Top 100 Light heavyweights

[Ambling Alp II]

Thought this would be fun. Have never done a list this extensive for light heavyweights. Being a glutton for punishment, I would like to hear comments. Let me know who is way too high and low. This is sort of a rough draft, so I am sure I could change my mind on some of these.

Included are a few great fighters who really only spent little time in this weight class but did enough at light heavy to be worth a mention. They probably would have beat some guys ranked ahead of them but we will never know for sure.

Not that interested in the Top 20 or so; they have been argued many times before.

Anyway, here it is:


1. Michael Spinks
2. Ezzard Charles
3. Archie Moore
4. Gene Tunney
5. Sam Langford
6. Bob Foster
7. Harold Johnson
8. Tommy Loughran
9. Harry Greb
10. Dwight Qawi
11. Bob Fitzsimmons
12. Billy Conn
13. Roy Jones
14. Maxsie Rosenbloom
15. John Henry Lewis
16. Tommy Gibbons
17. Jimmy Bivins
18. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
19. Young Stribling
20. Tommy Burns
21. Jack Delaney
22. Victor Galindez
23. Matthew Saad Muhammad
24. Eddie Mustapha Muhammad
25. Lloyd Marshall
26. Jimmy Slattery
27. Paul Berlanbach
28. Georges Carpentier
29. Battling Levinsky
30. Jack Dillion
31. Jack Root
32. Kid McCoy
33. Mauro Mina
34. Jose Torres
35. Willie Pastrano
36. Billy Miske
37. Virgil Hill
38. Kid Norfolk
39. Joey Maxim
40. Marvin Johnson
41. Len Harvey
42. Jock McVoy
43. Darius Michalczweski
44. Joe Choynski
45. John Conteh
46. Richie Kates
47. Yaqui Lopez
48. Jerry Martin
49. James Scott
50. Antonio Tarver
51. Michael Moorer
52. Henry Maske
53. Leo Lomski
54. Freddie Mills
55. Gus Lesnevich
56. George Gardiner
57. Sergey Kovalev
58. Anton Christofordis
59. Mike Rossman
60. Adonis Stevenson
61. Chad Dawson
62. Prince Charles Williams
63. Bobby Czyz
64. Fabrice Tiozzo
65. Jeff Harding
66. Dennis Andries
67. Glen Johnson
68. Donny Lalonde
69. Leslie Stewart
70. Tony Shucco
71. Lou Scozza
72. Al Gainer
73. Pierre Fourie
74. Mike McTigue
75. Battling Siki
76. Mate Parlov
77. Clinton Woods
78. Montell Griffin
79. Oakland Billy Smith
80. Eddie Cotton
81. Chris Finnegan
82. Adolph Heuser
83. Rudy Koopmans
84. Gustave Roth
85. Eddie Davis
86. Gregorio Peralta
87. Joe Knight
88. Bob Godwin
89. Al McCoy
90. Bob Olin
91. Harry Matthews
92. Graciano Rocchigiani
93. Jorge Ahumada
94. Reggie Johnson
95. Thomas Hearns
96. Dick Tiger
97. Mike McCallum
98. Bernard Hopkins
99. Andre Ward
100. Julio Cesar Gonzales

[Seamus]

Jerry Martin at 48 ?

[Tomasino]

Switch Ward with Kovalev

[BitPlayer]

I think Fitz should be a little higher. But maybe I just am too awed by him.

Even after losing his heavyweight title, he beat a loads of the top heavyweights to get another shot, and put up a great fight while nearly 40. Then won the L.Heavy title aged 41 in an age where many fighters were shot by 30.

Also on what planet can Kovalev be so high and Ward so low? Ward beat him twice.

Also not sure what Dwight Qawi has done to be between Greb and Fitz.

I'd also put up Peter Maher for consideration.

[dr_devious]

Very good list, I would put John Conteh higher

[HyacinthusTurnipseed]

Well done on making a list at all - don't know if I'd ever have the stamina to make a 100 p4p nevermind just for 175. Nevertheless I do have some opinions.

Greb is debatable but I'd have him higher. In fights where he weighs about 165 against opponents between 170-175 his record is still awesome.

Fitz is too high - didn't do all that much at the weight compared to the other guys in the top 15.

No way Clinton Woods should be ahead of Hopkins, Ward or Tiger.

That's just some initial thoughts.

[scartissue]

Good list, but I would have found room for Tiger Jack Fox and Mickey Walker. Also I think Victor Galindez, John Conteh and Dick Tiger are too low.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Thought this would be fun. Have never done a list this extensive for light heavyweights. Being a glutton for punishment, I would like to hear comments. Let me know who is way too high and low. This is sort of a rough draft, so I am sure I could change my mind on some of these.

Included are a few great fighters who really only spent little time in this weight class but did enough at light heavy to be worth a mention. They probably would have beat some guys ranked ahead of them but we will never know for sure.

Not that interested in the Top 20 or so; they have been argued many times before.

