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Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 02 Jan 2012, 08:07
by Ezzard
Flyweight All Time Champion: Jimmy Wilde
Honourable mentions: Pascual Perez, Pancho Villa, and Benny Lynch
Bantamweight All Time Champion: Eder Jofre
Honourable Mentions: Panama Al Brown, Ruben Olivares, Carlos Zarate
Featherweight All Time Champion: Willie Pep
Honourable Mentions: Sandy Saddler, Salvador Sanchez, Terry McGovern
Lightweight All Time Champion: Henry Armstrong
Honourable Mentions: Roberto Duran, Benny Leonard, Joe Gans
Welterweight All Time Champion: Sugar Ray Robinson
Honourable Mentions: Emile Griffith, Kid Gavilan, Ray Leonard
Middleweight All Time Champion: Harry Greb
Honourable Mentions: Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, Bob Fitzsimmons
LightHeavyweight All Time Champion: Ezzard Charles
Honourable Mention: Archie Moore, Sam Langford, Gene Tunney,
Heavyweight All Time Champion: Muhammad Ali
Honourable mentions: Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 02 Jan 2012, 15:18
by King Carlos
Badhusker wrote:Some great choices above.........except Michael Spinks! He should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the top 5 Light Heavyweights. The clear-cut ATG I think is Gene Tunney. 65-1, almost 50 KO's. Only loss was to Harry Greb, and he avenged that loss 3 or 4 times. Also moved up to heavy to beat Jack Dempsey. No one can match his record. In any weight or era really.
Spinks beat a relatively similar level of opposition at Lt. Heavy (in under half as many fights), also only had one loss (at the tail end of his career up in weight, unlike Tunney, who lost to a smaller man), and similarly stepped up in weight to beat a long-reigning, all time great champ that was past his prime.
I definitely consider Spinks on a par with Tunney.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 14 Mar 2012, 09:55
by Crease
This thread deserves a: BUMP

Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 14 Mar 2012, 10:38
by Ezzard
Flyweight: Jimmy Wilde
HM: Pancho Villa, Jung-Koo Chang, and Miguel Canto
Bantamweight: Eder Jofre
HM: George Dixon, Ruben Olivares, Fighting Harada
Featherweight: Willie Pep
HM: Sandy Saddler, Henry Armstrong, Salvador Sanchez
Lightweight: Roberto Duran
HM: Joe Gans, Benny Leonard, Henry Armstrong
Welterweight: Ray Robinson
HM: Kid Gavilan, Emile Griffith, Ray Leonard
Middleweight: Harry Greb
HM: Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, Bob Fitzsimmons
Lt. Heavyweight: Ezzard Charles
HM: Archie Moore, Gene Tunney, Sam Langford
Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali
HM: Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 14 Mar 2012, 18:10
by dempseyfire
King Carlos wrote:Badhusker wrote:Some great choices above.........except Michael Spinks! He should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the top 5 Light Heavyweights. The clear-cut ATG I think is Gene Tunney. 65-1, almost 50 KO's. Only loss was to Harry Greb, and he avenged that loss 3 or 4 times. Also moved up to heavy to beat Jack Dempsey. No one can match his record. In any weight or era really.
Spinks beat a relatively similar level of opposition at Lt. Heavy (in under half as many fights), also only had one loss (at the tail end of his career up in weight, unlike Tunney, who lost to a smaller man), and similarly stepped up in weight to beat a long-reigning, all time great champ that was past his prime.
I definitely consider Spinks on a par with Tunney.
Similar level of competition??? Not even close . . .
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 14 Mar 2012, 18:48
by King Carlos
dempseyfire wrote:King Carlos wrote:Badhusker wrote:Some great choices above.........except Michael Spinks! He should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the top 5 Light Heavyweights. The clear-cut ATG I think is Gene Tunney. 65-1, almost 50 KO's. Only loss was to Harry Greb, and he avenged that loss 3 or 4 times. Also moved up to heavy to beat Jack Dempsey. No one can match his record. In any weight or era really.
Spinks beat a relatively similar level of opposition at Lt. Heavy (in under half as many fights), also only had one loss (at the tail end of his career up in weight, unlike Tunney, who lost to a smaller man), and similarly stepped up in weight to beat a long-reigning, all time great champ that was past his prime.
I definitely consider Spinks on a par with Tunney.
Similar level of competition??? Not even close . . .
Tunney has the better wins against Greb (the smaller fighter whom he pretty much split the series with if you're going by accounts of the day), but apart from that he doesn't hold much of an edge, even less so if you're only counting fights fought at or below the Lt. Heavyweight limit.
Tunney: Tommy Gibbons, Jeff Smith (whom Tunney outweighed by 12 pounds), Georges Carpentier, Jimmy Delaney, Battling Levinsky, Leo Houck, and a draw with a pre-prime Tommy Loughran are the strength of his Lt. Heavyweight resume. And that's including the above the weight bouts.
Spinks: Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Yaqui Lopez, Eddie Davis, etc.
I don't see any gulf in class there, especially their top wins. Tunney may have slightly more depth (goes with the territory of having over twice as many fights), but Spinks beat some other contenders I didn't mention as well. All in all, it's pretty close.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 05:43
by Crease
I wonder how many more compelling wins will Floyd have to do before his name is brought up in here somewhere.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 08:34
by elmersalsa
Pretty Boy Floyd did not stay long enough in the divisions he participated in. If one would like to classify him in a weight class as an all-time great of any weight division would be jr lightweight. That was his longest stay in his career.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 12:22
by jimglen
try Britain.
Flyweight: Jimmy Wilde, Benny Lynch, Peter Kane, Jackie Paterson, Elky Clark
Bantamweight: Jim Brady, Peter Keenan, Joe Bowker
Featherweight: Jim Driscoll, Owen Moran, Nel Tarleton, Alex Lafferty, Naseem Hamed
Lightweight: Freddie Welsh, Ken Buchanan, Eric Boon, Dave Charnley
Welterweight: Ted Kid Lewis, Ernie Roderick, Jackie Kid Berg, Arthur Danahar
Middleweight: Jock McAvoy, Bert Gilroy, Randy Turpin, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe,
Lt. Heavyweight: Bob Fitzsimons, Len Harvey, John Conti, Freddie Mills
Heavyweight: Lennox Lewis (Super-Heavyweight), Tommy Farr, Henry Cooper, Bruce Woodcock, Frank Bruno
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 13:37
by gilgamesh
dr_devious wrote:Flyweight Jimmy Wilde (Pancho Villa, Fidel Labarba, Benny Lynch)
Bantamweight Eder Jofre (Ruben Olivares, Manuel Ortiz, Carlos Zarate)
Featherweight Willie Pep (Sandy Saddler, Salvador Sanchez, Azumah Nelson)
Lightweight Roberto Duran (Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Henry Armstrong)
Welterweight Ray Robinson (Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Emile Griffith)
Middleweight Harry Greb (Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzon, Stanley Ketchel)
Light Heavyweight Ezzard Charles (Archie Moore, Sam Langford, Michael Spinks)
Heavyweight Muhammed Ali (Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Jack Johnson)
My list would look basically like that. Especially your guys at the very top.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 14:53
by dr_devious
jimglen wrote:try Britain.
Flyweight: Jimmy Wilde, Benny Lynch, Peter Kane, Jackie Paterson, Elky Clark
Bantamweight: Jim Brady, Peter Keenan, Joe Bowker
Featherweight: Jim Driscoll, Owen Moran, Nel Tarleton, Alex Lafferty, Naseem Hamed
Lightweight: Freddie Welsh, Ken Buchanan, Eric Boon, Dave Charnley
Welterweight: Ted Kid Lewis, Ernie Roderick, Jackie Kid Berg, Arthur Danahar
Middleweight: Jock McAvoy, Bert Gilroy, Randy Turpin, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe,
Lt. Heavyweight: Bob Fitzsimons, Len Harvey, John Conti, Freddie Mills
Heavyweight: Lennox Lewis (Super-Heavyweight), Tommy Farr, Henry Cooper, Bruce Woodcock, Frank Bruno
How does Arthur Danahar get on the list and Lloyd Honeyhan doesnt? Also, Bert Gilroy at MW but no Minter, Graham, Watson or Eubank???? David Haye should make the heavyweight list, as well as Joe Bugner
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 15 Sep 2013, 15:20
by jimglen
How does Arthur Danahar get on the list and Lloyd Honeyhan doesnt? Also, Bert Gilroy at MW but no Minter, Graham, Watson or Eubank???? David Haye should make the heavyweight list, as well as Joe Bugner
better Era's vs weaker eras & comp. and yes defo Bugner, and Haye might as we should soon see.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 18 Sep 2013, 18:35
by Crease
Good topic this. It's a shame that more people don't pick Marvin Hagler as their number one Middleweight, I didn't expect the majority to, but it would be nice to see The Marvellous One get a few votes.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 18 Sep 2013, 19:32
by SaadOffTheDeck
You could have joined me, but you picked Monzon.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 18 Sep 2013, 22:51
by King Carlos
I think I was smoking crack when I picked Jimmy Wilde for my Flyweight choice. Honestly. Must've been on a kick of his at the time. Very overrated fighter. Benny Lynch was better.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 09:45
by SaadOffTheDeck
King Carlos wrote:I think I was smoking crack when I picked Jimmy Wilde for my Flyweight choice. Honestly. Must've been on a kick of his at the time. Very overrated fighter. Benny Lynch was better.
Agreed, LaBarba was too.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 14:37
by Mr E
Honorable mentions listed in chronological order.
Flyweight Champ: Jimmy Wilde
Honorable Mentions: Fidel LaBarba, Pascual Perez, Miguel Canto
Bantamweight Champ: Eder Jofre
Honorable Mentions: Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz, Ruben Oliveres
Featherweight Champ: Sandy Saddler
Honorable Mentions: Jim Driscoll, Willie Pep, Salvador Sanchez
Lightweight Champ: Roberto Duran
Honrable Mentions: Joe Gans, Benny Leonard, Henry Armstrong
Welterweight Champ: Sugar Ray Robinson
Honorable Mentions: Charley Burley, Jose Napoles, Sugar Ray Leonard
Middleweight Champ: Harry Greb
Honorable Mentions: Stanley Ketchel, Mickey Walker, Carlos Monzon
Light-Heavyweight Champ: Sam Langford
Honorable Mentions: Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Michael Spinks
[Note: I believe Gene Tunney reached his pound-for-pound peak as a 190-lb. "cruiserweight." As a light-heavy, I rate him a shade behind these 4 guys, but I believe the Tunney of the Dempsey fights would have beaten them all.]
Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali
Honorable Mentions: Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Larry Holmes
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 14:44
by keithmoonhangover
Fly: Wilde
Bantam: Jofre
Feather: Pep
Light: Benny Leonard
Welter: Robinson
Middle: Ketchel
Light-Heavy: Moore
Heavy: Ali
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:00
by SaadOffTheDeck
keithmoonhangover wrote:Fly: Wilde
Bantam: Jofre
Feather: Pep
Light: Benny Leonard
Welter: Robinson
Middle: Ketchel
Light-Heavy: Moore
Heavy: Ali
I don't get Moore over Charles. Care to elaborate?
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:10
by keithmoonhangover
SaadOffTheDeck wrote:keithmoonhangover wrote:Fly: Wilde
Bantam: Jofre
Feather: Pep
Light: Benny Leonard
Welter: Robinson
Middle: Ketchel
Light-Heavy: Moore
Heavy: Ali
I don't get Moore over Charles. Care to elaborate?
No.
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:11
by SaadOffTheDeck
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:13
by keithmoonhangover
SaadOffTheDeck wrote:
You still not got anyone sleeping beside you?
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:13
by SaadOffTheDeck
keithmoonhangover wrote:SaadOffTheDeck wrote:
You still not got anyone sleeping beside you?

Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:17
by keithmoonhangover
Re: Greatest fighters in the original 8 weight classes
Posted: 19 Sep 2013, 15:24
by SaadOffTheDeck