Top 100 Heavyweights of All Time

1Joe Louis  

2Muhammad Ali  

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3Lennox Lewis  

4George Foreman

5Larry Holmes

6Rocky Marciano  

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7Joe Frazier 

8Jack Dempsey 

9Evander Holyfield

10Mike Tyson

11Jack Johnson 

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12Sonny Liston 

13Wladimir Klitschko

14Vitali Klitschko

15Riddick Bowe

16Floyd Patterson 

17Ken Norton 

18Ezzard Charles

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19Harry Wills  

20Gene Tunney

21Sam Langford 

22Jim Jeffries 

23John L. Sullivan 

24Bob Fitzsimmons  

25Jersey Joe Walcott 

26Michael Spinks

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27Michael Moorer

28Max Baer 

29Max Schmeling 

30Ingemar Johansson  

31Jerry Quarry  

32Tim Witherspoon

33Tommy Burns  

34Jimmy Bivins 

35Oscar Bonavena 

36Ray Mercer

37Primo Carnera  

38Jack Sharkey 

39Buster Douglas

40Ron Lyle  

41Jimmy Ellis  

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42Gerry Cooney

43Frank Bruno

44Tommy Morrison 

45Tony Tubbs

46Ernie Terrell  

47Andrew Golota

48Archie Moore  

49Chris Byrd

50Jim Corbett  

51Billy Miske  

52James J. Braddock  

53Jimmy Young  

54Earnie Shavers

55Mike Weaver

56Gerrie Coetzee

57Zora Folley  

58Eddie Machen 

59Pinklon Thomas

60Michael Dokes 

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61Marvin Hart  

62Tony Tucker

63David Haye

64Billy Conn 

65Philadelphia Jack O’Brien 

66Jess Willard  

67David Tua

68Hasim Rahman

69James Toney

70Alexander Povetkin

71Oliver McCall

72Razor Ruddock

73Ruslan Chagaev

74Nikolay Valuev

75John Ruiz

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76Roland LaStarza 

77Tommy Gibbons 

78Carl Williams 

79Trevor Berbick  

80Greg Page   

81George Chuvalo

82Gus Lesnevich 

83Cleveland Williams

84Peter Jackson 

85Sam McVea  

86Samuel Peter

87Joe Choynski  

88Gus Ruhlin 

89Joe Jeannette  

90Henry Cooper

91Joe Bugner

92Oleg Maskaev

93Harold Johnson 

94Doug Jones

95Bruce Seldon

96Alex Stewart

97Bonecrusher Smith

98Nino Valdes 

99John Tate 

100Brian Nielsen

Best Heavyweights: Prime and Career

Top 50 Heavyweights of All-Time in Their Prime

                  (Peak Year in Parenthesis)

1. Muhammad Ali (1966)------last great performance: 1975  6'3"  213 LBS

2. Mike Tyson (1988)---------last great performance: 1996   5'10"  218 LBS $$$$teroids

3. Joe Louis  (1938)----------last great performance: 1948    6'2"   199 LBS

4. Jack Johnson  (1908)-----last great performance: 1914   6'1"    192 LBS

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5. Larry Holmes  (1980)------last great performance: 1992    6'3"   212 LBS

6. George Foreman (1973)----last great performance: 1994  6'4"   218 LBS

7. Joe Frazier  (1971)-----last great performance: 1975          5'11"  205 LBS

8. Sonny Liston  (1960)-----last great performance: 1964       6'1"   213 LBS

9. Lennox Lewis   (1997)----last great performance: 2002      6'5"   244 LBS $$$$teroids

10. Riddick Bowe   (1992)-----last great performance: 1995   6'5"   235 LBS

11. Jack Dempsey  (1919)----last great performance: 1927   6'1"   187 LBS

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12. Evander Holyfield  (1991)---last great performance: 1999   6'2"  208 LBS  $$$$teroids

13. Rocky Marciano  (1953)-----last great performance: 1955  5'11"  185 LBS

14. Floyd Patterson  (1957)-----last great performance: 1967   6'0"   190 LBS

15. Jim Jeffries  (1900)----------last great performance: 1903    6'2"    206 LBS

16. Harry Wills (1915)-----------last great performance: 1924     6'2"   205 LBS

17. Ken Norton      (1973)---------last great performance: 1978  6'3"   210 LBS

18. Wladimir Klitschko  (2006)-----last great performance: 2013  6'6"  241 LBS $$$$teroids

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19. Gene Tunney  (1926)---------last great performance: 1928   6'0"  190 LBS

