2 weight world champs who became a great in their 2nd weight class

handsofstone · Post by **handsofstone** » 02 Mar 2018, 18:40

One fighter made me think of this thread

Graham Houston would love this thread but no doubt he'll be too late

Boxing Prospect · Post by **Boxing Prospect** » 02 Mar 2018, 18:43

Sung Kil Moon...who is of the few to have successfully moved DOWN to have a better reign

brian13 · Post by **brian13** » 02 Mar 2018, 19:29

A slight variation to this topic. Mayweather could be seen as a great at Welter given who he fought and beat at the weight despite him being unbelievable or a great in other weight classes.

Grilling Machine · Post by **Grilling Machine** » 02 Mar 2018, 19:33

handsofstone wrote: ↑02 Mar 2018, 18:40One fighter made me think of this thread

If not your namesake, it has to be Holyfield, right?

Julian Jackson was still comfortable at 154 when he fought at 160, but that's a slightly different question.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 02 Mar 2018, 20:20

A domestic great is Chris Eubank.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 02 Mar 2018, 20:21

Roy Jones became a great at super middle.

Taansend · Post by **Taansend** » 02 Mar 2018, 20:22

Eder Jofre.

Brazilian fighter who was a Bantie Champ, lost twice to Fighting Harada & retired only to return three years later at Featherweight & win another 30 odd bouts, collecting the WBC Feather title aged 37.

http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/11505

IRLangmaid25 · Post by **IRLangmaid25** » 02 Mar 2018, 20:37

The immediate gimme is Evander Holyfield. But you can make some good arguments on. Plus Andre Ward

Julio Cesar Chavez Snr.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 03 Mar 2018, 04:37

Eubank at his second weight set the record number of title defenses, until Ottke and Calzaghe surpassed it years later. He continued huge rivalries with Watson and Benn. The Watson rematch is one of the great fights of the modern era, and you never saw this kind of intensity in the Calzaghe or Ottke era. Its a fight that had many reverberations. The terrible outcome helped set a benchmark for medical precautions during fights. Watson, in an unbelievable performance, basically showed everyone how to beat Eubank... After this CE was on borrowed time mentally (never finished another good fighter) and physically (weight issues, starvation). The Benn rematch was a lucky decision for Eubank, but it had the biggest ever worldwide TV audience for a super middleweight fight, and I’m not sure when or even if that was surpassed. The fight didn’t live up, Benn fought a smart/rough fight, but the tension was enormous and could even be felt during the stare down AFTER the fight.

Eubank was part fraud, part gladiator. Push him too far and there will be a reprisal. Let him get lazy and he will do as little as he wants to. Joke performances vs Schwommer, and I think it was Esset as well. Sold himself short, running those final two rounds after pulverising Thornton in I think the 9th and 10th. Thornton looked ominously like Watson at the end of their 2nd tragic fight...but Eubank May have run because was lazy or tight at the weight also. Considering, Benn, Close, Collins, Watson, It was one of the best ever eras for UK boxing and he basically fought everyone, often twice, in tricky or brutal 12rounders. Dropped most of them as well. One of the most mercurial fighters of the modern era. One of my favourite performances is the rematch with Ray Close. First fight, he did nothing then rescued the fight with a lucky punch (eked out a draw but I thought he won). Second fight Close - a very tidy and determined boxer - pushed him all the way and Eubank came back with the better punches to EARN a hard win.

Was well overdue a defeat which came against Collins, in two of the worst fights I’ve ever seen. The reflexes that allowed him to eke out narrows wins had eroded. Collins had a smart strategy, making Eubank fall for his feints. But also terrible execution, punishing Eubank for falling for the feints by running forward, head down, scuffling forwards.... Unexpectedly Eubank, not Collins, faced the heir apparent Calzaghe. By then Eubank was a light heavy and had to drop a weight last minute. But, a mile behind, he gave a good enough account of himself to test Calzaghe - now regarded by many as the best Brit of all time - in the championship rounds. In a much cleaner and more entertaining fight than you’d have expected. A positive enough showing to earn CE a shot at cruiserweight, where properly hydrated he all but beat monster Carl Thompson in an epic.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 03 Mar 2018, 04:50

Vic Darchinyan. Brutal Flyweight reign ended by KO of the year defeat to Donaire. Reinvented himself, at super fly, stopping world title holders Kirilov and Mijares, who was ranked in the p4p top 10. Stoppage of Arce also. Failed numerous times to win his third title, bantamweight, controversially to Mares, clearly to Ageko and Moreno. Clearly to the outstanding Yamanaka. But earns kudos for smashing Yohnny Perez - another very good fighter - another standout from around this weight. Then went to SUPER BANTAM, continuing his quest to be a three weight world champion, which failed when a prime Nicholas Walters stopped him.

