It's a proper hard question coz there's so many to choose from. I think as a rule, they need to have significant achievements and feats of power to get on the list. They're power needs to be either be absolutely devastating on film, have cracked absolutely granite jaws, or have first hand testimonies which show it to be among the best ever. Preferably all three. With that said, some guys who I'll give honourable mentions to: Stanley Ketchel, Bob Foster, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore and Eduardo Lausse. I'd have them as following: #10. Danny Lopez #09. Tommy Hearns #08. Barbados Joe Walcott #07. Earnie Shavers #06. Curtis Sheppard #05. Julian Jackson #04. Terry McGovern #03. Jimmy Wilde #02. Sam Langford #01. Bob Fitzsimmons
i'll have to read some books/articles by historians enamored with old-timers before i can get on board with some of these.
Best or the biggest? There is a difference. If its the best punchers, I would have Louis and Robinson at 1 and 2, and Arguello at 3. Tyson and Hearns probably top 10. Biggest? Jackson has gotta be 1. His power was not of this Earth. And Lil Red is top 10, if not arguably top 5.
It's hard to completely separate power from the skill in setting it up. I'm thinking about the type of guys who have a history of putting away guys with single shots, but capable of doing so even if they're getting dominated. Always a big threat of a single shot turning everything around. Jackson Shavers Foreman Lopez Hearns Hamed Tua Foster Wilder Mclellan Note that it's a haphazard list and not in any order.
Biggest. And I don't see why Jackson is a lock over a guy who was the same size as Jackson, and stopping both world class, and extremely tough heavyweights on a regular basis. Not saying Jackson isn't number one, but I don't think anybody is a lock for number one.
