The Top 10 Best Fighters of the 1900s

[elmersalsa]

The start of the 20th century. Well, what can we say? Lots of countries were not even independent. US started building the Panama Canal in 1903. Some brothers named Wright were inventing an airplane. The first ever MLB World Series happened in 1903 between Boston and Pittsburgh. England was a football power when almost nobody in the world played the sport. Industrialization was in full swing. And some of boxing's immortals were as the best fighters ever. One of them, was a magnificent lightweight black champion by the name of Joe Gans. In 1902, Gans became the first Black American boxer to win a world boxing championship. And in 1908, the great Jack Johnson became the first black man ever to become world heavyweight champion. But, ironically, the best of the best of the 1900s decade never became a world champion. His name: Sam Langford from Canada. He was as great as it comes. Only at 5'7", he challenged to a fight the best heavyweight boxers of his era. He was a multi division boxer that fought 14 hall of fame boxers in his career from welterweight to heavyweight.

These in my view, were the very best of the 1900s decade:

1. Sam Langford
2. Joe Gans
3. Jack Johnson
4. Stanley Ketchel
5. Barbados Joe Walcott
6. Abe Attell
7. Jim Driscoll
8. Packey McFarland
9. Tommy Burns
10. Terry McGovern

Let's start the debate with class, please.

[Kalan]

Jack Johnson was easily the best.

Jim Jeffries -- with 2 wins each over Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons, and also defeating Peter Jackson, Bob Armstrong, Tom Sharkey, and Hank Griffin, would have to be number 2. Jeffries came back to fight Johnson after 6 years out of the ring ... in the biggest fight of the period.

[Ambling Alp II]

The start of the 20th century. Well, what can we say? Lots of countries were not even independent. US started building the Panama Canal in 1903. Some brothers named Wright were inventing an airplane. The first ever MLB World Series happened in 1903 between Boston and Pittsburgh. England was a football power when almost nobody in the world played the sport. Industrialization was in full swing. And some of boxing's immortals were as the best fighters ever. One of them, was a magnificent lightweight black champion by the name of Joe Gans. In 1902, Gans became the first Black American boxer to win a world boxing championship. And in 1908, the great Jack Johnson became the first black man ever to become world heavyweight champion. But, ironically, the best of the best of the 1900s decade never became a world champion. His name: Sam Langford from Canada. He was as great as it comes. Only at 5'7", he challenged to a fight the best heavyweight boxers of his era. He was a multi division boxer that fought 14 hall of fame boxers in his career from welterweight to heavyweight.

These in my view, were the very best of the 1900s decade:

1. Sam Langford
2. Joe Gans
3. Jack Johnson
4. Stanley Ketchel
5. Barbados Joe Walcott
6. Abe Attell
7. Jim Driscoll
8. Packey McFarland
9. Tommy Burns
10. Terry McGovern

Let's start the debate with class, please.

No major objections. I would put in Jeffries even though he didn't fight for half of the decade. Would consider Philadephia Jack O'Brien and Kid McCoy. Walcott seems too high.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Not a bad list, you definitely got the #1 right. Burns doesn't belong. I don't have the years memorized, but Ryan,Dixon, Jeffries, Jeanette, Nelson and O'Brien were all greater than Burns.

[Controversial]

Joe Choynski deserves a mention.

[elmersalsa]

The great Terry McGovern was a sensational little dynamo, ain't he?

I looked at his record and it's amazing. How couldn't he cope with Young Corbett II is mind-boggling to me.