Rafael Marquez. Followed outstanding bantamweight reign in which he was regarded as the bes puncher p4p in the world, with epic 122 pound rivalry with Israel Vazquez. They had three fight of the year wars and Marquez won the middle one. Some of the best offensive skills, two way, you will ever see.

Benn. Followed exciting and short 160reign by winning the WBC 168 title, which he defended 8 Times. Learned from stoppage defeats to Eubank and Watson, the experience proving invaluable. Rather than letting it destroy his career, as happens with so many punches. Fact that he’d faced many light heavy sized opponents - not only Watson and Eubank, but Piper and Gent - helped as well his development. By the time he faced a rising in weight McClellan, Benn was accustomed to facing bigger opponents, and he had learned how to survive... only just. In an astonishing and tragic fight, Benn stopped the p4p #1 puncher in the world, a man who had taken it brutally from nine other than Julian Jackson. Benn also deserved to have unified the WBC and WBO titles in the Eubank rematch 2 years earlier in which Benn fought a strategically sound fight, against all expectations.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 03 Mar 2018, 04:52

Azumah Nelson was the greatest two weight champion in the last 30 or so years. Great at 126 and a long reigning champion at 130. Yearned to be a lightweight champion but was way too short and old, shutout by Pernell Whittaker, and made his biggest mark at super featherweight, where many regard him as the best ever. At 130 he had an epic rivalry with legend Jeff Fenech, lucky draw then brutal rematch win in Australia, a huge achievement.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 03 Mar 2018, 04:59

Calzaghe didn’t spend much time at his second weight but he did beat Hopkins who retained a “pound for pound” top 10 ranking going into that fight. Dreadful fight but he won in America. Hopkins holds shutout wins over Tarver and Pavlik at 175 and would win more titles after Calzaghe retired, against Shumenov and Cloud. So the win, close and messy as it was, holds up.

Obviously joe spent huge time at 168 but was big at the weight and many knew he’d win a light heavy belt. He did it, universally recognised, linear champ as well.

Ward definitely has to make the list as well.

paddy chavez · Post by **paddy chavez** » 03 Mar 2018, 04:59

Chavez was at his peak at light weight I think after moving up from 130.

JC · Post by JC » 03 Mar 2018, 05:32

Sugar Ray Robinson (WW/MW)

Holyfield (CW/HW)

Arguello (FW/SFW/LWW) Although his biggest achievements at LWW were KO'ing Mancini and the war with Pryor, so maybe not

Edit: Although thinking about it is the question about fighter who were better in their second championship weight class?

orbtastic · Post by **orbtastic** » 03 Mar 2018, 05:59

Where would most people rate MAB and Morales' best weight? 122?

Likewise Marquez, probably had his best/signature wins north of feather.

Kittikasem probably best results at fly, not light fly.

Benvenuti definitely a better middle than a light middle.

Hearns, arguably the best light middle in the history of the weight.

Yes We Can · Post by **Yes We Can** » 03 Mar 2018, 08:56

I would argue Hopkins. Was a great middleweight... But his achievements at 175 outweigh what he did there I think. Tarves, Wright, Pavlik, Cloud, murat and Shumenov as wins.

Razor think loss to Calzaghe.

Maybe not better or more glamorous names but taking other things into account like age its amazing.

handsofstone · Post by **handsofstone** » 03 Mar 2018, 09:35

Holyfield was the one I was thinking of initially, Jones Jr, Mayweather, Duran etc all won titles in more than 2 divisions

Cheers for the replies, some crackers

BitPlayer · Post by **BitPlayer** » 03 Mar 2018, 09:39

Not so much now, but Fitzsimmons and Langford were regarded as great heavyweights for a long time.

Gene Tunney too, I suppose.

There's quite a lot really, the top all time P4P fighters all pretty much were greats in atleast two divisions.

brilo33 · Post by **brilo33** » 03 Mar 2018, 14:10

steve collins

2 weight world champs who became a great in their 2nd weight class

2 weight world champs who became a great in their 2nd weight class

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