what's the biggest year by any fighter?

[AntonioMartin]

Didnt Henry Armstrong go something like 25-1 one year???

Greb went 45-0

Darn!!!!

[scartissue]

Yes!!! charles in 48 was incredible. Greb and his 45-0 is untouchable. The goat imo.

Just being clear - not raining on a great fighter's parade - but Greb's 1919 was 9 wins and 36 no decision bouts where newspapermen deemed Greb the winner. In my old ring record books the result was a ND for a 'no decision.' It's been in recent years that results have been changed to a WNS or something like that taking into consideration what newsmen thought. The problem with that was newspapermen were known to be on the take to publish a favorable decision in order to pay off bets for the gamblers. So take them all with a grain of salt. However, I will acknowledge that 45 fights in one year against tough opposition was phenomenal and an amazing accomplishment.

[squiggy]

I'd say Leonard beating Hagler trumps all those together. Or Holyfield beating Bowe in 93, or Tyson and Moorer in 97.

That's totally legit, but just sort of a personal bias of mine -- I'd have a hard time giving it for just one fight. Very rarely, anyway. I appreciate volume too much for that. I should've been born in the era of top guys fighting ten times a year.

[squiggy]

A further way I'm gonna try to break it down: most impressive year in each weight class. (In my lifetime... I'm 42.)
Minimumweight: Ricardo Lopez in 1993. TKO 9/12 Kwang Soo Oh, TKO 2/12 Saman Sorjaturong, TKO 11/12 Toto Pongsawang, KO 11/12 Manny Melchor. Four title fight victories, all by knockout. And Sorjaturong turned out to be a damn good fighter in his own right.

[squiggy]

Light flyweight: Jorge Arce in 2004. KO 2/12 Joma Gamboa, KO 5/12 Melchor Cob Castro, UD 12 Juanito Rubillar, TKO 3/12 Juan Francisco Centeno.

[squiggy]

Flyweight: Santos Laciar in 1983. TKO 9/15 Ramon Antonio Nery, TKO 2/15 Shuichi Hozumi, TKO 1/15 Hi Sup Shin, PTS 10 Juan Carlos Cortes.

[squiggy]

Super flyweight: Wisaksil Wangek in 2017. MD 12 Roman Gonzalez, KO 4/12 Roman Gonzalez. Yep, two fights is enough for that one.

[squiggy]

bantamweight: Raul Perez in 1990. UD 12 Gaby Canizales, TKO 9/12 Gerardo Martinez, SD D 12 with Jose Valdez, KO 8/12 Candelario Carmona.

[squiggy]

Super bantamweight: Wilfredo Gomez in 1979. TKO 5/15 Nestor Jimenez, KO 2/10 Nelson Cruz Tamariz [featherweight], TKO 5/15 Julio Hernandez, TKO 10/15 Carlos Mendoza, TKO 5/15 Nicky Perez.

[squiggy]

Featherweight: Salvador Sanchez in 1980. TKO 13/15 Danny Lopez, UD 15 Ruben Castillo, TKO 14/15 Danny Lopez, MD 15 Pat Ford, UD 15 Juan Laporte.

[scartissue]

I think I like Miguel Canto's 1975 better than Laciar's. Canto won the title that year and defended it 3 times along with winning 2 more non-titles. Also I like Manuel Ortiz' 1943 better than Perez'. Ortiz went 13-0 that year with 8 of them title defenses.

[squiggy]

I just like to... treat boxing stuff that happened before I was born like it doesn't exist. I don't know. Saves me having to think about like whether John L. Sullivan would beat Tyson Fury or crap like that.

[Onetimeonly]

Super bantamweight: Wilfredo Gomez in 1979. TKO 5/15 Nestor Jimenez, KO 2/10 Nelson Cruz Tamariz [featherweight], TKO 5/15 Julio Hernandez, TKO 10/15 Carlos Mendoza, TKO 5/15 Nicky Perez.

78 & 82 are both clearly better for Gomez.

[Nile4000]

Ray Leonard in 1981: Beat Larry Bonds, won the WBA belt against Ayub Kalule, then unified the world welterweight belt against Thomas Hearns. Those apples can't be denied.

[squiggy]

Super bantamweight: Wilfredo Gomez in 1979. TKO 5/15 Nestor Jimenez, KO 2/10 Nelson Cruz Tamariz [featherweight], TKO 5/15 Julio Hernandez, TKO 10/15 Carlos Mendoza, TKO 5/15 Nicky Perez.

