Who was the greatest lightweight of All-Time?

Ambling Alp II · Post by **Ambling Alp II** » 21 Oct 2014, 15:08

This should be interesting. Who was the best lightweight?

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 21 Oct 2014, 15:49

By virtue of his incredible wins over Welterweights while fighting as a Lightweight, I have to give the slightest of edges to Henry Armstrong over Benny Leonard. Next week I could change my mind.

Broomhall · Post by **Broomhall** » 21 Oct 2014, 16:50

I liked Ike Williams great to watch, but I think Duran for me.

L.A. kidd · Post by **L.A. kidd** » 21 Oct 2014, 18:06

it has to be duran, he was incredible.

Jpreisser · Post by **Jpreisser** » 21 Oct 2014, 20:52

Leonard's resume at lightweight > Duran's

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 21 Oct 2014, 22:08

Duran for my money, but Whitaker is under rated, and I'm not sure there is a lightweight ever that could beat Sweet Pea better than 50% of the time.

He would have a good chance of getting under Roberto's skin, and taking him off his game. A bit like Sugar Ray did.

SpitFire47 · Post by **SpitFire47** » 22 Oct 2014, 01:47

MANNY PAKWAY

L.A. kidd · Post by **L.A. kidd** » 22 Oct 2014, 03:58

BoxBuzz wrote:Duran for my money, but Whitaker is under rated, and I'm not sure there is a lightweight ever that could beat Sweet Pea better than 50% of the time.

He would have a good chance of getting under Roberto's skin, and taking him off his game. A bit like Sugar Ray did.

are you sure duran wasn't playing games in that second fight. wasn't that about the time duran got tied

in with don king and his boys.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 22 Oct 2014, 10:49

A little surprised at the results so far. Benny Leonard would be a deserved winner, but I'm the only one who's picked Armstrong so far ?

Tomasino · Post by **Tomasino** » 22 Oct 2014, 11:19

Joe Gans. In his prime he was untouchable at the weight.

tiny_acres · Post by **tiny_acres** » 22 Oct 2014, 16:19

Seamus wrote:A little surprised at the results so far. Benny Leonard would be a deserved winner, but I'm the only one who's picked Armstrong so far ?

Armstrong is one of my favorite fighters of all times.I have him number 2 lightweight behind Duran.
Benny Leonard is number 3 for me.

dr_devious · Post by **dr_devious** » 22 Oct 2014, 16:46

Roberto Duran

SenorPipino · Post by **SenorPipino** » 22 Oct 2014, 18:37

Not enough love for Sweet Pea.
The guy that outboxed and embarrassed Chavez at 140 and handcuffed the legendary Azumah Nelson, could make a monkey out of any lightweight in history.
He's only overlooked because he wasn't a dynamic champion like Duran. Fans are always enthralled by aggressive punchers with attitude.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 22 Oct 2014, 19:02

SenorPipino wrote:Not enough love for Sweet Pea.
The guy that outboxed and embarrassed Chavez at 140 and handcuffed the legendary Azumah Nelson, could make a monkey out of any lightweight in history.
He's only overlooked because he wasn't a dynamic champion like Duran. Fans are always enthralled by aggressive punchers with attitude.

roger that....

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 22 Oct 2014, 19:02

SenorPipino wrote:Not enough love for Sweet Pea.
The guy that outboxed and embarrassed Chavez at 140 and handcuffed the legendary Azumah Nelson, could make a monkey out of any lightweight in history.
He's only overlooked because he wasn't a dynamic champion like Duran. Fans are always enthralled by aggressive punchers with attitude.

roger that....

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 23 Oct 2014, 05:44

Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Roberto Duran and Henry Armstrong... Any of those 4...put them in any order...

Ike Williams, Pernell Whittaker, Carlos Ortiz and Tony Canzoneri just below...

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 26 Oct 2014, 01:11

The great Roberto Duran. He was an animal in that weight class.

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 26 Oct 2014, 01:12

Of all the great lightweights, the great Ike Williams had the greatest quality of opposition.

Broomhall · Post by **Broomhall** » 26 Oct 2014, 13:17

elmersalsa wrote:Of all the great lightweights, the great Ike Williams had the greatest quality of opposition.

It was a difficult choice for me between Williams and Duran, I plumbed for Duran because I grew up with his fights, but watching footage of Williams fight is like boxing poetry.

Ambling Alp II · Post by **Ambling Alp II** » 28 Oct 2014, 11:10

Ezzard wrote:Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Roberto Duran and Henry Armstrong... Any of those 4...put them in any order...

Ike Williams, Pernell Whittaker, Carlos Ortiz and Tony Canzoneri just below...

Pretty much how I see it. Ambers was probably right there with any of them. What really hurt's Ambers case is the two losses to Lew Jenkins. He wins those two, and you can make a serious argument for him being #1.

Leonard and Gans were slick but could also punch. Duran and Armstrong were so aggressive and were effective. Duran's competition doesn't stack up to the rest, but he is still up there.

Williams looked really good a lot, but he really didn't stand out in his own era.
Canzoneri would have been a tough one for anybody.

palooka · Post by **palooka** » 28 Oct 2014, 12:09

Ike Williams hit awfully hard and he was a real 15 round fighter. I've gone for Benny Leonard who had lots of scraps with very tough men and came out unscathed; I think I remember reading that Arcel put Leonard as the best he'd seen though he said Duran would have fit into that (or any other) level.

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 28 Oct 2014, 14:46

Duran.... I put him in the same category as Ketchel, in this sense: Duran could of stayed at lightweight for the next decade and still of been the king of the hill... no one in that time could of challenged him and beaten him... same goes with Ketchel, had he not been murdered, no one in ten years time would of come along and of beaten him.

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 29 Oct 2014, 13:59

HomicideHenry wrote:Duran.... I put him in the same category as Ketchel, in this sense: Duran could of stayed at lightweight for the next decade and still of been the king of the hill... no one in that time could of challenged him and beaten him... same goes with Ketchel, had he not been murdered, no one in ten years time would of come along and of beaten him.

Nobody wanted to fight the great Roberto Duran when he was champion in his prime. The featherweight champs did not challenged him, neither the jr. welterweight champs. Duran had to jump two weight classes to fight somebody. This guy in his prime was a monster, a real fighting machine, a complete fighter. He could do it all in his prime.

Othro · Post by **Othro** » 29 Oct 2014, 15:52

Lightweight is always the toughest for me . The general consensus is always Duran at #1 but I think several of the guys mentioned can also make a case for themselves .

Gans

Leonard

Williams

Duran

Whittaker

Armstrong

I'd like to see a tournament of those guys

Ambling Alp II · Post by **Ambling Alp II** » 29 Oct 2014, 16:07

elmersalsa wrote:
HomicideHenry wrote:Duran.... I put him in the same category as Ketchel, in this sense: Duran could of stayed at lightweight for the next decade and still of been the king of the hill... no one in that time could of challenged him and beaten him... same goes with Ketchel, had he not been murdered, no one in ten years time would of come along and of beaten him.
Nobody wanted to fight the great Roberto Duran when he was champion in his prime. The featherweight champs did not challenged him, neither the jr. welterweight champs. Duran had to jump two weight classes to fight somebody. This guy in his prime was a monster, a real fighting machine, a complete fighter. He could do it all in his prime.

So that's what happened...The reason Duran wasn't fighting the best opponents was because they were all scared. Arguello, Chacon, Cervantes and Benitez were all just yellow. Though it seems like Benitez got over it.