is it actually possible for a heavyweight to ever be the p4p #1??

[p4pking]

Yeah it's a fair gripe really, and I've no idea as to whether a Heavyweight has ever been ranked at no.1 for any length of time.

However, from what I've read before, the whole concept of the ring having a p4p ranking initially was meant to indicate who the best fighter in the world was ASIDE from the Heavyweight champion. As the division has fallen into shambles in recent years it's kind of a moot point as your hard pressed to find a HW who deserves to be ranked in the top 10 anyways imo... But perhaps they were meant to be exempt to begin with, as it was a given that the best heavyweights around were the best fighters in the world at one point.

Furthermore, if you were to somehow compile a p4p list of athletes from ALL sports, I think it would consist of almost entirely of heavyweights, due to biomechanics alone, but that's up for debate to some extent, and not worth debating really. Fact is HW boxing hasn't had anyone you could really chalk up with a Lebron James type of athlete etc. since the 90's at best(really ever imo, but whatever), and even then it's extremely unlikely. But it's a whole can of worms not worth opening, the debate just doesn't work. P4P lists are never going to be concrete due to the vast differences in physical attributes between men of a given size.

[Lance Uppercut]

Roy Jones was #1 pound for pound after he beat John Ruiz as a heavyweight. Also Holyfield and Lewis regularly appeared on The Ring pound for pound list in the 1990s.

[Majesty]

Roy Jones was #1 pound for pound after he beat John Ruiz as a heavyweight. Also Holyfield and Lewis regularly appeared on The Ring pound for pound list in the 1990s.

Holyfield and Lewis appeared as the p4p because there was only one champ.


Vitali and Wladimer refuse to fight each other so neither of them should be on the p4p list because they refuse to fight the best fighters at Heavyweight.. each other.

[BIG H]

Even Larry Holmes only reached number 3, so it aint easy!

[Howlin Mad Missy]

perceived competiton and dominance at your weight.

If you don't have the 'career defining fight(s)' people now think less of your achievements...hence why Calzaghe will always be crappy and no where near an ATG in my eyes.

[El Kabong]

I say no on account of the fact the Pound for Pound ranking was made to figure out who the best fighter in the world is who isn't the heavyweight champion of the world.

So UNLESS someone like Roy Jones Jr., Michael Spinks, or James Toney, Bob Foster, etc who are not natural heavyweights and they win at heavyweight then they can be P4P #1 but I don't rate true heavyweights in the P4P ratings no Ali no Tyson no nobody from heavyweight.

[BIG H]

I say no on account of the fact the Pound for Pound ranking was made to figure out who the best fighter in the world is who isn't the heavyweight champion of the world.

So UNLESS someone like Roy Jones Jr., Michael Spinks, or James Toney, Bob Foster, etc who are not natural heavyweights and they win at heavyweight then they can be P4P #1 but I don't rate true heavyweights in the P4P ratings no Ali no Tyson no nobody from heavyweight.

No it was made for the assumption of who would be best if weight was not a factor. That doesn't preclude heavyweights

[HattonTheHammer]

I say no on account of the fact the Pound for Pound ranking was made to figure out who the best fighter in the world is who isn't the heavyweight champion of the world.

So UNLESS someone like Roy Jones Jr., Michael Spinks, or James Toney, Bob Foster, etc who are not natural heavyweights and they win at heavyweight then they can be P4P #1 but I don't rate true heavyweights in the P4P ratings no Ali no Tyson no nobody from heavyweight.

The same argument that a heavyweight cant be considered p4p#1 could be totally reversed and used for a minumweight having an advantage over every other division.

If the p4p isnt there to recognise the best fighter in the world regardless of weight then what exactly is it for??

[mattboxingfan]

P4P just seem's to be given to the person who can jump as many weigth classes as they can and get a title at them all! It should be the best figthers beating the best fighters to become P4P but thats a perfect boxing would and we all know that doesnt exist!

[Rantcatrat]

I say no on account of the fact the Pound for Pound ranking was made to figure out who the best fighter in the world is who isn't the heavyweight champion of the world.

So UNLESS someone like Roy Jones Jr., Michael Spinks, or James Toney, Bob Foster, etc who are not natural heavyweights and they win at heavyweight then they can be P4P #1 but I don't rate true heavyweights in the P4P ratings no Ali no Tyson no nobody from heavyweight.

