Greatest Featherweight All-time

[dr_devious]

Alexis Arguello in with a shout, definitely above Naz on the all time list as is Azumah Nelson and quite a few more

[cfang]

Alexis Arguello in with a shout, definitely above Naz on the all time list as is Azumah Nelson and quite a few more

[campfire]

I'll go Saddler.. no 1.......... Pep..no 2............Nelson..no 3..........Sanchez..no 4...........Arguello..no 5

[Jpreisser]

Hamed over Attell, Dundee, Arguello, Kilbane, Driscoll, Armstrong? Over Pedroza even?

Pep takes the top spot for me.

[Ambling Alp II]

The top three has to be between Pep, Saddler, and Sanchez. You can make a good argument for any of them. After that, there is a dropoff. Guys that Jpreisser mentioned are all pretty close.
Also Vincente Saldivar, who always seems to get overlooked.

[elmersalsa]

The great Henry Armstrong is a top 3 all time featherweight and welterweight. That's come to show how great this guy was. Not too many fighters are top ten in more than one class let alone top 3. Armstrong to many is top ten in 3 different weight classes: featherweight, lightweight and welterweight.....Amazing fighter!

[Davidreed]

Pep? You mean Tony Pep the 6 foot feather from Canada? You're insane :x

Willie Pep!... don't say you haven't heard of him mate please!!!.... .
Personally my pick has to go to Hurricaine Henry Armstrong!... probably the greatest fighter pound for pound ever in my humble opinion!... 8)

Agree

[Counter-puncher]

The top three has to be between Pep, Saddler, and Sanchez. You can make a good argument for any of them. After that, there is a dropoff. Guys that Jpreisser mentioned are all pretty close.
Also Vincente Saldivar, who always seems to get overlooked.

Saldivar does go overlooked indeed I think I reminded you about him on one thread

His all round skillset really impresses me, such a polished boxer technically, calm, compact, versatile always on-balance, a great ring general who seemed to be able to dominate space and ling periods of many rounds without necessarily throwing like a threshing machine.

Theres so much about saldivar that passes the eye-test, but its even more impressive to look at his resume. I'm really no.expert on the period but even I can recognise a large handful.of impressive names.

I can't see him much lower than 5 or 6 in an alltime featherweight list

[King Carlos]

I rate Sanchez #2...among Mexican Featherweight greats.

[bollox]

I don't see anyone that's come along since the thread was resurrected, that's make people change their minds much

[elmersalsa]

The top three has to be between Pep, Saddler, and Sanchez. You can make a good argument for any of them. After that, there is a dropoff. Guys that Jpreisser mentioned are all pretty close.
Also Vincente Saldivar, who always seems to get overlooked.

Saldivar does go overlooked indeed I think I reminded you about him on one thread

His all round skillset really impresses me, such a polished boxer technically, calm, compact, versatile always on-balance, a great ring general who seemed to be able to dominate space and ling periods of many rounds without necessarily throwing like a threshing machine.

Theres so much about saldivar that passes the eye-test, but its even more impressive to look at his resume. I'm really no.expert on the period but even I can recognise a large handful.of impressive names.

I can't see him much lower than 5 or 6 in an alltime featherweight list

Great points. But, I see more accomplished featherweight greats than the great Vicente Saldivar, like Kid Chocolate, Freddie Miller and Eusebio Pedroza. I think he ranks between the 6th and 10th slots. He is definitely a top ten featherweight, though.

[King Carlos]

I rate Saldivar's Featherweight reign ahead of Sanchez or Pedroza.

[keithmoonhangover]

Roberto Duran. He might never have fought at that weight, but he was a beast and he was unstoppable and no matter how many fights he lost, he would have won every single one of them if he hadn't had to lose so much weight so quickly and if he was at his natural weight. So he's the best ever. FACT. 8)

[elmersalsa]

I rate Saldivar's Featherweight reign ahead of Sanchez or Pedroza.

That's kind of fair. It's interchangeable. All 3 of them were exceptional featherweight greats.

[AngryGoon38]

Headhunter wrote:

other notable champs in the feathers........... george dixon, terrible terry mcgovern, young corbett II, tony canzoneri, battling battalino, kid chocolate, davey moore, sugar ramos, vincente salvidar, eder jofre, ruben olivares, alexis arguello, danny lopez, eusebio pedroza, barry mcguigan etc, etc, etc..............

