UKs Greatest Boxer

[Spud]

The discussion of who is the greatest boxer the UK has produced will rumble on and on - and of course it will always come down to opinion and to be honest you can't be right or wrong because its exactly that - opinion.

So here goes for the present day -

Does Calzaghe or Hatton deserve a place in the greatest boxers this country has produced - if so where do you place them?

We will then go for another part of this thread - I think it is the more worrying part - once Hatton, Calzaghe jack it in - who do we have coming through - obviously the names next in line are Froch and Haye - are you impressed with them?

[bbjc]

yeah these two are up there with the best weve produced. Not many from Britain have been able to mix with the Americans and win.

Who do you think is the best Lennox must be up there if you can count him as british

What about most exciting to watch think Benn is up there and personally enjoy watching hatton naseem was pretty good to watch at times when he wasnt being a wee fanny.

Its not looking too good after hatton and calzaghe are gone as i dont think haye will stick around too long dont think Froch is the answer good fighter but cant see him emulating hatton or calzaghe.

Wouldn't write amir khan off realize his chin is a massive problem however he has all the ability to go far skills wise and maybe the ko will prove to be a blessing in disguise think he was getting a bit ahead of himself and think it will take a little pressure off him now. Funny how you wanted him chinned then when it happens you actually feel a little sorry for him, can see the public getting behind him eventually. think the american move will pay off for him in the end dont know how far he can go though to be honest.

Only really can comment on the last 15 or so years though not going back 100 years etc cause i ve not seen enough how good was buchanan seen his fight with duran gave a decent account of himself.

[stujones]

Of course they do - both easily in the top 10. Calzaghe top 5 at worst. Hatton is in the top 10 I would say and still got a chance to go up futher.

Wilde and Lewis for me are 1 and 2.

Calzaghe and Ted Kid are 3 and 4.

[Wales]

wilde for me. Dont have calzaghe or hatton in top 5, shout for top 10 i suppose, arguments can be made. Lewis has better resume than joe imo

[stujones]

wilde for me. Dont have calzaghe or hatton in top 5, shout for top 10 i suppose, arguments can be made. Lewis has better resume than joe imo

And I am supposed to be the "Calzaghe hater"! I do think though ALOT of this (or the last) generations non British fighters would be behind or even above Wilde.

[Wales]

you have to take into account the era aswel when discussing greatest. Wildes achievments were sensational, ima big joe fan, but i think he missed the boat with too many fights

[Scrap]

Ted Kid Lewis Jack Kid Berg, boxed in a time when men were Hard. Plus there was a bigger pool of Fighters 2 million in the States alone. Dont think we in this Day and age understand it, Boxing with Horsehair Gloves. Talked to Ray Arcel He really rated Jack, I really got to know Jack in his 70s. Even then you wouldnt want to pick a Fight with Him .

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

I think Lennox has to be the greatest, he beat everyone in a very very good era in the TOUGHEST DIVISION. I don't really like going back 100years when times were completely different to look at Wilde and Fitzsimmons, who were legends of their day.

Buchannon has to be up there, skills that Hatton and Calzaghe can only dream of. Great great wins and fought a close 1 with arguably the greatest ever (Duran) before being fouled out the fight and never getting the rematch despite deserving 1

[E]

Lewis is the best Canadian/Jamican boxer of all time no question,

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Lewis is the best Canadian/Jamican boxer of all time no question,

Greater than Sammy Langford And is Calzaghe Italian now? And Eubank a Jamaican American

[E]

Lewis is the best Canadian/Jamican boxer of all time no question,

Greater than Sammy Langford And is Calzaghe Italian now? And Eubank a Jamaican American

the question of nationality is a difficult one these days.

But I would suggest the answer lies in what the individual thinks.

Lewis has already said he is of no nationality. HE doesn't live in the UK, he speaks with a Canadian accent and says he is Jamican -Canadian-British...... so he's hardly John fornicating bull is he?

[observer1]

Lewis is the best Canadian/Jamican boxer of all time no question,

Greater than Sammy Langford And is Calzaghe Italian now? And Eubank a Jamaican American

ownage.

[jeej]

Yup, no-one would give too much time for the Canadian part if it wasn't for the fact he boxed at the Olympics for them.

