our rankings will focus on fighters from the 1950s onward. This is primarily because there was more overlap and more head-to-head matchups during this period. Additionally, as with any sport, the science and training methods, including aspects like weightlifting, nutrition, and overall knowledge, have evolved over time. It seems that modern boxing began to take shape from the mid-1950s onward, with the emergence of fighters like Muhammad Ali. During this time, there was also a notable increase in the weight and size of fighters, compared to the past. (For instance, Rocky Marciano fought at 188 pounds.)
However, just because there is overlap doesn’t necessarily mean it’s informative. For instance, it was evident that Muhammad Ali was a mere shadow of himself when he fought Larry Holmes, and anyone who watched the documentary about that fight would agree he had no business being in any ring. Nevertheless, it still serves as a reference point, and in most cases, fighters aren’t as diminished. If a fighter is in the ring with another, they are capable of winning, so it’s still important information. We will approach these rankings from an analytical perspective, where who you beat and lost to does matter, but of course, when you beat them matters too. It’s also crucial to remember that with heavyweights, it only takes one punch, and upsets can happen.
Many of these fighters tend to prolong their careers longer than they should, and some of the fights toward the end of their careers can largely be set aside. This is especially true for fights like Ali’s loss to Trevor Berbick after the Holmes fight, for instance. Knowing the physical issues he would eventually face and being evidently in the early stages of those issues after 1980, those two fights almost don’t count.
Rank
Top Modern Heavyweight Fighters
Years Active
Record (Wins – Losses – Draws)
Years Held Title
1
Muhammad Ali
1960 – 1981
56 – 5 – 0
1964 – 1967, 1974 – 1978
2
Lennox Lewis
1989 – 2004
41 – 2 – 1
1993 – 1994, 1997 – 2001, 2001 – 2003
3
George Foreman
1969 – 1997
76 – 5 – 0
1973 – 1974, 1994 – 1995
4
Larry Holmes
1973 – 2002
69 – 6 – 0
1978 – 1985
5
Joe Frazier
1965 – 1981
32 – 4 – 1
1970 – 1973
6
Vitali Klitschko
1996 – 2012
45 – 2 – 0
1999 – 2000, 2004 – 2012
7
Evander Holyfield
1984 – 2011
44 – 10 – 2
1990, 1993 – 1994, 1996 – 1999, 2000 – 2001
8
Mike Tyson
1985 – 2005
50 – 6 – 0
1986 – 1990
9
Riddick Bowe
1989 – 2008
43 – 1 – 0
1992 – 1993
10
Ken Norton
1967-1981
42-7-1
1978
1. Muhammad Ali
Ranking Ali as the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time is easy; it’s the consensus among most. However, the two losses at the end of his career (against Holmes and Berbick) could be seen as a stain on his legacy. I think we can mostly look past that, given his health issues. Really, the only other bad loss was to Leon Spinks in 1978, two years before the Holmes fight, where he shouldn’t have been allowed to fight. Spinks was 6-0-1 at the time, and Ali would beat him later in 1978. You have to wonder if he was already feeling the effects of his disease even then.
The only other losses of his career were to Joe Frazier, whom he would come back to defeat twice after, and Ken Norton, whom he would also avenge the loss to, beating him twice. Both are in my top 12. He would also beat George Foreman at the peak of his powers when Foreman was 40-0. Additionally, he beat Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson twice, who are also in the top 15. It’s an impressive resume worthy of the number 1 ranking for the biggest star in the golden era of the sport.
2. Lennox Lewis
Lewis appears higher on our list than most, I’m sure, but it’s warranted. For one, Lewis knew when to get out and left on a high note. He wasn’t still fighting at 50 years old like some other fighters. His last fight came at 37 years old against 31-year-old Vitali Klitschko, who is our 6th-ranked fighter. He also bested Mike Tyson, who was actually a year younger, and Evander Holyfield, who are both in the top 10.
The only blemishes on his resume are two losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. These aren’t good losses, but they aren’t terrible ones either, and he would win the rematches in both cases. McCall also beat Larry Holmes, albeit when Holmes was past his prime.
3. George Foreman
Foreman had one of the most interesting careers in professional sports. He won the championship at 24 years old and beat another all-time great in Joe Frazier. Then, he retired at age 28, only to return 10 years later at the age of 38. Remarkably, he would win the title a second time at the age of 45. I believe that accomplishment, along with beating Joe Frazier twice, elevates him above Larry Holmes. Additionally, he defeated Ken Norton, who was Holmes’ best win.
Foreman’s best wins after the age of 38 during his second comeback were Gerry Cooney, who was 28-2 at the time, and Michael Moorer, who was 35-0. The losses were all very respectable as well. Outside of losing to Jimmy Young before his first retirement, the losses were very respectable: Muhammad Ali, and then the other three losses came in his 40s to Evander Holyfield, Tommy Morrison, and Shannon Briggs.
