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The city of brotherly love has long been known for its boxing. Who do readers, some Philly and area boxing fans think is the best heavyweight in town?
International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz had this to say: “(‘Smokin’ Joe) Frazier had the best run, but a prime (Sonny) Liston was unbeatable!”
At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Frazier won the gold medal, stopping opponents from Uganda, Australia, Russia and Germany’s Hans Huber. At the Olympic trials, after stopping three opponents then, he lost twice to Buster Mathis. In his second game, Mathis broke his thumb, so Frazier replaced him.
In March 1968, Frazier entered the professional ranks and became the NYSAC World Champion. He stopped Mathis 23-0 in eleven rounds, improving his record to 20-0. After four defenses, he stopped former WBA champion Jimmy Ellis 27-5, adding the vacant WBC title. Two defenses later, he defeated former world champion Muhammad Ali 31-0 at Madison Square Garden. He would lose to Ali in his next fight.
After defeating Ali, he lost his title, being stopped by ‘Big’ George Foreman, 37-0, twice. He finished his career 32-4-1 with 27 saves.
Liston, in September 1962, won the world title, stopping Floyd Patterson, 38-2, and again in a rematch. He then lost twice to Ali. He then won fourteen by stoppage before being stopped by Leotis Martin of Philly, 30-5, in nine rounds for the vacant NABF title. Martin suffered a detached retina and retired. Liston had Martin on the canvas in the fourth.
Philly’s Jimmy Young, 35-18-3 with 11 saves. After being stopped by Earnie Shavers, 42-2, he won six straight and tied Shaver in a rematch. He then defeated Ron Lyle, 30-1-1, and then Foreman, 45-1. Then, after two more wins, he lost to WBA-WBC champion Ali, 50-2, in a close fight.
Young would lose to champion Mike Dokes, 14-0, Gerry Cooney, 22-0, champion Greg Page, 18-0, champions Tony ‘TNT’ Tubbs, 14-0, and Tony ‘TNT’ Tucker, 24-0 , among others.
Others include 1984 Olympic gold medalist Tyrell Biggs, who won his first 20 bouts before being stopped by ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, 31-0. He went 10-20, ending his career with losses to future WBO champion Francesco Damiani, 21-0, Riddick ‘Big Daddy’ Bowe, 21-0, and Lennox ‘The Lion, Lewis, 17-0, Tubbs, 36-5. , Buster Mathis, Jr. 12-0. He finished 30-10 with 20 saves.
WBC and WBA Champion “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, 55-13-1 with 38 shutouts. Lost a controversial decision when he was 15-0 to WBC Champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, 42-0, majority decision to WBC Champion Pinklon ‘Pink’ Thomas, 24-0-1, stopped by the champion of the ‘AMB James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith, 18-5, former WBO champion Ray ‘Merciless’ Mercer, 23-4-1, former WBO champion the AMB Greg Page 55-14-1. Defeated Tubbs, 21-0, Frank Bruno, 28-1.
Others on the UK-born roster were Phoenixville’s ‘Big’ Joe Thomas, who was 23-2-1 with 19 shutouts but lost to KAZ, and future WBC Russian champion Oleg Maskaev, who had 4- 0 in his last fight. Maskaev was the 1981 Golden Gloves national champion.
Coatesville’s Jimmy Clark, 18-1, with 16 saves. He was stopped by Reggie Gross, 15-3. He defeated Olympian Clarence Hill, 17-2-1, of Bermuda. He lost three times to Cuba’s Teófilo Stevenson, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, in the gloves, defeating Michael Dokes. He beat Greg Page for the Golden Gloves title. He lost to Michael Dokes for the AAU title.
Frazier’s son, Marvis, 19-2 with eight shutouts and 54-2 in amateurs. Lost in the 1980 Olympic trials, he was stopped by James Broad after beating Mitch Green. Split with Tubbs.
So you have Frazier, Liston, Witherspoon and Martin, along with Marvis Frazier, Clark and Thomas. Who do you think was the best in Philadelphia?
