Tyson Fury has narrowly missed out on a place in the Bloody Elbow top five heavyweight boxers of all time.
In his remarkable career, ‘The Gypsy King’ showcased remarkable talent, utilizing his sublime movement to dance rings around the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder.
With unrivaled agility for a man his size, the 6ft9 giant had all the potential in the world to cement his place as one of the best to ever do it.
However, his lack of dedication to his craft and selective opponent-picking, resulted in the gifted athlete falling far short of what he could’ve achieved, which is ridiculous in one sense, because of how much he actually managed to accomplish, but had he gone the extra mile, he’d undoubtedly have broken into this list of legends.
5) Rocky Marciano
Granted, by today’s standards, Rocky Marciano wouldn’t have been a heavyweight, but during the peak of his powers, ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’ was truly the King of the big men.
Defining the term ‘warrior’, the legendary brawler made a reputation for never backing down, with a willingness to take every shot thrown in his direction, before grinding down his opponents under an unrelenting wave of pressure.
With victories over Hall of Famers Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Archie Moore and Joe Louis, as well as an undefeated 49-0 record, which albeit, Roland La Starza might complain about due to the nature of their controversial first fight, it’s still difficult to argue that the icon doesn’t deserve his place on the list.
4) George Foreman
Of all the terrifying fighters to have ever walked the face of the Earth, George Foreman might just be the most intimidating of the lot.
With genuine hammers in his hands, the American annihilated his opponents, shattering their faces with his dynamite punches.
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After claiming a huge victory over Joe Frazier, the Texan fell short against Muhammad Ali in one of the biggest fights the world has ever seen.
However, the loss didn’t define his legacy, with Foreman, at 45 years of age, sensationally becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history, beating Michael Moorer.
3) Oleksandr Usyk
Of all the fighters on this list, Oleksandr Usyk might be pound-for-pound the best of the bunch. After all, this is a man who conquered a minefield of killers to become the undisputed cruiserweight world champion and pick up the World Boxing Super Series trophy.
The only reason, he’s not ranked higher at heavyweight is because of the lack of time he spent in the division. However, during his performances against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, he’s definitely proved his talent beyond doubt.
While being significantly smaller than the men in question, the Ukrainian dazzled, utilizing his superior gas tank and sublime boxing IQ, to cement his status as an all-time heavyweight great.
2) Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis simply had it all. With fighting intelligence, fantastic movement, and phenomenal punching power, the British sensation was the complete boxer.
In his awe-inspriring career, he compiled a truly sensational resume, beating Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko.
And to make things even more impressive, when he did taste defeat against Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, he bounced back better, inflicting devastating beatdowns on the men who triumphed over him.
1) Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali completely changed the game, paving the way for future showmen by captivating the world with his entertaining trash talk.
Whether you loved him or hated him, everybody watched, as the warrior participated in some of the most significant events in sporting history.
From his mesmerizing rope-a-dope tactic against Foreman, to his tenacious display against Frazier, Ali proved his greatness beyond doubt, crafting a legacy that will last forever.
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