Anyway, here it is:


1. Michael Spinks
2. Ezzard Charles
3. Archie Moore
4. Gene Tunney
5. Sam Langford
6. Bob Foster
7. Harold Johnson
8. Tommy Loughran
9. Harry Greb
10. Dwight Qawi
11. Bob Fitzsimmons
12. Billy Conn
13. Roy Jones
14. Maxsie Rosenbloom
15. John Henry Lewis
16. Tommy Gibbons
17. Jimmy Bivins
18. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
19. Young Stribling
20. Tommy Burns
21. Jack Delaney
22. Victor Galindez
23. Matthew Saad Muhammad
24. Eddie Mustapha Muhammad
25. Lloyd Marshall
26. Jimmy Slattery
27. Paul Berlanbach
28. Georges Carpentier
29. Battling Levinsky
30. Jack Dillion
31. Jack Root
32. Kid McCoy
33. Mauro Mina
34. Jose Torres
35. Willie Pastrano
36. Billy Miske
37. Virgil Hill
38. Kid Norfolk
39. Joey Maxim
40. Marvin Johnson
41. Len Harvey
42. Jock McVoy
43. Darius Michalczweski
44. Joe Choynski
45. John Conteh
46. Richie Kates
47. Yaqui Lopez
48. Jerry Martin
49. James Scott
50. Antonio Tarver
51. Michael Moorer
52. Henry Maske
53. Leo Lomski
54. Freddie Mills
55. Gus Lesnevich
56. George Gardiner
57. Sergey Kovalev
58. Anton Christofordis
59. Mike Rossman
60. Adonis Stevenson
61. Chad Dawson
62. Prince Charles Williams
63. Bobby Czyz
64. Fabrice Tiozzo
65. Jeff Harding
66. Dennis Andries
67. Glen Johnson
68. Donny Lalonde
69. Leslie Stewart
70. Tony Shucco
71. Lou Scozza
72. Al Gainer
73. Pierre Fourie
74. Mike McTigue
75. Battling Siki
76. Mate Parlov
77. Clinton Woods
78. Montell Griffin
79. Oakland Billy Smith
80. Eddie Cotton
81. Chris Finnegan
82. Adolph Heuser
83. Rudy Koopmans
84. Gustave Roth
85. Eddie Davis
86. Gregorio Peralta
87. Joe Knight
88. Bob Godwin
89. Al McCoy
90. Bob Olin
91. Harry Matthews
92. Graciano Rocchigiani
93. Jorge Ahumada
94. Reggie Johnson
95. Thomas Hearns
96. Dick Tiger
97. Mike McCallum
98. Bernard Hopkins
99. Andre Ward
100. Julio Cesar Gonzales

My P4P Number 1 FIGHTER TODAY Ward 99 OK

[Tony1244]

Excellent list. I'd have RJJ and Conn a bit higher, perhaps Qawi a bit lower.

[BitPlayer]

Well done on making a list at all - don't know if I'd ever have the stamina to make a 100 p4p nevermind just for 175. Nevertheless I do have some opinions.

Greb is debatable but I'd have him higher. In fights where he weighs about 165 against opponents between 170-175 his record is still awesome.

Fitz is too high - didn't do all that much at the weight compared to the other guys in the top 15.

No way Clinton Woods should be ahead of Hopkins, Ward or Tiger.

That's just some initial thoughts.

He was never heavier than a L.Heavyweight when he was a Heavyweight champion or top contender, I'd say that counts even if the weight class didn't exist.

[Tony1244]

Switch Ward with Kovalev

I agree. Ward is 2-0 and considering almost all their rounds were close, they're pretty far apart on this list.

[paddy chavez]

I can't see how Dennis andries is rated so high and we'll above Tommy hearns who bounced him off the deck like a basket Ball

[Bodyshot3]

Great list......although I might move Foster up a place or two and Hill's record is hugely impressive as well and hovering around in the late 30s seems a bit harsh on Virgil.

[Nile4000]

Great list, although Galindez is too low, and Roy Jones too high.

[Ambling Alp II]

Thanks for the comments so far.

Fox and Walker were oversights. They both belong here.
Ward could go up a little. The reason I didn't rank him higher is that he only has had a few fights at light heavy. Same for Tiger,and Hearns.
Dennis Andries and Hill lost to Hearns, Torres lost to Tiger twice, and Kolalev.

It is tricky where to rate them because they had significant wins at light heavy. I thought they deserved to listed. However, I didn't think that was actually enough to rate to them over guys that had many fights at the weight even though they beat them.
Think of it this way: If you were rating middleweights, would really you rate Ray Leonard a head of Marvin Hagler? I have never seen anyone do that.

Having said that, it does hurt the guys like Andries, Hill, Kovalev, and Torres that they lost those fights.

Fitzsimmons is tricky because the weight division didn't exist for so much of his career. I finally decided that his wins over top heavyweights while he weighed under 175 just could not be ignored.

Not sure why Conteh should rated much higher, but maybe I am missing something.

[HyacinthusTurnipseed]

Fitz is too high - didn't do all that much at the weight compared to the other guys in the top 15.

He was never heavier than a L.Heavyweight when he was a Heavyweight champion or top contender, I'd say that counts even if the weight class didn't exist.

Maybe you are right. With the wild weight fluctuations during the important part of his career for himself and especially his opponents I've always tended to just give him credit as a sometimes "big" middleweight and rated him there. Looking at the weights again I can see how arbitrary that is I guess.