BEST WELTERWEIGHTS PAST AND PRESENT

[zuru]

MAURICE BLOCKER
RAY LEONARD
MARVIN HAGLER
RAY ROBINSON
ARON PRYOR
TERRY NORRIS
MILDRICK TAYLOR
SIMON BROWN
SHANE MOSLEY
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
THOMAS HEARNS
PERNELL WITAKER

Others covered the fact that Hagler & Pryor weren't welterweights,but I wouldn't consider Norris one either,although I'm sure he probably could have made that weight,myself,I usually associate him at Jr middle.And I considered Blocker decent,but would rate Cuevas ahead of him AND Brown.Also Napoles should be among the top,and if you're naming some of the guys you did,what about Donald Curry,and Marlon Starling,both of who I rate above Blocker,Brown,Mosley,Taylor and Whitaker.I like Mosley, Taylor and Whitaker,but think they were better at light & jr welter.But Napoles belongs way up there.Heck,I rate even Palomino,and Stracey ahead of a couple of those guys.And don't forget Duran.Oh yeah,and Dela Hoya,who would have "spanked" Blocker,and snapped the Thin Man.

[RICHARDMCCOMBS]

MAURICE BLOCKER WAS THE SECOND CHAMPION TO COME FROM WASHINGTON DC. FIRST THERE WAS RAY LEONARD. GIVE CREDIT FOR THAT MUCH.

[zuru]

MAURICE BLOCKER WAS THE SECOND CHAMPION TO COME FROM WASHINGTON DC. FIRST THERE WAS RAY LEONARD. GIVE CREDIT FOR THAT MUCH.

While I do think Dela hoya would beat him,I have to admit,I threw the "spanking" comment in as a heckle.I liked both Blocker& Brown,from before they won titles.I just don't think he is among the elite,but he was a good fighter.One thing that all of us overlook,is the skill,desire,toughness,and heart it takes to step in the ring.We sit back and make comments about all of these guys,when in reality,"they" are among the elite to your average man.While some who post here may have experience whether pro or amateur,these guys that we debate on,made it for the most part(whether they won a title or not)to world recognition,which is a miraculous feat in itself.So don't get disheartened Rich,personally I think it is admirable to back your fighter whether he is a relative or not.Like I said,I know what it takes,and to be known round the world,your not the bum down the street that won a couple of fights,you've got something rare,no matter how little skill you may possess,we all need to keep this in mind,when we're putting down certain guys,like Boom Boom Mancini,Gerry Cooney,Tyson,Valuev,Shannon Briggs,Frank Bruno and on and on,
zuru

[Borinken25]

I'm surprise nobdody has mention Luis Manuel Rodriguez.

[silkov]

Zac Hanscom IV, former writer for Sportsline and Inside Fighting, focusing on history.

Nice, your idea of history seems to be the exploits of the legendary Ray Mancini... perhaps you should have stuck to WWF.... a visit to a local charm school wouldnt go amiss either... 8)

[Evander]

I haven't examined all the records.

I know he bounced around but Pernell Whitaker has to be up there.

[dr_devious]

HANDS DOWN HE'S REGARDED AS ONE OF THE BEST WELTERWEIGHTS AND IF HE WAS STILL BOXING HE COULD TAKE ON THESE GUY'S LIKE OSCAR,FLOYD.ETC..

By whom? You?!?!? You're just some dork on the internet who doesn't even know how to type.

Welcome Richard, I see you've met our official greeter Decagon, who knows tons about boxing but has yet to attend the charm seminars we put on here at BoxRec.

Now as for as for Dan Blocker's cousin being a top dog at welter...I imagine your going to head into oncoming traffic with that one. And just how accomplished did you feel Hagler was in this division? hmmm come to think of it he was never defeated as a Welter correct? More than we can say about his MW years. Same can be said about Monzon during his
Heavyweight years I suppose. Anyways...Welcome to the forum.

[Syntax Error]

MAURICE BLOCKER
RAY LEONARD
MARVIN HAGLER
RAY ROBINSON
ARON PRYOR
TERRY NORRIS
MILDRICK TAYLOR
SIMON BROWN
SHANE MOSLEY
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
THOMAS HEARNS
PERNELL WITAKER

Aaron Pryor SHOULD have been a welterweight, but wasted his energy campaigning the the next unglamorous light welterweight division.

Emile Griffith is one of the best welters too that should be on the list.

[BoxBuzz]

Pryor? A potentional welterweight to be reckoned with? Is that a joke? I wish he would have tried, oh wait he did and didn't work out! however a more serious attempt would have put to rest a lot of the nonsense associated with him.

[Syntax Error]

Pryor? A potentional welterweight to be reckoned with? Is that a joke? I wish he would have tried, oh wait he did and didn't work out! however a more serious attempt would have put to rest a lot of the nonsense associated with him.

To be honest, I can't really say how good Pryor would have been at welterweight, but he should have stepped up in 1980 et al.

I've often heard talk of Sugar Ray Leonard ducking him, but that is just laughable as Pryor did not even fight at the weight.

Why did he not do like Roberto Duran & jump up to the weight & beat a path to SRL's door?

[silkov]

Pryor was actually a natural lightweight but moved up to 140 when he couldnt get a title shot at 135... his fight with Bobby Joe Young at 147 should hardly be taken as a measure of his ability as he was ravaged by drugs and a detached retina by that time and was just a shell of his prime...

[zuru]

Pryor was actually a natural lightweight but moved up to 140 when he couldnt get a title shot at 135... his fight with Bobby Joe Young at 147 should hardly be taken as a measure of his ability as he was ravaged by drugs and a detached retina by that time and was just a shell of his prime...

Most definitely,and if you saw the write up in Sports Illustrated,it was enough to make one cry,how the Once fierce Champion Pryor,was reduced to a cracked out shell,118lbs of drug induced,lost,ashy semblance of a human.It is a wonder he ever recovered from that state of decomposition,it says a lot about his strength of character,because far and few make a climb back UP after falling like he did.

[BoxBuzz]

One of the very earliest decomposers ever..if in fact he was ever all that composed. He would have simply been a notch on Duran's belt.

[RICHARDMCCOMBS]

Sugar Ray Robinson