Ranking the All-Time Jr Welterweights: The Toughest Division to Rank?

[elmersalsa]

To me, among the light-heavyweight and bantamweight divisions, the 140-pound is one of the most underrated and most difficult weight classes to rank in history.

Lots of great boxers competed at this weight class: Aaron Pryor, Julio Cesar Chavez, Duilio Loi, Kostya Tyzsu, Zab Judah, Meldrick Taylor, Saensank Muagsurin, Nicolino Locche, Antonio Cervantes, Barney Ross, Jack "Kid" Berg, Tony Canzoneri, Mushy Callahan, Wilfred Benitez, Frankie Randall, and Juan Martin Coggi to name many.

Who are your top 5 or top ten all time Jr welterweights?

[elmersalsa]

Also Eddie Perkins, Pinkey Mitchell, Tippy Larkin, Bruno Arcari, Ricky Hatton, Terence "Bud" Crawford, and Josh Taylor.

[Ezzard]

Furst guys I think of are Ross and Canzoneri. Kid Berg too.

[elmersalsa]

Furst guys I think of are Ross and Canzoneri. Kid Berg too.

Great selection

[elmersalsa]

I think my top 5 all-time Jr Welterweights top off my head are:
1. Aaron Pryor
2. Julio Cesar Chavez
3. Kostya Tyzsu
4. Jack "Kid" Berg
5. Antonio Cervantes

[gilgamesh]

I think my top 5 all-time Jr Welterweights top off my head are:
1. Aaron Pryor
2. Julio Cesar Chavez
3. Kostya Tyzsu
4. Jack "Kid" Berg
5. Antonio Cervantes

I'd put Barney Ross and Tony Canzoneri in there.

[goose 5]

Ike Williams beats them all, imo, at 140.

[Monzon83]

I think if Floyd had stuck at 140 he would make this list. He was nasty at 140.

[gilgamesh]

I think if Floyd had stuck at 140 he would make this list. He was nasty at 140.

Yes I'd agree with that. He performed exceptionally well at the weight class. He just only ever had 3 bouts there which hurts his standing as far as time divisional ranking goes.

If he'd had just 1 more bout there, and it was a victory over Kostya Tszyu that would've made a big difference.

140 is the one weight class where I feel he really missed the key opponent he should've fought.

[p4p1]

I think if Floyd had stuck at 140 he would make this list. He was nasty at 140.

Yes I'd agree with that. He performed exceptionally well at the weight class. He just only ever had 3 bouts there which hurts his standing as far as time divisional ranking goes.

If he'd had just 1 more bout there, and it was a victory over Kostya Tszyu that would've made a big difference.

140 is the one weight class where I feel he really missed the key opponent he should've fought.

He did look great at that weight, particularly in the Gatti fight but it's also the weight class where he fought the weakest opposition.
I think he was still around the same size as the JWW of the time while fighting at 147 though.

[gilgamesh]

I think if Floyd had stuck at 140 he would make this list. He was nasty at 140.

Yes I'd agree with that. He performed exceptionally well at the weight class. He just only ever had 3 bouts there which hurts his standing as far as time divisional ranking goes.

If he'd had just 1 more bout there, and it was a victory over Kostya Tszyu that would've made a big difference.

140 is the one weight class where I feel he really missed the key opponent he should've fought.

He did look great at that weight, particularly in the Gatti fight but it's also the weight class where he fought the weakest opposition.
I think he was still around the same size as the JWW of the time while fighting at 147 though.

His first fight at Welterweight I believe was against Sharmba Mitchell I'm pretty sure so basically he fought a 140 pound fighter at 147 to make his debut in the weight class.

[Caractacus]

Didn't Sugar Ray Leonard compete at the Olympics as a light-welter-weight ?
if so, does that count ?

[scartissue]

I've always rated Antonio Cervantes the greatest at 140. However, there was a great contender, who was rated #1 for a couple of years that was deftly avoided by the champions of that era and forced to move up in weight when no title shot was forthcoming at jr. welter. His name was Jose Napoles. Now a fight between Cervantes and Napoles would have been one for the ages.

[elmersalsa]

I have heard and read that the great Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles was ducked for years in 3 weight classes: Lightweight, Jr Welterweight and Welterweight.

Nobody wanted a piece of him in the 1960s. By the time he got a title shot, experts were saying that he was too old. Curtis Cokes paid for all those years of suffering.