The Top 100 Greatest Boxers Pound per Pound of All-Time

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I wonder why the great Tommy Loughran never fought Slapsie Maxie.

It would be a fight between two ring technicians of the 175lbs class. None of the two had a wallop punch.

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Now, this is the countdown so far:
100. Jersey Joe Walcott
99. Sonny Liston
98. Vicente Saldivar
97. Gene Fullmer
96. Mike Tyson
95. Eusebio Pedroza
94. Benny Lynch
93. Jack Britton
92. Tommy Ryan
91. Mike McCallum
90. James Toney
89. Tiger Flowers
88. Joe Brown
87. Ted "Kid" Lewis
86. Peter Jackson
85. Beau Jack
84. Lennox Lewis
83. Abe Attell
82. Holman Williams
81. Azumah Nelson
80. Erik "El Terrible" Morales
79. Luis Manuel Rodriguez
78. George Dixon
77. Ricardo "Finito" Lopez
76. Manuel Ortiz
75. Marco Antonio Barrera
74. Bob Foster
73. Pancho Villa
72. Jimmy Barry
71. Packey McFarland
70. Miguel Canto
69. Carlos Zarate
68. Wilfred Benitez
67. Carlos Ortiz
66. Jack "Kid" Berg
65. Freddie Miller
64. Battling Battalino
63. Wilfredo Gomez
62. Fidel LaBarba
61. Maxie Rosenbloom


And now, at #60, from Pittsburgh, PA, the great Billy Conn!

[elmersalsa]

Now, this is the countdown so far:
100. Jersey Joe Walcott
99. Sonny Liston
98. Vicente Saldivar
97. Gene Fullmer
96. Mike Tyson
95. Eusebio Pedroza
94. Benny Lynch
93. Jack Britton
92. Tommy Ryan
91. Mike McCallum
90. James Toney
89. Tiger Flowers
88. Joe Brown
87. Ted "Kid" Lewis
86. Peter Jackson
85. Beau Jack
84. Lennox Lewis
83. Abe Attell
82. Holman Williams
81. Azumah Nelson
80. Erik "El Terrible" Morales
79. Luis Manuel Rodriguez
78. George Dixon
77. Ricardo "Finito" Lopez
76. Manuel Ortiz
75. Marco Antonio Barrera
74. Bob Foster
73. Pancho Villa
72. Jimmy Barry
71. Packey McFarland
70. Miguel Canto
69. Carlos Zarate
68. Wilfred Benitez
67. Carlos Ortiz
66. Jack "Kid" Berg
65. Freddie Miller
64. Battling Battalino
63. Wilfredo Gomez
62. Fidel LaBarba
61. Maxie Rosenbloom



And now, at #60, from Pittsburgh, PA, the great Billy Conn! The Pittsburgh Kid!

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#60. Billy Conn
Record: 63-11-1, 15KOs
KO Pct = 24%
Career: 1934-48
World Titles Held: World Light-Heavyweight Champion (1939-41)

Highlights:. Light-heavyweight World Champion that made 3 title defenses....Never lost his crown... After losing 6 of his first 14 bouts, went into a tear in a 28-fight unbeaten streak from September 1935 to August 1937, winning 24 in a row from November 1935 to August 1937. (Record: 27-0-1, 4KOs).......From September 1938 to May 1941, won 19 fights in a row. (Record: 19-0, 7KOs)......Beat 9 out of 10 world champions (Record versus world champions is 11-3, with 2KOs)........Beat 4 out of 5 Hall of Fame boxers. (Record versus Hall of famers is 5-3, with 0KOs)......The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 1940.......Stopped 3 times in 75 fights.


Historical Impact: On a summer night of June 18, 1941 at the New York City Polo Grounds, almost beat the great Heavyweight World Champion Joe Louis for the crown.......It was one of the most historical fights in boxing history, losing to Louis by a 13th round knockout. Conn was ahead in the judges scorecards......Considered by many boxing historians as one of the greatest light-heavyweight boxers in boxing history.

Defining Fight: LKO13 Joe Louis .... June 18, 1941..."Almost defeated the great champion Louis for the heavyweight crown"

Other Defining Fights: W10 Fritzie Zivic, W12 Teddy Yarosz, WKO13 Bob Pastor, W15 Melior Bettina, W15 Gus Lesnevich and W12 Tony Zale

Your thoughts on this great champion.

[elmersalsa]

Why there's not enough fight footage of the great Billy Conn? I don't know. But, he is truly one of the all time great light-heavyweight boxers.

He never lost his crown in the ring. And almost took the heavyweight crown from the great Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber from Detroit.

The fight with Louis was The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year of 1941.

What a fight it was. Louis couldn't cope with Conn's speed. Louis weigh in at 200lbs and Conn at 174lbs, but by fight night, legendary trainer Ray Arcel said that Conn was at 168lbs!


Was that the reason Louis couldn't cope with Conn's speed. Also, Conn had a great chin. He took Louis's best shots. But, he made a big mistake in slugging it out with a tremendous puncher like The Brown Bomber.

Louis hit him with some lefts and rights and then two more rights in round 13th and it was over.

Conn, almost stopped Louis in round 12. Did he thought that he could knock Louis out?

Anyway, one of the greatest fights of all time of the heavyweight division.

[Expug]

Conn was a great fighter. Sports Illustrated back in the 80’s had a story in it about him and his wife titled “The boxer and the blond”. Great article well worth looking up. Really captures the man and the era.

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Conn was a great fighter. Sports Illustrated back in the 80’s had a story in it about him and his wife titled “The boxer and the blond”. Great article well worth looking up. Really captures the man and the era.

Billy Conn was a very scientific fighter. He had a fast jab, good lateral movement and a terrific fast left hook. Not to mention the right cross. It was sharp, fast and accurate.

It was a great win for the Brown Bomber. But, it was The Pittsburgh Kid most defining fight even in a loss. Just like when Meldrick Taylor lost to the great Julio Cesar Chavez by knockout with 2 seconds left. It was Taylor's defining fight.

[elmersalsa]

I don't understand why there wasn't enough fight footage of this great boxer, Billy Conn of Pittsburgh, PA. His style was very good.

Maybe Bill Cayton got some more fight footages of Billy Conn.

But, the great Joe Louis was something else. He was very sharp and precise in his punching. Until this day, there hasn't been a fighter that can hit combinations with great accuracy like The Brown Bomber. Maybe, the Explosive Thin Man, the great Alexis Arguello of Nicaragua comes close.

[Expug]

One of the more charismatic fighters ever also. Great interview, looked like a leading man. Would make a huge money if he came along a couple generations later. Of course, there were a lot of guys like that back then

[elmersalsa]

Every great match, especially like the one that champion Joe Louis of Detroit, MI had with challenger Billy Conn of Pittsburgh, PA for Louis's World Heavyweight Crown deserves a sequel.

Their first match won by Louis in which Conn almost won if he didn't changed tactics on June 18, 1941 at the Polo Grounds in New York City was one of the greatest fights at any weight of all time. Louis desperately won by a 13th round knockout to retain his crown.

After that brutal and exciting contest, Conn had 3 more fights in 1942, winning them all. His last fight in 1942 was against World Middleweight Champion Tony Zale of Gary, IN in a ten-rounder. Conn won by unanimous decision. It was Conn's last great win.

In the other hand, Louis had 4 more fights, winning all of them by knockout.

The rematch was supposed to be held on June 25, 1942, but Conn suffered a freak injury in a domestic fight with his father-in-law. So, the fight was rescheduled for October of that year. But, on September 25th, U.S. Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, cancelled the bout because Louis and Conn were enlisted for World War II.

So, the public had to wait 5 years for Louis and Conn to meet again. American promoter, Mike Jacobs, make sure this time that the rematch be surely done without hesitation for Wednesday, June 19, 1946. The venue? The world's famous Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

If for fight #1 Louis, the champion, received $181,097 dollars, this time, he received a then record pay day of $577,700 dollars!

Conn, in fight #1 received $76,966 dollars. This time, his pay for the fight was $289,000!

The gross gate was $1,925,504 dollars.

Louis weighed in at 207lbs this time. In fight #1 he weighed in 199lbs. Conn also came heavier for the rematch at 182lbs compared to 174lbs the first time around.

The fight resulted a boring one. The crowd expected a great fight just like the first one. Conn's tactics were futile this time. He was extremely gun shy in the attack.

Louis, 32, this time around, adjusted and prepared better than the last time he met Conn. He knew what Conn was going to do. To box and move around like 5 years earlier, but, Louis's jab was on point this time to offset any Conn's attacks.

Louis, before the fight said the famous words "He can run, but he can't hide". And hide Conn could not. A right, another right uppercut and a left hook in round 8 put Conn down and for the count.

The winner and still the Heavyweight Champion of the World! the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis!

[elmersalsa]

Billy Conn after he came back from the armed forces in his service to the United States for World War II was never the same boxer. He lost a lot of in his prime in the war years of 1943-45.

But, what he accomplished cannot be understated. Conn was one of boxing's history greatest thinking man's fighters. And was very tough. He could take a shot. And he was clever. And when in trouble, he was game.

He will be always remembered as the man that almost took the great Joe Louis's World Heavyweight Crown.

After the rematch with Louis, Conn made two more fights winning by knockout and then retired in 1948 at the age of 30.

There's nothing else to prove. He wasn't going to beat Louis, who was The only obstacle that was between the heavyweight crown and the glory.

[elmersalsa]

Now, this is the countdown so far:
100. Jersey Joe Walcott
99. Sonny Liston
98. Vicente Saldivar
97. Gene Fullmer
96. Mike Tyson
95. Eusebio Pedroza
94. Benny Lynch
93. Jack Britton
92. Tommy Ryan
91. Mike McCallum
90. James Toney
89. Tiger Flowers
88. Joe Brown
87. Ted "Kid" Lewis
86. Peter Jackson
85. Beau Jack
84. Lennox Lewis
83. Abe Attell
82. Holman Williams
81. Azumah Nelson
80. Erik "El Terrible" Morales
79. Luis Manuel Rodriguez
78. George Dixon
77. Ricardo "Finito" Lopez
76. Manuel Ortiz
75. Marco Antonio Barrera
74. Bob Foster
73. Pancho Villa
72. Jimmy Barry
71. Packey McFarland
70. Miguel Canto
69. Carlos Zarate
68. Wilfred Benitez
67. Carlos Ortiz
66. Jack "Kid" Berg
65. Freddie Miller
64. Battling Battalino
63. Wilfredo Gomez
62. Fidel LaBarba
61. Maxie Rosenbloom
60. Billy Conn

And now, at #59, from the Far East, a great one! His name? Masahaiko "Fighting" Harada! Still Japan's greatest fighter!

[elmersalsa]

#60. Fighting Harada
Record: 55-7, 22KOs
KO Pct = 40%
Career: 1960-70
World Titles Held: World Flyweight Champion (1962-63), World Bantamweight Champion (1965-68)

Highlights:. Two-Division World Champion that should have been a triple crown champ....Made 5 title defenses of Bantam crown......Won his first 25 fights (Record: 25-0, 8KOs).......Won 19 fights in a row from November 1963 to November 1967 (Record: 19-0, 6KOs)...... Beat 3 out of 5 world champions (Record versus world champions is 4-4, 0KOs).....Beat 2 out of 2 Hall of Famers (Record versus Hall of famers is 3-1, 0KOs).....Was stopped only twice in 62 bouts.....Only man to beat the great Eder Jofre of Brazil.

Historical Impact: Only man in boxing history to beat the great Eder Jofre of Brazil. And he did it twice!..... Considered in boxing history as one of the all-time great bantamweights........First boxer from the Far East Asian Continent to win two titles in 2 different weight classes.......Should have been first Asian to become triple crown champ.

