Heavyweight Tournament: Playoffs

Assuming there was an all time heavyweight round robin..this is what I believe would be the final 8 and their respective seeding:

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Larry Holmes
3. Lennox Lewis
4. Mike Tyson
5. George Foreman
6. Joe Louis
7. Evander Holyfield
8. Sonny Liston

This is head to head after round robin..this isn't a question of "greatness".

So this leads to:

Ali vs Liston
Holmes vs Holyfield
Lewis vs Louis
Tyson vs Foreman

Semi Finals will be:

Ali vs Foreman
Holmes vs Lewis

Final:

Ali vs Lewis

Winner..Ali by split decision.

What do y'all think? Feel free to put your own top 8 seeds in if you disagree with my list.

 

From that list, I could agree with all your results, adding that Ali-Lewis and perhaps Lewis-Holmes could easily go both ways.

However in head-to-head fights I don't think Louis nor Liston should be up there. At least one Klitshko belongs there, and also prime Riddick Bowe would defeat some of that group

 

I can agree with this...I was trying to envision Bowe against Louis or Liston and honestly..I saw both stopping him..still it could go either way given Bowe's size. ALso Wladimir is a huge talented heavyweight and is offensively capable of beating just about any heavyweight that ever lived...but in a round robin, his chin may mean that he may get knocked out too many times to make the top 8. Vitali could arguably make the list..and beat Louis head to head....but Louis would beat more guys than Vitali could beat IMO.

 

Using that list and those seedings...

The only verdict I'd disagree on (but wouldn't necessarily argue) is Holmes-Lewis.

I can see it going either way based on Lewis possessing the greater equalizer (and that lesser fighters have put Larry on his ass), but believe Holmes to be the more skilled boxer and also more resourceful of the two, which IMO is the difference in the end.

 

Your vendetta against Joe Frazier extends to including Evander Holyfield ahead of him here? How preposterous...

MTF :shit:

 

Feel free to create your own top 8 list instead of complaining.

 

I can see that. I was torn on the Lewis-Holmes matchup. It's basically a dead even fight.

 

Rocky Marciano isn't even on there.

 

you think Marciano would make a final 8 in an all time round robin?

 

Over the likes of Holyfield and Liston? Yes.

 

Think Marciano could have beaten an undefeated Bowe, a still young but slightly past prime Tyson and run pretty even with Lennox Lewis do ya? :giggle: