BoxRec

jwfg wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 06:51

stujones wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 06:32

jwfg wrote: ↑10 Apr 2024, 05:48 1. Bob Fitzsimmons
2. Gershon Mendeloff
3. Jimmy Wilde
4. Benny Lynch
5. Lennox Lewis
6. Joe Calzaghe

That's a pretty damn good list - I did not include Fitz in mine, but if I did - he would be right up there. I'd still have Wilde at #1, but maybe Fitz at 2 and the two Lewis' at 3 and 4. - but very close between those three.

Fitz's achievement of winning the World Middleweight, Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight championships makes him #1 for me.

I'm probably biased putting Mendeloff at #2, but hey, it's my list.

No real arguement from me with any combination of fitz, Lewis Wilde and Lewis making the top 4 in any order.

I don’t think I could quite have Lynch ahead of these 4, mainly due to his discipline issues. There was a sense of “what might have been”

fitz had a great career but his titles at those 3 weights is a bit flattering and overhyped imo, because it's too often taken out of context

fitz won the mw title at 150, beating a 147 pound opponent
fitz won the lhw title weighing 168 vs a 168 pound opponent
fitz won the hw title weighing 167 vs a 184 pound opponent

winning a mw title beating a guy who is 147 on fight night and then a hw title beating a guy 184 on fight night is totally different from winning titles in those divisiosn today

stujones wrote: ↑08 Apr 2024, 05:46 It is amazing how time flies. Just realised completely forgot about Randolph Turpin - surely he has to be there. Maybe his great great great win has kind of been forgotten about in history - or history is thinking it was somehow some kind of fluke or that Robinson was not focused.

It was the last leg of Robinsons euro tour and his fourth fight in about 3 weeks. He certainly underestimated Turpin and is on record as saying Turpin was his hardest opponent. Turpin looks like a very big middleweight indeed. Heavily muscled. His style is awkward and hes competent in all areas. After having some time to prepare properly for Turpin, Robinson was classy in the rematch and put it beyond doubt with a good stoppage after having Turpin flat out from a very fast right hand which I don't think Turpin saw despite Robinson throwing it straight in front of him, such was the speed of the punch. The first fight was still a great win for Turpin and he was acquitting himself well in the rematch despite losing quite clearly I thought.

Would Ken Buchanan be up there?