Fighters that successfully swept their division

[generic screen name]

I was wondering when people say "He swept his division", it usually doesn't come w/examples, its usually assumed. How about people who successfully swept their division?

[I Feel Fine]

Robinson did it in the Welterweight division. Ali did it. Holyfield did it at Cruiserweight. Calzaghe did it at Super Middleweight.

The thing is there's always young fighters coming in, so there's usually something left undone. There's also fighters who might duck you.

[My2Sense]

I thought JC Chavez might've done it, or close to it, at 135 and 140.

I think Carlos Monzon did.

[Collins2000]

Hagler & Michael Spinks

[Goodnight, Irene]

Ricardo Lopez swept everything he ever touched in the ring.

[Evander]

Jones and Tyson.
Those that wanted to fight.

[I Feel Fine]

Tyson in 1990 still had Holyfield to beat, and he of course lost to Douglas. Jones still had Tarver.

[dempseyfire]

Tyson in 1990 still had Holyfield to beat, and he of course lost to Douglas. Jones still had Tarver.

Thats nitpicking. Holyfield wasn't seen as a legitimate HW threat until he beat Dokes in 1989. After Tyson beat Spinks in 1988, he had effectively cleared out the HW division.

Jones always had the DM issue (I blame Darious more than Roy for that fight never happening)

[dajuggernaut]

Bernard Hopkins

[I Feel Fine]

Tyson in 1990 still had Holyfield to beat, and he of course lost to Douglas. Jones still had Tarver.

Thats nitpicking. Holyfield wasn't seen as a legitimate HW threat until he beat Dokes in 1989. After Tyson beat Spinks in 1988, he had effectively cleared out the HW division.

Jones always had the DM issue (I blame Darious more than Roy for that fight never happening)

Holyfield wasn't yet a Heavyweight when Tyson had beaten Spinks. I suppose if you wanted to stop at Spinks and say for that moment that Tyson had cleaned out the division you could. But I was thinking long term.

I don't blame Jones for DM either.

[My2Sense]

I suppose if you wanted to stop at Spinks and say for that moment that Tyson had cleaned out the division you could.

You might, but you could also argue that he should've fought Witherspoon.

[I Feel Fine]

I was thinking of Witherspoon, but he lost to Smith so you can't really blame Tyson for that.

[Diamond WEAPON]

I thought JC Chavez might've done it, or close to it, at 135 and 140.

I think Carlos Monzon did.

I'd say Chavez swept 130 as well as 140. He pretty much demolished everyone there, at LW he didn't stick around long enough to take one everyone, he just took out a couple big dogs, so that could count too.

Marvin Hagler definitely swept up MW as well.

Willie Pep is another obvious choice, somebody who dominated at Featherweight even after getting into that plane crash.

[My2Sense]

I was thinking of Witherspoon, but he lost to Smith so you can't really blame Tyson for that.

Maybe, but consider that in between beating Smith and losing to Douglas, Tyson fought:
-Larry Holmes, who was retired
-Tony Tubbs, who had lost to Witherspoon just a few fights earlier
-Frank Bruno, who had also lost to Witherspoon

All the while, Witherspoon was still active and winning.

He may not have had a title, but certainly he was a better and worthier opponent than some of the other fighters Tyson was giving shots to.

[My2Sense]

I'd say Chavez swept 130 as well as 140. He pretty much demolished everyone there, at LW he didn't stick around long enough to take one everyone, he just took out a couple big dogs, so that could count too.

You're probably right. Honestly, Chavez fought so many good guys all over the place, I can't even keep track. I don't think I've ever seen a fighter more dominant against such a consistently high level of opposition. Once he beat Taylor, he was basically out of opponents for a while at 140 (Haugen and Camacho were both has beens IMO). That's why he went up and fought Whitaker, a move that looks almost crazy in retrospect.

[Ezzard]

Monzon, Spinks, Foster, Hagler, Ali, Duran...

Tyson deserves a lot of credit but Witherspoon was always the biggest threat.

Charles cleaned out 175 without winning the title.

[dajuggernaut]

Are there any current fighters in the process of doing this?
I'm not saying these fighters did clean out but they took out a chunk of the competition:

Klitschko
Haye
Calzaghe
Pavlik
Cotto

[Smokin'Moe]

if you want to include current fighters you have to include Pacquiao. i know a lot of people dont like him because he defeats the great mexican champs but he is something special.

[dempseyfire]

if you want to include current fighters you have to include Pacquiao. i know a lot of people dont like him because he defeats the great mexican champs but he is something special.

I agree.

