Here are the reasons:
1. Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Michael Spinks, Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano must be ranked ahead of him for the simple fact that they would beat him. Even a badly faded Joe Louis knocked out Walcott. There are many other heavyweights who would beat Walcott, including Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Floyd Patterson, and Tim Witherspoon. In fact, I don't have time to list all the heavyweights who would beat Walcott.
2. Walcott's record is miserable. He lost 18 times against 51 wins. Of those 18 losses, six of them were by way of knockout. He was knocked out by Abe Simon in six. Ever seen any film of Abe Simon? Then you know what I'm talking about. He was knocked out by Abe Ettore in eight. Light heavyweight Tiger Jack Fox knocked out Walcott in eight, too. Fox whipped him on points in the rematch. He lost to 11-15-1 Johnny Allen. He lost to tough but rather ordinary light heavyweight Joey Maxim and only managed majority and split decisions over him in subsequent matches. He twice lost to Charles (by wide margins in the first fight 73-77, 72-78, and 72-78, and even wider margins in the rematch of 70-80, 66-84, and 67-83, as well as being dropped for a 9 count) and was gifted a win in their fourth encounter (but nobody much cared because they couldn't stand seeing the two of them fight a fifth time). He lost to Rex Layne by scores of 2-6, 3-6, 3-6 in a fight in which he was a 4-1 favorite. When you are that cleanly outboxed by Rex Layne there is no spot for you on a top ten list. Walcott did not avenge this lost.
3. His only significant accomplishment was to become (at that time) the oldest heavyweight champion. What were his notable wins? He had one: a seventh round one-punch knockout of Ezzard Charles, a shop-worn natural light heavyweight (how Walcott got a third match with Charles is a testament to the tragic condition of the heavyweight division at the time). He lost a split decision to an out-of-shape and shot-worn Joe Louis that many observers thought he won, but then he was destroyed in the rematch. He was boxing well against Rocky Marciano, but then Rocky was a natural light heavyweight with very limited skills - and in the end Marciano knocked out Walcott with a single punch. Marciano knocked out Walcott in the first round of the rematch.
I don't mean to sound rude, but this must be said: if you believe Walcott is a top ten heavyweight, then you simply don't understand what great boxing is. You are letting a Cinderella story cloud your judgment. You are operating on sentiment and not reason. Walcott was a journeyman who lucked into the title because he boxed in the worst era in the history of the heavyweight division. Again, I apologize for my bluntness.
Boxing observers who believe Walcott is a great heavyweight are like amateur philosophers who extol the virtues of Ayn Rand's writing.
1. Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Michael Spinks, Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano must be ranked ahead of him for the simple fact that they would beat him. Even a badly faded Joe Louis knocked out Walcott. There are many other heavyweights who would beat Walcott, including Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Floyd Patterson, and Tim Witherspoon. In fact, I don't have time to list all the heavyweights who would beat Walcott.
2. Walcott's record is miserable. He lost 18 times against 51 wins. Of those 18 losses, six of them were by way of knockout. He was knocked out by Abe Simon in six. Ever seen any film of Abe Simon? Then you know what I'm talking about. He was knocked out by Abe Ettore in eight. Light heavyweight Tiger Jack Fox knocked out Walcott in eight, too. Fox whipped him on points in the rematch. He lost to 11-15-1 Johnny Allen. He lost to tough but rather ordinary light heavyweight Joey Maxim and only managed majority and split decisions over him in subsequent matches. He twice lost to Charles (by wide margins in the first fight 73-77, 72-78, and 72-78, and even wider margins in the rematch of 70-80, 66-84, and 67-83, as well as being dropped for a 9 count) and was gifted a win in their fourth encounter (but nobody much cared because they couldn't stand seeing the two of them fight a fifth time). He lost to Rex Layne by scores of 2-6, 3-6, 3-6 in a fight in which he was a 4-1 favorite. When you are that cleanly outboxed by Rex Layne there is no spot for you on a top ten list. Walcott did not avenge this lost.
3. His only significant accomplishment was to become (at that time) the oldest heavyweight champion. What were his notable wins? He had one: a seventh round one-punch knockout of Ezzard Charles, a shop-worn natural light heavyweight (how Walcott got a third match with Charles is a testament to the tragic condition of the heavyweight division at the time). He lost a split decision to an out-of-shape and shot-worn Joe Louis that many observers thought he won, but then he was destroyed in the rematch. He was boxing well against Rocky Marciano, but then Rocky was a natural light heavyweight with very limited skills - and in the end Marciano knocked out Walcott with a single punch. Marciano knocked out Walcott in the first round of the rematch.
I don't mean to sound rude, but this must be said: if you believe Walcott is a top ten heavyweight, then you simply don't understand what great boxing is. You are letting a Cinderella story cloud your judgment. You are operating on sentiment and not reason. Walcott was a journeyman who lucked into the title because he boxed in the worst era in the history of the heavyweight division. Again, I apologize for my bluntness.
Boxing observers who believe Walcott is a great heavyweight are like amateur philosophers who extol the virtues of Ayn Rand's writing.
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