20. Ezzard Charles (1950)-------last great performance: 1954   6'0"   185 LBS

21. Sam Langford (1912)---------last great performance: 1920   5'7"   185 LBS

22. Michael Spinks (1985)-------last great performance: 1987   6'2"   200 LBS

23. Michael Moorer (1994)------last great performance: 1994    6'2"   214 LBS   $$$$$teroids

24. Vitali Klitschko (2004)--------last great performance: 2012    6'8"  250 LBS   $$$$$teroids

25. Jersey Joe Walcott (1947)----last great performance: 1952  6'0"  194 LBS

26. Buster Douglas (1990)-------last great performance: 1990    6'3"   232 LBS

27. Tim Witherspoon (1985)------last great performance: 1996   6'3"   221 LBS

28. Gerry Cooney (1982)----------last great performance: 1982   6'6"   225 LBS

29. Ike Ibeabuchi (1997)-----------last great performance: 1999   6'2"   235 LBS  $$$$$teroids

30. Max Schmeling (1931)---------last great performance: 1936   6'1"   190 LBS

31. Ingemar Johansson (1959)----last great performance: 1961  6'1"   196 LBS

32. John L. Sullivan (1882)-------last great performance: 1892    5'11"   205 LBS

33. Max Baer (1933)---------------last great performance: 1940    6'2"    203 LBS

34. Carl Williams (1985)----------last great performance: 1993     6'4"    215 LBS

35. Oscar Bonavena (1966)------last great performance: 1969    5'11"  205 LBS

36. Jerry Quarry (1968)-----------last great performance: 1973    6'0"    198 LBS

37. Ernie Terrell (1964)------------last great performance: 1966   6'6"    203 LBS

38. Jimmy Ellis (1968)------------last great performance: 1970     6'1"    198 LBS

39. Michael Dokes (1983)-------last great performance: 1989     6'2"     216 LBS

40. Bob Fitzsimmons (1897)-----last great performance: 1902    6'0"    170 LBS

41. Tony Tubbs (1985)-----------last great performance: 1986     6'3"   229 LBS

42. Jimmy Young (1976)---------last great performance: 1977     6'2"   213 LBS

43. Ray Mercer (1995)------------last great performance: 1996    6'1"   225 LBS

44. Andrew Golota (1996)-------last great performance: 2004     6'4"   243 LBS  $$$$$teroids

45. Tommy Morrison (1993)----last great performance: 1995      6'2"   226 LBS $$$$teroids

46. Chris Byrd  (2002)------------last great performance: 2004     6'0"   214 LBS

47. Frank Bruno (1986)----------last great performance: 1995     6'3"   238 LBS  $$$$$teroids

48. Ron Lyle (1974)--------------last great performance: 1976      6'3"   216 LBS

49. James Toney (2003)--------last great performance: 2006      5'10"  217 LBS $$$$teroids

50. Pinklon Thomas (1984)----last great performance: 1985       6'3"   216 LBS

Top 25 careers in Heavyweight History

1. Joe Louis................25 quality wins,  26-1 in Title Fights  (Champion in 12 years) 

2. Muhammad Ali......28 quality wins, 22-3 in Title Fights  (Champion in 9 years) CHAMPION 3X

3. Lennox Lewis........15 quality wins, 15-2-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 9 years) CHAMPION 2X

4. Larry Holmes.........15 quality wins, 20-5 in Title Fights (Champion in 8 years)  

5. Rocky Marciano.....11 quality wins, 7-0 in Title Fights (Champion in 4 years)

6. Wladimir Klitschko....18 quality wins, 22-2 in Title Fights (Champion in 9 years as of 2014)

7. Jack Johnson..........14 quality wins, 5-1-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 8 years)

8. George Foreman....13 quality wins, 5-2 in Title Fights (Champion in 4 years)  CHAMPION 2X

9. Joe Frazier...............12 quality wins, 10-2 in Title Fights (Champion in 6 years)

10. Jack Dempsey.........12 quality wins, 6-2 in Title Fights (Champion in 8 years)

11. Evander Holyfield..16 quality wins, 10-7-2 in Title Fights (Champ in 10 years) CHAMPION 3X

12. Mike Tyson................14 quality wins, 12-4 in Title Fights (Champion in 6 years) CHAMPION 2X