He's essentially British of Caribbean descent. Like a lot of British boxers. How far back we want to go? Mike Tyson was African...

[Carbo]

For me, of the fighters I've seen on TV, video or live, I would have to put it down to three: Lennox Lewis, Joe Calzaghe and Ken Buchanan.

[chris s]

Lewis, Conteh, Buchanan, Conteh in that order

Obviously guys like Ted Lewis and Berg were tough, so they cannot be ignored but there are so few of us on here who will have seen footage of them.

[stujones]

Active- Hatton, Calzaghe and Haye.

Retired- Lennox Lewis, Prince Naseem Hamed

Most likable and also succesful- Frank Bruno

I'm not sure Hatton has the mainstream commercial appeal of Bruno yet - I think his appeal will increase when he retires.... however, not sure Bruno will have the loyal fan base that Hatton enjoys.

[bigped]

The discussion of who is the greatest boxer the UK has produced will rumble on and on - and of course it will always come down to opinion and to be honest you can't be right or wrong because its exactly that - opinion.

So here goes for the present day -

Does Calzaghe or Hatton deserve a place in the greatest boxers this country has produced - if so where do you place them?

We will then go for another part of this thread - I think it is the more worrying part - once Hatton, Calzaghe jack it in - who do we have coming through - obviously the names next in line are Froch and Haye - are you impressed with them?

If froch can achive half of ricky or joe il be impressed... these two really have done it all and proved themselves on the world stage not just that look at the followings they have ammased down so much for british boxing..

[Autobarn]

Has to be Calzaghe.

That new DVD that's being advertised says Joe "is Britain's greatest ever boxer."

[banjo]

Has to be Calzaghe.

That new DVD that's being advertised says Joe "is Britain's greatest ever boxer."

lol

[jimglen]

Scrap's got it right!!!
I can't even begin to compare most fighters of the last 40 yrs to the Hardmen of yesteryear...
a better question for me was always; " how would've these modern fighters have faired with 15-20 year careers fighting over 300 fights (sacntioned or not), averaging a fight every 2 weeks and sometimes with a mere day or two between them and against the best men around and/or other top noted fighters.

How many of todays greats would have had the fortitude to remain 'hungry' and successful... sure we got the odd Duran, Chavez and the Reggie Strickland, Peter Buckley types, but would Leonard have held up and stuck around, RJJ or Mayweather? Fair questions! so who among whom we call modern greats had what it takes for such busy, competitive and long careers.

Seemingly Boxing Historian, Mike Silver has written a new book and he is going to upset the 'status quo' (today's), because he holds none back and tells, namely boxing media and writers that all this hype & BS doesn't make for legendary fighters, no matter how many uneducated saps or 'bought & paid' writers you have on board professing these alledged greats!

[knockout]

i have made the point before and i will make it again, had Joe C been active prior to the mid 80's he would have been a light heavyweight... would he have gone 47-0????... No way....If he was light heavy with only two world champions he may never have even been world champ...

just food for thought when people start calling him the greatest ever Brit.....not to mention the points already made by the other posters about depth of the talent etc....

[fist]

Calzaghe is up there at the top IMO.

Most entertaining and talented, I still believe Naseem Hamed is up there with the very best. A rare talent, with explosive power, hilarious showboating, pure entertainment pre and post ring entrance.

I personally would never place Lewis at number 1, the aforementioned fighters were more talented IMO, regardless of achievements. Lewis was also boring to watch - jab, jab, jab, jab...

He beat a past it Tyson and arguably a past it Holyfield. He lost to Rahman and Mccall. And wasn't doing great against Vitali. Im not saying he wasn't talented, nor am I saying he wasn't one of the best British fighters, but he is not number 1.

Other greats in the modern era - Eubank and Benn.

[jammidodger]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EyQ80TojX0w

[Captain Hook]

Lewis and Naz, no question.

I think Calzaghe and Hatton are behind them, and let's not forget Winstone, Conteh, Wilde, Honeyghan, and, of course, Wayne Wheeler

[observer1]

Lewis and Naz, no question.

I think Calzaghe and Hatton are behind them, and let's not forget Winstone, Conteh, Wilde, Honeyghan, and, of course, Wayne Wheeler

Agreed.
I'd throw in Eubank