Historians, Sportswriters, and Organizations Rankings

Of the Top 10

All-Time Heavyweights

(Please Note The Dates)

Nat Fleischer, Founder of Ring Magazine, 1958, 1971.

1. Jack Johnson

2. Jim Jeffries

3. Bob Fitzsimmons

4. Jack Dempsey

5. Jim Corbett

6. Joe Louis

7. Sam Langford

8. Gene Tunney

9. Max Schemling

10. Rocky Marciano




Charley Rose, 1968

1. Sam Langford

2. Jack Johnson

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Joe Louis

5. Jim Jeffries

6. Gene Tunney

7. Sam McVey

8. Rocky Marciano

9. Jim Corbett

10. Max Baer




World Boxing 1974 Readers Poll

1. Joe Louis

2. Jack Dempsey

3. Rocky Marciano

4. Jack Johnson

5. Muhammad Ali

6. Joe Frazier

7. Gene Tunney

8. Jim Jeffries

9. Sonny Liston

10. Ezzard Charles




Nat Loubet, 1975

1. Joe Louis

2. Jack Dempsey

3. Jim Jeffries

4. Jack Johnson

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Gene Tunney

7. Bob Fitzsimmons

8. James J. Corbett

9. Muhammad Ali

10. Joe Frazier




Survey of Old Timers (Encyclopedia of World Boxing Champions, John McCallum), 1975

1. James J. Jeffries

2. Jack Johnson

3. Bob Fitzsimmons

4. James J. Corbett

5. Jack Dempsey

6. John L. Sullivan

7. Gene Tunney

8. Joe Louis

9. Rocky Marciano

10. Muhammad Ali




John Durant -Author of "The Heavyweight Champions" (1976)

1. Joe Louis

2. Jack Johnson

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Muhammad Ali

5. Gene Tunney

6. Joe Frazier

7. Jim Jeffries

8. James J. Corbett

9. Rocky Marciano

10. Max Schemling




Bill Brennan 1978 (Former President of the WBA)

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Jack Johnson

5. Gene Tunney

6. Jim Jeffries

7. Max Schemeling

8. Rocky Marciano

9. James J. Corebett

10. Bob Fitzsimmons




Big Book of Boxing Reader Poll, 1978

1. Joe Louis

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Rocky Marciano

4. Jack Dempsey

5. Jack Johnson

6. Gene Tunney

7. Joe Frazier

8. Jim Jeffries

9. Ezzard Charles

10. Sonny Liston




Sports Illustrated, 1979

1. Jack Johnson

2. Joe Louis

3. Muhammad Ali

4. Jack Dempsey

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Gee Tunney

7. Sam Langford

8. Jersey Joe Walcott

9. Floyd Patterson

10. Ezzard Charles




Gilbert Odd, 1985 (Kings of the Ring)

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Johnson

4. Floyd Patterson

5. Jack Dempsey

6. Jim Jeffries

7. Tommy Burns

8. Gene Tunney

9. Jim Corbett

10. Max Schmeling




Arthur Harris, 1992 (Nov 1992 Boxing Scene)

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Jack Johnson

5. Gene Tunney

6. Rocky Marciano

7. Larry Holmes

8. Jersey Joe Walcott

9. Joe Frazier

10. Sonny Liston




Nigel Collins, 1997

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Evander Holyfield

4. Larry Holmes

5. George Foreman

6. Jack Johnson

7. Rocky Marciano

8. Joe Frazier

9. Jack Dempsey

10. Sonny Liston




Herbert Goldman, 1997

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Sonny Liston

4. Mike Tyson

5. Larry Holmes

6. Jack Johnson

7. Jack Dempsey

8. George Foreman

9. Rocky Marciano

10. Joe Frazier




Steve Farhood, 1997

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Johnson

4. Larry Holmes

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Jack Dempsey

7. Jim Jeffries

8. Evander Holyfield

9. Mike Tyson

10. George Foreman




Tracy Callis, Cyberboxingzone, 1999

1. Jim Jeffries

2. Jack Johnson

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Joe Louis

5. Muhammad Ali

6. Gene Tunney

7. Jim Corbett

8. Sonny Liston

9. Rocky Marciano

10. Larry Holmes




BBC Sports, 2004

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Johnson

4. Larry Holmes

5. Jack Dempsey

6. Rocky Marciano

7. Lennox Lewis

8. Mike Tyson

9. George Foreman

10. Evander Holyfield




IBRO Member Poll, 2005

1. Joe Louis

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Jack Johnson

4. Jack Dempsey

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Larry Holmes

7. James Jeffries

8. George Foreman

9. Sonny Liston

10. Joe Frazier




ESPN, 2007 Reader Poll

1. Joe Louis

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Jack Johnson

5. Gene Tunney

6. Rocky Marciano

7. Ezzard Charles

8. George Foreman

9. Joe Frazier

10. Larry Holmes




Richard O'Brien (Sports Illustrated Senior Editor) 2009

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Sonny Liston

4. Larry Holmes

5. Jack Johnson

6. Jack Dempsey

7. George Foreman

8. Joe Frazier

9. Rocky Marciano

10. Lennox Lewis




Bert Sugar, 2011 (Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists)

1. Joe Louis

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Jack Johnson

4. Jack Dempsey

5. Gene Tunney

6. Rocky Marciano

7. George Foreman

8. Larry Holmes

9. Sam Langford

10. Joe Frazier




Teddy Atlas, 2011 (Ultimate Book of Boxing Lists)

1. Joe Louis

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Jack Johnson

4. Rocky Marciano

5. Gene Tunney

6. Jack Dempsey

7. Sam Langford

8. John L. Sullivan

9. Larry Holmes

10. sonny Liston




Matt Hamilton, Esnewsreporting.com, 2012

1. Joe Louis

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Jack Johnson

4. Joe Frazier

5. Sam Langford

6. George Foreman

7. Jack Dempsey

8. Larry Holmes

9. Rocky Marciano

10. Gene Tunney




Tyson Bruce, www.boxinginsider.com, 2014

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Larry Holmes

4. Jack Johnson

5. Rocky Marciano

6. George Foreman

7. Lennox Lewis

8. Jack Dempsey

9. Evander Holyfield

10. Joe Frazier




Mike Casey, sites.google.com/site/alltimeboxingrankings, 2015

1. Jack Dempsey

2. Muhammad Ali

3. Joe Louis

4. Jack Johnson

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Jim Jeffries

7. George Foreman

8. Joe Frazier

9. Sonny Liston

10. Lennox Lewis




Tony Connolly, Boxing News, Dec 2015

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Johnson

4. Larry Holmes

5. George Foreman

6. Joe Frazier

7. Sonny Liston

8. Rocky Marciano

9. Lennox Lewis

10. Mike Tyson




IBRO Member Poll, 2019

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Joe Louis

3. Jack Dempsey

4. Larry Holmes

5. George Foreman

6. Jack Johnson

7. Rocky Marciano

8. Sonny Liston

9. Lennox Lewis

10. Joe Frazier




Larry Merchant, Former HBO Boxing Analyst, 2024

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Larry Holmes

3. Joe Louis

4. Lennox Lewis

5. Rocky Marciano

6. Jack Dempsey

7. Evander Holyfield

8. Mike Tyson

9. George Foreman

10. Joe Frazier