13. Floyd Patterson........13 quality wins, 8-5 in Title Fights  (Champion in 6 years)  CHAMPION 2X

14. Vitali Klitschko...........10 quality wins, 13-2 in Title Fights 

15. John L. Sullivan..........7 quality wins, 3-1-1 in Title Fights (Champion for 10 years)

16. Gene Tunney.............14 quality wins, 3-0 in Title Fights (Champion in 3 years)

17. Ezzard Charles..........18 quality wins, 9-4 in Title Fights (Champion in 3 years)

18. Jim Jeffries...................7 quality wins, 8-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 5 years)

19. Riddick Bowe............10 quality wins, 5-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 3 years)

20. Sonny Liston..............10 quality wins, 2-2 in Title Fights (Champion in 4 years)

21. Michael Spinks............6 quality wins, 3-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 3 years)

22. Max Schmeling...........8 quality wins, 2-2 in Title Fights (Champion in 2 years)

23. Max Baer.....................6 quality wins, 1-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 2 years)

24. Primo Carnera............8 quality wins, 3-1 in Title Fights (Champion in 2 years)

25. Jersey Joe Walcott.....6 quality wins, 2-5 in Title Fights (Champion in 2 years)

Top 100 NBA Players of All Time

Simple criteria:  Overall Abilities + Amount and Duration of Success (Ind & Team)

1. Michael Jordan              .659      .665

2. Bill Russell                   .717      .648

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar    .688      .650

4. Wilt Chamberlain          .628      .550

5. Magic Johnson              .674      .740

6. Larry Bird                    .736      .604

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7. Shaquille O'Neal            .679      .634

8. Tim Duncan            

9. Kobe Bryant

10. Hakeem Olajuwon

11. LeBron James

12. Oscar Robertson

13. Karl Malone

14. Jerry West                   .638 .569

15. Moses Malone

16. Julius Erving

17. Elgin Baylor

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18. Kevin Garnett

19. Charles Barkley

20. John Havlicek

21. David Robinson

22. Scottie Pippen               .688      .654

23. John Stockton

24. Dirk Nowitzki

25. Bob Pettit 

26. Isiah Thomas

27. Allen Iverson

28. Clyde Drexler

29. Rick Barry

30. Patrick Ewing

31. Steve Nash

32. Dave Cowens

33. Bob Cousy

34. Willis Reed

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35. Jason Kidd

36. Dominique Wilkins

37. Kevin McHale

38. Walt Frazier

39. Bob McAdoo

40. Elvin Hayes

41. Nate Archibald

42. Paul Pierce

43. Ray Allen

44. Wes Unseld

45. Dwyane Wade

46. George Gervin

47. Sam Jones

48. Robert Parish

49. Gary Payton

50. Chris Webber

Guys That Would Be Pissed at Me:

51. Jerry Lucas

52. Adrian Dantley

53. James Worthy

54. Billy Cunningham

55. Dennis Johnson

56. Nate Thurmond

57. Pete Maravich

58. Bob Lanier

59. Dennis Rodman

60. Dave DeBusschere

61. Artis Gilmore

62. Tommy Heinsohn

63. Earl Monroe

64. Chris Mullin

65. Walt Bellamy

66. Reggie Miller

67. Bill Walton

68. Hal Greer

69. George Mikan

70. Spencer Haywood

71. Carmelo Anthony

72. Vince Carter

73. Dave Bing

74. Mitch Richmond

75. Mark Aguirre

76. Alex English

77. Alonzo Mourning

78. Tracy McGrady

79. Tony Parker

80. Lenny Wilkens

81. Ron Harper

82. Grant Hill

83. Chauncey Billups

84. Dan Issel

85. Pau Gasol

86. Dolph Schayes

87. Bernard King

88. Paul Arizin

89. Maurice Cheeks

90. Kevin Johnson

91. Mark Jackson

92. Sam Cassell

93. Paul Westphal

94. Tim Hardaway

95. Terry Cummings

96. Joe Dumars

97. Stephon Marbury

98. Tom Chambers

99. Glen Rice

100. Bill Sharman

Top 30 Dunkers of All-Time (All Players of NBA Level and their Ability and Resume)