[elmersalsa]

Guys that completely dominated and swept their weight classes:
Joe Louis at heavyweight
Roberto Duran at lightweight
Sugar Ray Robinson at welterweight
Wilfredo Gomez at super bantamweight
Benny Leonard at lightweight.
Joe Calzaghe looks that he is doing a good job at super middleweight
Ricardo "Finito" Lopez at strawweight did an excellent clean up
Rocky Marciano at heavyweight...One question is: "Was Floyd Patterson still a factor for a title shot?"
Tommy Loughran at lightheavyweight
Michael Spinks at lightheavyweight

guys that almost completely dominated and swept their weight classes:
Carlos Monzon...Did he avoided Marvin Hagler? Was Hagler avoided by the top middleweights in the 70s? Or was he not in the title contention picture?

Marvin Hagler....Some say that he beat the great Sugar Ray Leonard, some say he did not.

Julio Cesar Chavez...At 140 lbs, he lost to Frankie Randall...TWICE in my view. He did not dominate the jr lightweight class. Brian Mitchell was the other champion. So I cannot see him viewed as the guy that totally swept the 130 lb division.

Jimmy Wilde...He should have moved up to bantamweight or something. He got a beating by the great Pancho Villa, but Wilde was not in his prime.

Carlos Zarate...Was he robbed from the fight from Lupe Pintor for the bantamweight title?

Bob Foster...He lost to Mauro Mina. Never avenged it. Some say he lost to Jorge Ahumada in a title defense...I don't know. But he was DOMINANT for a great period of time at lightheavyweight.


This is a very good topic.

[granberry]

Terry McGovern

Joe Gans

Jim Jeffries

[Jaybee From The Castle]

Tyson in 1990 still had Holyfield to beat, and he of course lost to Douglas. Jones still had Tarver.

Thats nitpicking. Holyfield wasn't seen as a legitimate HW threat until he beat Dokes in 1989. After Tyson beat Spinks in 1988, he had effectively cleared out the HW division.

Jones always had the DM issue (I blame Darious more than Roy for that fight never happening)

Holyfield wasn't yet a Heavyweight when Tyson had beaten Spinks. I suppose if you wanted to stop at Spinks and say for that moment that Tyson had cleaned out the division you could. But I was thinking long term.

I don't blame Jones for DM either.

So who would Tyson have had to defeat in the late 80's to make it into your little "I Cleaned House" grade?

[I Feel Fine]

Robinson did it in the Welterweight division. Ali did it. Holyfield did it at Cruiserweight. Calzaghe did it at Super Middleweight.

The thing is there's always young fighters coming in, so there's usually something left undone. There's also fighters who might duck you.

Calzaghe missed a whole host of fighters in his division. Wins over Lacy and Kessler do not add up to a clean sweep when Sven Ottke unified partially on Joe's watch and fought decent guys before passing them onto Joe. Mundine and a whole host of other names also picked-up titles while Joe was wearing his spurious WBO title.

Joe has defended the semi-unified title three times (arguably not at all if you put Kessler in as the real unfication at the weight). Not a clean sweep. Calzaghe has the resume of a guy actrive for five, rather than over ten, years.

I don't know if he should be blamed for Ottke, and Kessler beat a lot of those opponents, including Mundine. Cleaning out a division is a subjective term, of course. I would say that when Tyson beats Smith, he is no longer obliged to beat Witherspoon unless Witherspoon does something particularly significant. I would say that Calzaghe-Kessler was pretty much the defining fight in that weight class. With some of his other wins, and that, I would say Calzaghe can be said to have cleaned out that division.

[Diamond WEAPON]

I'd say Chavez swept 130 as well as 140. He pretty much demolished everyone there, at LW he didn't stick around long enough to take one everyone, he just took out a couple big dogs, so that could count too.

You're probably right. Honestly, Chavez fought so many good guys all over the place, I can't even keep track. I don't think I've ever seen a fighter more dominant against such a consistently high level of opposition. Once he beat Taylor, he was basically out of opponents for a while at 140 (Haugen and Camacho were both has beens IMO). That's why he went up and fought Whitaker, a move that looks almost crazy in retrospect.

Yeah, exactly, especially considering he made 140 no problem. I don't think it was crazy though, it's only natural for the best to be challenge-hungry.

[Diamond WEAPON]

if you want to include current fighters you have to include Pacquiao. i know a lot of people dont like him because he defeats the great mexican champs but he is something special.

I agree.

For Super Bantamweight I'd say he qualifies, but nothing higher, he hasn't stuck around at 126 or 130 long enough to clean them out.