Hi Headhunter. George Dixon and McGovern CANNOT be considered as best of all time. They were actually bantamweights and, even worse, the bantamweight limit at that time was 112 pounds, so they were actually flyweights! Young Corbett faired poorly after his bouts with McGovern, mainly because he was a legitimate sized featherweight and soon couldn't make the old-time weight. Against a modern feather all his advantages of size and leverage disappear. He is ordinary. canzoneri was just a little kid when he fought feather, had not nearly perfected his ring skills. Battalino and Freddie Miller didn't fight to win if they were ordered not to. Kid Chocolate often inexplicably struggled against no-names. Moore was killed by Ramos. Ramos could be too easily hit and hurt. Saldivar could slug like crazy, needed to shore up his defense. I personally consider Jofre the second greatest pound-for-pound fighter ever. But he was a bantamweight. He didn't box feather until he was old and Harada twice outmuscled him. Arguello, very good choice. Lopez, you're kidding, right? He got offended if you missed him, not if you hit him. Pedroza? Mean and dirty and skilled. Like him a lot. McGuigan? Talk to Stevie Cruz about McGuigan. McGuigan wasn't the best feather of his day, let alone all time.

It's Armstrong or Sanchez and I like Armstrong by a decision in that one.[/quote]




McGuigan had a 103 fever when he fought Cruz.

[elmersalsa]

Terry McGovern in his prime.

At bantamweight, indeed. Young Corbett II had his number for some reason at featherweight. This case could be similar of Junior Jones vs the great Marco Antonio Barrera at 122lbs

[Counter-puncher]

I rate Saldivar's Featherweight reign ahead of Sanchez or Pedroza.

I'd be interested to hear why. Without digging into the records my often fallible memory would have maybe Laguna, Ramos and Winstone as his more memorable victims. I didn't think he had 3 names to match Lopez, Gomez, Nelson anyway.

[elmersalsa]

Terry McGovern in his prime.

At bantamweight, indeed. Young Corbett II had his number for some reason at featherweight. This case could be similar of Junior Jones vs the great Marco Antonio Barrera at 122lbs

Young Corbett never fought MdGovern at the featherweight limit.

Corbett was overweight both times.

Corbett never defended the title because he couldn't make the weight.

The two fights of McGovern-Corbett II were for the featherweight championship of the world

[King Carlos]

I rate Saldivar's Featherweight reign ahead of Sanchez or Pedroza.

I'd be interested to hear why. Without digging into the records my often fallible memory would have maybe Laguna, Ramos and Winstone as his more memorable victims. I didn't think he had 3 names to match Lopez, Gomez, Nelson anyway.

The 3 you mentioned match up to them fairly well, if you ask me. Add to them Famechon, Legra, and Seki.

[Keko]

Willie Pep ,Sandy Saddler ,Abe Attell, George Dixon ,Salvador Sanchez

[davie]

Willie Pep ,Sandy Saddler ,Abe Attell, George Dixon ,Salvador Sanchez

Pep's a lightweight now, don't you know?

[Keko]

Willie Pep ,Sandy Saddler ,Abe Attell, George Dixon ,Salvador Sanchez

Pep's a lightweight now, don't you know?

[davie]

Willie Pep ,Sandy Saddler ,Abe Attell, George Dixon ,Salvador Sanchez

Pep's a lightweight now, don't you know?

Agreed

[klompton]

At bantamweight, indeed. Young Corbett II had his number for some reason at featherweight. This case could be similar of Junior Jones vs the great Marco Antonio Barrera at 122lbs

Young Corbett never fought MdGovern at the featherweight limit.

Corbett was overweight both times.

Corbett never defended the title because he couldn't make the weight.

The two fights of McGovern-Corbett II were for the featherweight championship of the world

They may have been billed as such to sell tickets but the limit at that time was 122 and neither fighter came close to that. McGovern weighed over 125 and Corbett 127. Im not sure how the rematch could be considered a title fight at featherweight. Corbett had long since left the division and couldnt make weight anymore which is why Attell ended up with the title.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

LaBarba would rate over Hamed.