A question as old as the sport itself: what would happen if the best of the best fought one another? The question, however, takes on a whole new meaning as time goes on and eras see separation. What would happen if the best from yesteryear took on the best from today? There is no definitive way to answer this question, leaving any result to the subjective realms of our own minds. Well, perhaps until today.
Three years ago I held a tournament between the top 10 best heavyweights from the 1970s Golden Age and the 1990s Silver Age, respectively. If you haven’t seen it, brace yourself, but not until after we finish up here, so stay focused. In today’s exhibition, we look to answer who the best heavyweight champion was/is. The usual suspects are coming out to play, and we’ve got some dream matches on deck. You should expect to see illustrious names like Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, and Rocky Marciano. You should equally expect them to compete against the likes of Rocky Marciano, Wladimir Klitschko, and Jack Johnson.
I’ve compiled the great heavyweight champions by their era, selecting 16 names and seeding them by their accomplishments. From the 1900s to the 2010s, we will be represented (the 2020s haven’t concluded, so we’ll decide the best of today in another 5 years or so). And yes, there will be multiple names selected from eras that call for such (i.e., the 1970s, 1990s, or 2000s). Of course, Joe Louis has to take the number 1 spot, right? Twenty-five title defenses and a 12-year reign sound like a lock for home-court advantage. Some may argue that the number 1 seeded fighter should be Muhammad Ali for his two equally impressive Hall of Fame-worthy careers. That’s the beauty of this sport and exercise, at least in my opinion. Rest assured, both men will compete and defend their claim to being the top heavyweight.
We’ve got three rounds in our tournament bracket. The top seeds will face the corresponding bottom seeds (1v16, 2v 15, etc). I implore you to place your bet on who will come out on top BEFORE beginning your journey and to report on if you got it right afterward! And you’d better be honest my friend, I can sniff out a lie. If you’re familiar with me, I’ve got to place my bet on one of my “Heavyweight Holy Trinity” picks: Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, or Lennox Lewis. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone like Joe Louis or BIG George Foreman shocked the tournament!
So, fight fan, this historian begs the question for you: who is the heavyweight champion of heavyweight champions? Enjoy the special 10th episode of BoxingPedia’s WHAT IF series and subscribe for more on YouTube. This is TheCharlesJackson, author of the Boxing Encyclopedia. Enjoy the ride.