Not sure I totally agree with that, but either way, a contemporary example would be if Adamek beat Arreola (I'd have him somewhere at the bottom of a top ten p4p or nearby at that point) and then beat a Klitschko. That would be effectively climbing the weight ladder from lhw to hw.

[DaxxKahn]

Ali had to be considered P4P #1 for a portion of his career no?...Did not follow ratings back then due to being 3 but just bguessing

[Dave Hughey]

I say no on account of the fact the Pound for Pound ranking was made to figure out who the best fighter in the world is who isn't the heavyweight champion of the world.

So UNLESS someone like Roy Jones Jr., Michael Spinks, or James Toney, Bob Foster, etc who are not natural heavyweights and they win at heavyweight then they can be P4P #1 but I don't rate true heavyweights in the P4P ratings no Ali no Tyson no nobody from heavyweight.

Sorry, Lyle. I have to rate Marciano as an ATG P4Pounder. Just plug his numbers into the formula.

[Kev]

Yeah it's a fair gripe really, and I've no idea as to whether a Heavyweight has ever been ranked at no.1 for any length of time.

However, from what I've read before, the whole concept of the ring having a p4p ranking initially was meant to indicate who the best fighter in the world was ASIDE from the Heavyweight champion. As the division has fallen into shambles in recent years it's kind of a moot point as your hard pressed to find a HW who deserves to be ranked in the top 10 anyways imo... But perhaps they were meant to be exempt to begin with, as it was a given that the best heavyweights around were the best fighters in the world at one point.

Furthermore, if you were to somehow compile a p4p list of athletes from ALL sports, I think it would consist of almost entirely of heavyweights, due to biomechanics alone, but that's up for debate to some extent, and not worth debating really. Fact is HW boxing hasn't had anyone you could really chalk up with a Lebron James type of athlete etc. since the 90's at best(really ever imo, but whatever), and even then it's extremely unlikely. But it's a whole can of worms not worth opening, the debate just doesn't work. P4P lists are never going to be concrete due to the vast differences in physical attributes between men of a given size.

What does that even mean, it's only combat sports pretty much that have weight catagories?

If you mean that in most other sports only big men rise to the top that's simply not true. Sure big men are best in basketball of most American Football positions, but there are many sports where big men are at a huge disadvantage.

There's an interesting article here related to distance running, but it would apply to most endurance based sports.


weight and performance

[p4pking]

Yeah it's a fair gripe really, and I've no idea as to whether a Heavyweight has ever been ranked at no.1 for any length of time.

However, from what I've read before, the whole concept of the ring having a p4p ranking initially was meant to indicate who the best fighter in the world was ASIDE from the Heavyweight champion. As the division has fallen into shambles in recent years it's kind of a moot point as your hard pressed to find a HW who deserves to be ranked in the top 10 anyways imo... But perhaps they were meant to be exempt to begin with, as it was a given that the best heavyweights around were the best fighters in the world at one point.

Furthermore, if you were to somehow compile a p4p list of athletes from ALL sports, I think it would consist of almost entirely of heavyweights, due to biomechanics alone, but that's up for debate to some extent, and not worth debating really. Fact is HW boxing hasn't had anyone you could really chalk up with a Lebron James type of athlete etc. since the 90's at best(really ever imo, but whatever), and even then it's extremely unlikely. But it's a whole can of worms not worth opening, the debate just doesn't work. P4P lists are never going to be concrete due to the vast differences in physical attributes between men of a given size.

What does that even mean, it's only combat sports pretty much that have weight catagories?

If you mean that in most other sports only big men rise to the top that's simply not true. Sure big men are best in basketball of most American Football positions, but there are many sports where big men are at a huge disadvantage.

There's an interesting article here related to distance running, but it would apply to most endurance based sports.


weight and performance

I meant to say that the best athletes in the world, with the best combination of sheer physical attributes are men who weigh over 200 lbs, but I realize that it is a pointless arguement. Weight classes don't really have anything to do with a p4p ranking in the first place, but of course the term is irrelevant without them. I suppose I am just trying to think of specific measures of athletecism which aren't specific to one sport or another. I would also assert that whatever advantages a smaller man would have in dexterity and speed etc. would be more than negated by the strength and power a larger man can achieve, and that the extent to which a big man can still possess speed is greater than to which a smaller one could hope to match with power, without getting into anything specific? I don't even know what I mean, I'm basically being an airhead. I'll read the article shortly

[Dark Lord Al]

Wasnt Nicoli Valuev rated p4p best when he was champion ??
he must have been , that guy had everything.