JOEL AND JAY STRAIGHT UP CORRECT LIST OF DUNKERS

1. Vince Carter

2. Michael Jordan

3. Dominique Wilkins

4. Julius Erving

5. Jason Richardson

6. James White

7. Spud Webb

8. Gerald Green

9. Josh Smith

10. Larry Nance

11. LeBron James

12. David Thompson

13. Blake Griffin

14. Nate Robinson

15. Dwight Howard

16. Shawn Kemp

17. Tracy McGrady

18. Desmond Mason

19. Darrell Griffith

20. Clyde Drexler

21. Terrance Stansbury

22. Kobe Bryant

23. Ricky Davis

24. Andre Iguodala

25. Harold Miner

26. Kenny Walker

27. Darryl Dawkins

28. J.R. Smith

29. Steve Francis

30. Dwyane Wade

The Top 25 Basketball Players of All Time

The criteria is:  Individual Ability and Expertise as a Player, Career Accomplishments, Longevity

1. Michael Jordan
2. Bill Russell
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Wilt Chamberlain
5. Magic Johnson
6. Larry Bird
7. Shaquille O'Neal
8. Kobe Bryant
9. Hakeem Olajuwon
10. Oscar Robertson
11. Tim Duncan
12. Karl Malone
13. Jerry West
14. Julius Erving
15. Moses Malone
16. Elgin Baylor
17. LeBron James
18. Kevin Garnett
19. Charles Barkley
20. John Havlicek
21. David Robinson
22. Scottie Pippen
23. Bob Pettit
24. Dirk Nowitzki
25. Bob Cousy

Hakeem or Moses

After the absolute top-tier (Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Shaq), we're faced with the difficult task of choosing either Hakeem Olajuwon or Moses Malone as the 5th best center of all-time. Obviously Hakeem was the greater athlete, but Moses put up some fierce numbers over a ridiculously long career. Who was better?

Willie Mays or Hank Aaron

How does one measure success as a baseball player? Championships are obviously a place to begin, but MVPs may count even more. Baseball, with its 9 players involved in each aspect of the game, is much less about the play of one man than is football or basketball. It's rare that we describe baseball players as "taking over games" or "catching fire". Baseball is a slower game, told in the day-to-day accumulation of stats and percentages. One at bat tells very little about a player, but career totals send a clear message.

If stats are to be especially valued in baseball arguments, then the debate between Hank Aaron and Willie Mays is a truly interesting one.

Hits: Aaron 3771, Mays 3283

HomeRuns: Aaron 755, Mays 660

RBIs: Aaron 2297, Mays 1903

Batting Avg: Aaron .305, Mays .302

MVPs: Mays 2, Aaron 1

Titles: Aaron 1, Mays 1

Steals: Mays 338, Aaron 240

Gold Gloves: Mays 12, Aaron 3

On Base Pct: Mays .384, Aaron .374

What's obvious to me is that Aaron was the better hitter, and Mays the better fielder. Mays was faster (as evidenced by more steals), but Aaron seemed more powerful and more durable. Aaron's 95 home run and 394 RBI edges are significant. And his slight advantage in batting average, .305 to .302, gives him a very strong case for superiority at the plate.

But Mays came before Aaron, and he was a smiling, endearing figure known as "the Say Hey Kid." He made highlight plays in the field and had 2 50-home-run seasons (52 and 51). He was perhaps the first superior athlete in major American sports. There's something about the fact that he never broke Babe Ruth's hallowed record (714 homeruns) that almost makes him easier to like.

Hank Aaron bested one of the greatest records in all of sports when he hit home run no. 715 in 1974. Many people cringed at seeing the immortal Babe Ruth replaced in the record books. Little did we know how much more we'd cringe when Aaron was passed by the steroid-using cheater, Barry Bonds. Much respect to Hank Aaron, the only steroid-free man to hit 715 home runs.

Advantage: AARON