The city of brotherly love has long been known for boxing. Who do readers, some boxing fans in and around Philly, think is the best heavyweight in town?
Philly’s International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter J Russell Peltz had this to say: “(‘Smokin’ Joe) Frazier had the best career, but the best (Sonny) Liston was unbeatable!”
At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Fraser won the gold medal, stopping opponents from Uganda, Australia, Russia and Hans Huber of Germany. In the Olympic trials, after stopping three opponents at the time, he lost twice to Buster Mathis. In their second match, Mathis broke his thumb, so Frazier replaced him.
In March 1968, Fraser entered the professional ranks and became the NISAC 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 beat former world champion Muhammad Ali 31-0 at Madison Square Garden. He would lose to Ali in their next fight.
After defeating Ali, he lost the title, being stopped twice by ‘The Great’ George Foreman 37-0. He finished his career 32-4-1 with 27 shutouts.
Liston won the world title in September 1962, stopping Floyd Patterson 38-2, and again in a rematch. Then he lost twice to Ali. He then won fourteen by stoppage before being stopped by Leotis Martin of Philadelphia, 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.
Jimmy Young of Phillip, 35-18-3 with 11 shutouts. After being stopped by Ernie Shavers, 42-2, he won six straight and tied Shaver in the rematch. He then defeated Ron Lyle 30-1-1 and then Foreman 45-1. Then, after two more wins, he lost to VBA-WBC champion Ali, 50-2, in a close fight.
Young would lose to champion Mike Dox, 14-0, Jerry Cooney, 22-0, champion Greg Page, 18-0, champion Tony ‘TNT’ Tubbs, 14-0, and Tony ‘TNT’ Tucker, 24-0, among others.
The other is 1984 Olympic gold medalist Tyrell Biggs, who won his first 20 fights before being stopped 31-0 by ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. He went 10-20, ending his career with losses to future WBO champion Francesco Damiani, 21-0, Riddick ‘Big Daddy’ Bove, 21-0, and Lennok ‘The Lion, Lewis, 17-0, Tubbs, 36- 5 , Buster Mathis, Jr. 12-0. He finished 30-10 with 20 shutouts.
WBC and VBA Champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon, 55-13-1 with 38 stoppages. He lost a split decision when he was 15-0 to WBC Champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, 42-0, by majority vote to WBC Champion Pinklon ‘Pink’ Thomas, 24-0-1, stopped by WBA Champion James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith, 18-5, former WBO champion Ray ‘Ruthless’ Mercer, 23-4-1, former WBA champion Greg Page 55-14-1. He defeated Tubbs 21-0, Frank Bruno 28-1.
Other UK-borns on the list were Phoenixville’s “Big” Joe Thomas, who was 23-2-1 with 19 stoppages but lost to KAZ, and Russia’s future WBC champion Oleg Maskayev, who was 4- 0 in his last fight. Maskayev was the 1981 Golden Gloves national champion.
Coatesville’s Jimmy Clark, 18-1, with 16 shutouts. He was stopped by Reggie Gross, 15-3. He defeated Olympian Clarence Hill from Bermuda with a score of 17-2-1. He lost three times to Cuban triple Olympic gold medalist Teofilo Stevenson in the gloves, defeating Michael Dox. He defeated Greg Page for the Golden Gloves title. He lost to Michael Dox for the AAU title.
Fraser’s son Marvis, 19-2 with eight shutouts and 54-2 as an amateur. Lost in the 1980 Olympics, 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 Philly’s best?