78 & 82 are both clearly better for Gomez.

You know what, '78 Gomez is a really solid call.

[squiggy]

Super featherweight: Genaro Hernandez, 1997: SD 12 Azumah Nelson, SD 12 Anatoly Alexandrov, UD 12 Carlos Hernandez. I'm putting that very slightly over Mayweather's '98s, which of course included a win over Genaro. And I'm sure Floyd '97 was already a better fighter. Just, all 3 of Hernandez's '97 fights were title fights, and Azumah Nelson had been a major figure in the division for freakin' ever. Whereas Hernandez was still the champ for most of '98; Mayweather only took it from him at the end of the year, and was mostly otherwise still fighting nobodies.

[squiggy]

Lightweight: Alexis Arguello, 1981: TKO 3/10 Robert Vasquez, UD 15 Jim Watt, TKO 14/15 Ray Mancini, KO 7/15 Roberto Elizondo.

[squiggy]

Light welterweight: Julio Cesar Chavez, 1989: RTD 10/12 Roger Mayweather, TKO 3/10 Kenny Vice [welterweight], KO 1/10 Rodolfo Batta, KO 3/10 Ramon Aramburu, RTD 10/12 Sammy Fuentes, TKO 3/12 Alberto Cortes. Was anybody ever going to come along and defeat Chavez if he hadn't moved up to welterweight?

[squiggy]

Welterweight: Oscar de la Hoya, 1997. That's the year I opened the thread with. Yes I think Sugar Ray's win over Hearns is a more impressive individual performance, but a win over Pernell Whitaker is huge as well (though I found that a very close fight). KO 2 David Kamau, UD 12 Hector Camacho, and TKO 8 Wilfredo Rivera, after having beaten Miguel Angel Gonzalez at light welter earlier in the year.

[squiggy]

Light middleweight: Terry Norris, 1991: UD 12 Sugar Ray Leonard, KO 8/12 Donald Curry, TKO 1/12 Brett Lally, UD 12 Jorge Fernando Castro. Those guys were past their best, but still, that's a year.

[f read]

1941 - Joe Louis defended his title 7 times
1977 - Saensak Muangsurin defended his title 6 times
1966 - Muhammad Ali defended his title 5 times
1972 - Muhammad Ali defeated 6 top contenders in a row as a non-champion

But I still think Henry Armstrong's 1938 was the best. 14-0 against excellent opposition and added the luster of 147 and then 135 lb titles to his record while also holding the 126 lb title.

I think you have a very good point on your answer. I give kudos to you for this information.

[f read]

First, to the originator of this thread: Squiggy, condolences on the passing of your namesake, David L. Lander. It sounds like he was a nice man.

Second, it's tough to follow some of these responses, particularly the one about Harry Greb.

Third, I'll give it a try: Sugar Ray Robinson, in his second year as a pro, went 20-0 in 1941, which included wins over Fritzie Zivic, Sammy Angott, Marty Servo and Maxie Shapiro.

Rest In Peace David L Lander. Another great answer here wow. Those old timers were sure active. That is why they were so got they fought often and did not have time to get out of shape. Also the pay in those days was no great so no fights no dinner on the table.

[f read]

Didnt Henry Armstrong go something like 25-1 one year???

Greb went 45-0

Darn!!!!

Wow incredible. Greb was only 32 i believe when he died.

[Onetimeonly]

Light welterweight: Julio Cesar Chavez, 1989: RTD 10/12 Roger Mayweather, TKO 3/10 Kenny Vice [welterweight], KO 1/10 Rodolfo Batta, KO 3/10 Ramon Aramburu, RTD 10/12 Sammy Fuentes, TKO 3/12 Alberto Cortes. Was anybody ever going to come along and defeat Chavez if he hadn't moved up to welterweight?

Randall beats him anytime.

[Onetimeonly]

Welterweight: Oscar de la Hoya, 1997. That's the year I opened the thread with. Yes I think Sugar Ray's win over Hearns is a more impressive individual performance, but a win over Pernell Whitaker is huge as well (though I found that a very close fight). KO 2 David Kamau, UD 12 Hector Camacho, and TKO 8 Wilfredo Rivera, after having beaten Miguel Angel Gonzalez at light welter earlier in the year.

Dude, Armstrong had over 10 title defenses in a year.