Haye v Klitshcko: The 10 greatest heavyweight fights ever

This fight makes the list not so much for the action in the ring, but the historical importance of the bout. The German Schmeling has caused an upset when he first met the unbeaten Louis in 1936, knocking out the 'Brown Bomber' in round 12.

That win made Schmeling the number one contender for Jim Braddock's heavyweight crown, but he would instead be passed over in favour of a bout with Louis, with Braddock reluctant to face a fighter perceived as a Nazi.

Louis would win the title and would defend it in 1938 in a rematch against Schmeling at Yankee Stadium. The fight would transcend boxing and become a worldwide event, as a fighter with close ties to Hitler faced the champion from the land of the free. Louis knocked Schmeling down three times in the first round to record a notable victory.

6. Jack Dempsey v Luis Firpo

If the three-knockdown rule had existed in 1923, then the title match between Jack Dempsey and Luis Firpo would have ended pretty quickly. By the middle of the first round, Dempsey had knocked his opponent down five times, but amazingly the Argentine challenger recovered to floor Dempsey.

The champion would then knock Firpo to the canvas three more times, only for 'The Wild Bull of The Pampas' to knock Dempsey through the ropes and out of the ring. Dempsey was pushed back into action by the shocked ringside reporters and though still groggy, managed to knock Firpo down again.

That was the end of the first round action and Dempsey would stop his dangerous opponent in the second round. In total there were eleven knockdowns in a fight that lasted just three minutes and 57 seconds.

5. Riddick Bowe v Evander Holyfield

The entire trilogy between Bowe and Holyfield was pretty special, but the first match was the pick of the bunch. In 1992 the unbeaten Bowe challenged for Holyfield's WBC, WBA and IBF titles. At the time Holyfield was something of a lightly-regarded champion and ironically, it was only in defeat that he proved just what a great heavyweight he was.

By far the highlight of the fight was the tenth round, in which Bowe looked to have Holyfield in real trouble, only for the title-holder to absorb the challenger's best blows and come back to rock his opponent. Bowe would score a knock down in the eleventh and win the match on points.

4. Muhammed Ali v Joe Frazier III

'The Thrilla in Manila' remains the most famous event in boxing history and was the rubber match between Ali and Frazier. The faster Ali won the early rounds, but though many pundits had thought that at this stage of his career Frazier was washed up, Smokin' Joe began to come back into the contest in the middle rounds, as his bodyshots began to wear Ali down.

Ali described the fight as "the closest thing to death" and he allegedly contemplated quitting at the end of the tenth. Instead he fought on and turned the tide of the fight. By the end of the eleventh, Frazier's eye's were swollen to the point where he could barely see.

The champion dished out major punishment to Frazier in round 13, with Ali hitting his old foe at will. At the end of round 14, Frazier's trained Eddie Futch threw in the towel. Ali had retained his title in the most painful manner possible.

3. George Foreman v Ron Lyle

As slugfests go, this one started comparatively slowly. George Foreman was back in his first fight since losing the Rumble in the Jungle to Muhammad Ali and was easing his way back into action until a right from the former title challenger Ron Lyle crashed into his head towards the end of the opening round and ignited an all-out war.

From then on the rusty looking Foreman stood toe-to-toe with Lyle, with both fighters looking to knock the other out and paying scant regard to any form of defence. Foreman was the first man to hit the canvas in a remarkable fourth round, only to beat the count and knock down Lyle, who rose to send George sprawling for a second time. Foreman looked spent, but somehow managed to find the reserve in the fifth to finish off Lyle for good, as he trapped him in the corner and pummeled the heavy-hitter with around 20 unanswered shots.

2. Larry Holmes v Ken Norton

Both Larry Holmes and Ken Norton were underrated fighters in an era dominated by Muhammed Ali. When the two met in 1978, Norton had lost a rubber match to Ali on a disputed decision, only to get his career back on track and be awarded the WBC World Heavyweight title, when it's holder Leon Spinks dodged the number one contender in favour of a rematch with Ali.

Norton's first defence of his title was against Holmes and it was to prove to be his last, as the younger man edged a decision over 15 highly competitive rounds. The last round in particular was action packed and is considered one of the greatest in the history of the division. Holmes won the fight by way of a split decision.

1. Joe Frazier v Muhammed Ali I

The third meeting between these two ring giants may be the most celebrated of the Frazier and Ali rivalry, but the first fight between two greats at their peak, is our choice as the greatest encounter in heavyweight boxing history.

Dubbed 'Fight of the Century', the 1971 clash saw the unbeaten Frazier put his WBA and WBC Heavyweight championships on the line against the also undefeated Muhammad Ali, who had been stripped of his title after refusing to fight in the Vietnam war.

Politically it was a fight that divided and captured the imagination of America. It lived up to the pre-match hype, with Ali dominating the early rounds thanks to his lightning quick hand speed, only for Frazier to come back into the fight as Ali tired. Eventually 'Smokin' Joe wore his man down and after dishing out some heavy punishment, floored Ali in round 15. 'The Greatest' got up off the canvas, but Frazier was awarded a unanimous decision.