# Who is the best heavyweight boxer of the 1970s?

> Heavyweight boxing never had a deeper decade, and this field mixes undisputed champions with the contenders and spoilers who gave them hell.

*By YPB Team · Published November 1, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-heavyweight-boxer-of-the-1970s*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Muhammad Ali** — score 1000/1000
   Three-time heavyweight champion whose Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila defined the decade.
2. **Joe Frazier** — score 550/1000
   Relentless Philadelphia champion who handed Ali his first defeat in the 1971 Fight of the Century.
3. **Larry Holmes** — score 440/1000
   Jab-first stylist who outpointed Norton in a classic 1978 bout to take the WBC title.
4. **Oscar Bonavena** — score 440/1000
   Tough Argentine who took Ali the distance into the 15th round in 1970.
5. **Ron Lyle** — score 440/1000
   Hard-hitting Denver contender remembered for his brutal 1976 slugfest with Foreman.
6. **Jimmy Ellis** — score 381/1000
   WBA champion entering the decade until Frazier unified the title in 1970.
7. **Earnie Shavers** — score 381/1000
   One of the hardest punchers in history, who rocked Ali and Holmes in title fights.
8. **George Foreman** — score 314/1000
   Fearsome puncher who demolished Frazier in 1973 before losing his crown to Ali in Kinshasa.
9. **Teofilo Stevenson** — score 314/1000
   Cuban amateur great who won Olympic heavyweight gold in 1972 and 1976 while refusing to turn pro.
10. **Jerry Quarry** — score 237/1000
   Popular Californian contender who fought nearly every top heavyweight of his generation.
11. **Chuck Wepner** — score 237/1000
   Bayonne Bleeder whose 1975 stand against Ali inspired the film Rocky.
12. **Leon Spinks** — score 147/1000
   1976 Olympic champion who stunned Ali for the title in only his eighth professional fight.

Tags: sports, 70s, boxing, boxers, heavyweight