Defining Fight: W15 Eder Jofre .... May 18, 1965....."First and only man ever to beat the great hall of famer"

Other Defining Fights: W6 Hiroyuki Ebihara, W15 Pone Kingpetch, W15 Alan Rudkin, W15 Jose Medel (II), W15 Bernardo Caraballo and L15 Johnny Famechon

Your thoughts on this great champion from Japan.

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Masahiko "Fighting" Harada H FLY&BANTAM ... ティング原田(笹崎)

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Japan's little warrior, the great Fighting Harada, was a boxing sensation in the early 1960s decade in that country.

An aggressive fast boxer with intelligence and great stamina, was also durable and threw a lot of punches per round that HBO Compu Box would have been glad to have him in their telecasts, just because of the volume of punches that he throws.

The only thing he didn't had, unfortunately, was a great punch. He was also hard to discourage and had a hell of a chin.

At 19, the little Japanese warrior was ready for a title shot with a 26-1, with 10 knockouts record. He won his first 25 bouts. Among his early victims, was a 6th- round points decision against countryman and future world champion Hiroyuki Ebihara.

Pone Kingpetch of Thailand travelled to Tokyo, Japan to defend his crown against Harada. In one of the most anticipated and important fights seen in Japan, whether be it live or in TV, the fight didn't disappoint one bit.

On October 10, 1962 in the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Harada came at the champion Kingpetch, 27, with a fury never seen before in Japanese boxing history. He came right at the champion.

Kingpetch, the WBA World Flyweight Champion, had a record of 26-3, 7KOs. A smooth and slick fast boxer that in April, 1960, took the crown from the great Pascual Perez of Argentina, who is also one of the greatest flyweights and a top 100 pound per pound great boxer of all-time, by decision. In the rematch, on September of same year, Kingpetch dispatched Perez for good in only 8 rounds.

Since then, Kingpetch had 3 title defenses. Two of them against top notch Japanese boxers, Harada's countrymen: Mitsunori Seki and Kyo Noguchi. Both of them he defeated by decision.

Harada was eager to take revenge and give a great show to his fans. This one, Kingpetch knew, was different and also special.

From the opening bell, Harada was the aggressor. The fight in my view, turned tides. Some rounds were won by Harada, and some rounds were rightly won by the champion.

In round 11th, Harada came with a big flurry out of nowhere against the champion Kingpetch, and Kingpetch went down. Kingpetch, hurt, didn't get up. Japan got a new world champion in boxing. And he is a great one.

The winner by knockout in 11 rounds and new WBA World Flyweight Champion: Fighting Harada!

[elmersalsa]

Fighting Harada of Japan, became the Island's second world boxing champion in history by defeating champion Pone Kingpetch on October 10, 1962. It was one of the greatest moments ever in Japan's boxing history.

He became the second world champion since Yoshio Shirai, who became Japan's first world champion in 1952. Like Harada, Shirai was also Flyweight Champion.

I recommend you to see Harada's first fight against Pone Kingpetch. It was a beautiful fight.

The pace of these two little men was incredible. Fast, with lots of action.

I disagree with the scoring at the time of the stoppage in the 11th round.

Referee Sangkian Hiraleka of Thailand had it close 49-46, Harada.

Judge Nat Fleischer, the original Ring Magazine editor from New York City, had it scored 49-41, Harada. I don't agree with Fleischer's scoring one bit. That fight was a close fight.

And judge Koichi Takada of Japan had his countryman Harada winning 50-38? What fight he was watching? It's outrageous scoring!

In those days in Japan you had to really kill the local opponent to win. I know that Japan was desperately trying to have another world champion since 1952, but, damn! Harada wasn't winning that far!

Maybe Fleischer's scoring was trying to please the Japanese locals. Maybe he was mesmerized by Harada's skill. We don't know the reason. But, Harada was winning the fight in my opinion, but the fight was close.

I had it 47-45 in favor of Harada.

[elmersalsa]

The rematch was set as fast as you could read this on January 12, 1963. Exactly just 3 months after Fighting Harada, at 19, became a household name in Japan after winning the WBA World Flyweight title from ex-champion Pone Kingpetch of Thailand.

The return match this time is in the National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The referee was Sangvien Hioralenhka