4. Larry Holmes
Holmes beating Muhammad Ali was mostly symbolic, given Ali’s age and what we later learned about his health. With George Foreman retiring for a decade, it robbed Holmes of the rival he really needed in his prime, and it’s frustrating as a fan that they never fought even after Foreman’s return, as both were still active. Holmes’s best win is Ken Norton, who appears 12th on our rankings and who was 40-4 at the time. There was no other all-time great to challenge his reign for 7 years until he lost to Michael Spinks twice, and then to Mike Tyson over a 3-fight period.
Had Holmes retired just before the 1st Spinks fight, maybe he would be considered the greatest fighter ever, at 48-0 with a win over Ali. You could certainly make that case, and he was 35 years old, about the same age Ali and Lewis retired at. Holmes was 38 years old when he fought Tyson and would retire for 3 years before coming back and having a solid finishing act. He would go 20-3 from the age of 41 to 52 years old, and in this case, I believe it adds something to his legacy. The 3 losses were respectable ones to Evander Holyfield, Oliver McCall, and Brian Nielsen. He also added a nice win over Ray Mercer, who was undefeated at that point, and Holmes was 42 years old at the time.
5. Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier only had 4 losses in his career, but they all came to Muhammad Ali (twice) and George Foreman (twice). He would come back 6 years after his retirement at the age of 37 and pick up a draw to Floyd Cummings, which I think we can mostly ignore. He beat Muhammad Ali in his prime, and that’s the cornerstone of his resume, along with other great losses. Unlike Foreman and Holmes, though, he was done at the age of 32 as a serious fighter. Holmes and Foreman lasted until around 50 years old, giving them a lot more substance on the resume to go along with their peaks.
6. Vitali Klitschko
Klitschko was also a victim of fighting in an era without another all-time great. The one fight he did have with an all-time great was against Lennox Lewis, who was 37 at the time when Klitschko was 31; he lost that fight. However, it was one of his only 2 losses, the other being to Chris Byrd, who is ranked 15th, which is respectable. That’s pretty much all you can do – beat the people in front of you and not take many bad losses – and Klitschko did that exceptionally well, going 45-2. It also hurt that one of the other best heavyweights in his era was his brother, whom he refused to fight for obvious reasons. For that reason, he doesn’t really have a great victory to his name.
7. Evander Holyfield
Holyfield hung around for too long, fighting until the age of 48 as a much smaller fighter than others who did it, like Holmes and Foreman, who could rely on their reach and power. Holyfield took some losses he probably shouldn’t have, but he still has the resume of an all-time great. He beat both George Foreman and Larry Holmes, who were still very capable fighters, albeit past their prime. Still, it’s noteworthy. He beat Mike Tyson twice and Riddick Bowe once. He would draw with Lennox Lewis. That’s half of our top 10. However, he also lost to Riddick Bowe twice and Lennox Lewis. I think you can mostly ignore everything after he beat Hasim Rahman at the age of 39. He was 37-5-2 at that point, and it marked the last gasp of his greatness.
8. Mike Tyson
Tyson is the youngest heavyweight of all time, achieving this at the age of 20. The way he entered professional boxing may never be matched, but his overall resume is somewhat lacking the greatness it appeared he could reach. The four years in prison likely partially derailed his career. His best win is Larry Holmes, who was certainly old at that point at 38 years old, but he was still capable. He was more capable than when Holyfield would beat him four years later. The way Tyson dismantled the underrated Michael Spinks, who is just outside the top 10 on our list, is his second-best win.
Where the resume falls flat is in taking the bad loss to Buster Douglas, even if he was fueled with emotion and in the best shape of his life. He also lost to all his peers his age like Holyfield (twice) and Lewis at ages where they were all still capable of being in their prime. They were simply better. Taking the two losses at the end of his career to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride also stains his career. At the age of 38, those were not the level of fighters you should lose to as an all-time great. Unlike how we can look past some other losses, I think these do tarnish his career, unlike how Holyfield did in his 40s with similar type of losses. All that said, Tyson at his highest peak may have been the most terrifying boxer ever however. I think the Tyson that beat Spinks might beat anyone. His size and style however was always geared towards youth and speed which as we saw faded with time.
9. Riddick Bowe
Bowe really is the biggest “what could have been” in heavyweight history. His only loss was to Evander Holyfield, whom he would beat twice, including after that fight. However, he didn’t fight anyone else great.
10. Ken Norton
Norton is one of the more under rated fighters in history. He is one of the only fighters to beat Muhammad Ali in his prime. Most of the losses are mostly respectable with 2 against Ali, 1 against George Foreman, and 1 against Larry Holmes. Norton fought in the greatest era ever and was competitive with multiple all time greats.
