Posted: 26 May 2006, 13:34
I hate these lists for a couple of reasons:
1) it is 'impossible' to know ALL the facts surrounding Top fighters, overlooking many and forgetting others!
2) WAY to much emphases placed on Achievements (World Champions & Title 'holders'), especially when it is known that great 'feared' fighters were Denied or CHEATED out of their chances!
That being said we have to amalgamate the one group into the other, especially when fighter's career 'facts' have been revived and 'proven' by researchers & writers i.e.: Langford, Jeanette, Burley, McAvoy, Gilroy and DOZENS of others - some still waiting to be 'revived'. The list could easily go into the hundreds, the MW's alone could well exceed 100.
Mohammed Ali
Fred Apostili - (often forgotten)
Henry Armstrong
Charley Burley
Marcel Cerdan
Ezzard Charles
Bert Gilroy, (general consensus of the time 1940s, would have been British & World Champion, Charley Rose, Jimmy Wilde, Elky Clarke, referee Eugene Henderson to name but a few, Frozen-Out)
Harry Greb
Marvin Hagler
Len Harvey, (British Boxing's Ambassador, great Champion - skill, achievements multi-divisional champion, longevity, Class)
Joe Jeanette (stylish, feared & Discriminated Black fighter)
Stanley Ketchell
Sam Langford (might have been the best ever, "arguably")
Sugar Ray Leonard
Joe Louis
Benny Lynch
Lloyd Marshall (a pleasure to watch)
Jock McAvoy (Frozen-Out of World MW title, one question need be asked; Did his world MW contemporaries compete with success against bigger fighters? Cross reference Babe Risko's record to see)
Sugar Ray Robinson
Barney Ross
Mike Tyson (if not "exploited" and messed up, might have been the greatest HW of all-time)
Jersey Joe Walcott (like Marshall, only more 'durable', a class act)
Mickey Walker
Ike Williams (great)
Tony Zale
Trusting Jim.
1) it is 'impossible' to know ALL the facts surrounding Top fighters, overlooking many and forgetting others!
2) WAY to much emphases placed on Achievements (World Champions & Title 'holders'), especially when it is known that great 'feared' fighters were Denied or CHEATED out of their chances!
That being said we have to amalgamate the one group into the other, especially when fighter's career 'facts' have been revived and 'proven' by researchers & writers i.e.: Langford, Jeanette, Burley, McAvoy, Gilroy and DOZENS of others - some still waiting to be 'revived'. The list could easily go into the hundreds, the MW's alone could well exceed 100.
Mohammed Ali
Fred Apostili - (often forgotten)
Henry Armstrong
Charley Burley
Marcel Cerdan
Ezzard Charles
Bert Gilroy, (general consensus of the time 1940s, would have been British & World Champion, Charley Rose, Jimmy Wilde, Elky Clarke, referee Eugene Henderson to name but a few, Frozen-Out)
Harry Greb
Marvin Hagler
Len Harvey, (British Boxing's Ambassador, great Champion - skill, achievements multi-divisional champion, longevity, Class)
Joe Jeanette (stylish, feared & Discriminated Black fighter)
Stanley Ketchell
Sam Langford (might have been the best ever, "arguably")
Sugar Ray Leonard
Joe Louis
Benny Lynch
Lloyd Marshall (a pleasure to watch)
Jock McAvoy (Frozen-Out of World MW title, one question need be asked; Did his world MW contemporaries compete with success against bigger fighters? Cross reference Babe Risko's record to see)
Sugar Ray Robinson
Barney Ross
Mike Tyson (if not "exploited" and messed up, might have been the greatest HW of all-time)
Jersey Joe Walcott (like Marshall, only more 'durable', a class act)
Mickey Walker
Ike Williams (great)
Tony Zale
Trusting Jim.