BoxRec

Quite a new division - in the sport - only been around since 1970's or 1980's - or something like that.

Super Middleweights - probaly over the years of following boxing has been my favorite division.

Here is my top list of 168LB professional boxers to have fought at the weight.............


1.) Roy Jones Jnr - the greatest 168LB fighter of all time - no question.

2.) James Toney - only lost to Roy Jones when drained at the weight - great fighter -
and everything he has achieved since - like IBF World Crusierweight title and WBA
World Heavyweight title (although he was stripped of that) reflects well on how good
a fighter he was at his more natural weight of 168LBS before he gorged on all them
McDonalds and Wimpys and Burger Kings.

3.) Joe Calzaghe - won all the 4 major belts at the weight - and stayed undefeated.

4.) Chris Eubank - very difficult man to beat - went on a long undefeated run at this weight.

5.) Nigel Benn - what a warrior this guy was at his peak -

6.) Frankie Liles - long serving WBA Champ at the weight.

7.) Gerald McCllellan - only the one tragic fight at the weight - but showed in that fight
what a force he could have gone on to have been at this weight - if tradegy didnt happen.
Tremoudous punch - and great chin to stand up to Benns bombs for 10 rounds - one of the
best fighters ever to have fought at the weight.

8.) Andre Ward - beat Kelseer - and llooks like this guy could be something special - has the rest of his career to prove he is one of the great Super Middleweights of all time.

9.) Mikkel Kelseer - fine young Champion and proved in his last fight with Forch that he has a big heart not to mention a good chin as well - desrves another crack at Andre Ward.

10.) Steve Collins & Carl Froch - both tough warriors and successful but by no means the greatest.

I'm surprise Enzo Mac isn't in this list, for those few days in 2007 when he had the squits and lost a couple of stone after a dodgy curry...... :)

PS I agree with most of the list though Calzaghe should be higher.....

If you asked fans to pick one of those fighters to have reborn as a 25 year old now.

I'd venture most would go for Benn or McLellan.

Steve Collins too low. Undefeated at 12 stone, beat Eubank and Benn. His 3 losses were against finest quality fighters, and two of these (I believe) were razor tight losses. Smashed Chris Pyatt

I wasn't bad, certainly would have munched Froch.

If you are ranking them just as super-middleweights and not on their overall record in other divisions, Calzaghe has to be number one. Jones and Toney just didn't fight enough at the weight. Toney's best super-middleweight win was over Iran Barkley, 3 years after Benn had done him in a round.

I'm sorry, but Ottke has to make the top ten somewhere.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but he beat some good fighters in a long long reign.

Beyer should be considered also.

Frankie Lille is getting credit for being "Long serving" - but not Ottke.

i would have Benn in there higher...just because he was my idol as a kid also Watson (sure he fought at smw)

Ottke needs to be there, and Ward has no case to be there at all, he only has 1 (possibly 2 if you count Miranda) decent win.

My list is based on how good a fighter was at the weight

Not what they achieved at the weight

For example Sven Ottke achieved lots at the weight with his World titles and endless defences

But he was quite a poor fighter - compared to the other fighters on the board

Someone like Gerald McCllellan achieved nothing at the weight - but think he was a much all round better fighter than Ottke.

Captain Hook wrote:PS I agree with most of the list though Calzaghe should be higher.....

not a chance, 3rd is about right for joe

Toney and Jones achieved less at the weight than Calzaghe.

And they didn't spend anywhere near as long in it...

Better fighters and hall of famers, I agree. But Calzaghe was the man at this weight for over a decade.

PS Are you a Froch fan by any chance :)

I agre with Stu that Ottke should be there somewhere.....

A over the hill Robin Reid floored Ottke and was robbed by him.

I think if Reid would have been allowed to openly fight his fight - he could have maybe stopped Ottke or at least beaten him over 12 rounds beyond dispute.

But he wasnt even allowed to fight properly - thanks to the worst bit reffing of a fight in Modern Boxing History.

Somone like Gerald McClellan or Nigel Benn - on neutral ground - would have smashed Ottke to pieces inside 3 rounds.

Who was the best guy Ottke ever beat in all his defences ?

Captain Hook wrote:PS Are you a Froch fan by any chance :)

I agre with Stu that Ottke should be there somewhere.....

you talkin to me? im a fan of both calzaghe and froch

FLINT ISLAND wrote:A over the hill Robin Reid floored Ottke and was robbed by him.

I think if Reid would have been allowed to openly fight his fight - he could have maybe stopped Ottke or at least beaten him over 12 rounds beyond dispute.

But he wasnt even allowed to fight properly - thanks to the worst bit reffing of a fight in Modern Boxing History.

Somone like Gerald McClellan or Nigel Benn - on neutral ground - would have smashed Ottke to pieces inside 3 rounds.

He was an unbeaten super middle champ. I agree about Reid, but the facts remain.

HomeOfBritishBoxing wrote:

Captain Hook wrote:PS Are you a Froch fan by any chance :)

I agre with Stu that Ottke should be there somewhere.....

you talkin to me? im a fan of both calzaghe and froch

Yeah I'm talking to you, Travis :)

I just noticed you were from Nottingham that's all......

Taking Flint's logic perhaps Calzaghe should be lower then? Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns fought at super middle....

montell griffin should be up there, reggie johnson.

collins beat eubanks & benn twice :!: & pyatt :!:

Jones, Toney, Eubank and Calzaghe all put in excellent all-time boxing displays at the weight.

Jones - Pazienza. Toney - Barkley. Eubank - Wharton. Calzaghe - Lacy.

Benn and McClellan gave us the greatest war of all-time at the weight. Eubank-Watson II was also at the weight.

Nunn, Liles, Littles, Collins and Froch also fought at the weight.

Good stuff

Yeah I thought that Hearsn and Lenoard fought at the weight - but surely they were older and not the force they were at the lower weights.

I doubt the version of Sugar Ray and Hearns at 168LBs would have beaten the likes of Calzaghe and Eubank.

What excactly did Lenoard and Hearns achieve at the weight ?

Also worth noting - no Bernard Hopkins - because he never acutally fought at this weight- bypassed it on the way to light Heavyweight.

I think a James Toney before he fought Roy Jones and beofre he was badly struggling at the weight - he was undefeated - and he is a master craftsman - I think he would have frustrated a prime Calzaghe and outpointed him.

Considering Calzaghe spent his whole career at the weight and remained undefeated i would have to say he is the all time number one at the weight,most of the others only had a spell in the supermiddle division so i wouldn't count them to be honest

Roy Jones top then Joe Calzaghe.

Eubank is too high, also McLEllan, that is impossible to justify. Don't think Liles was that great either.

Steve Collins is at the right position.

Andre Ward does not deserve a place on this list. No fighter deserves a top ten spot on an all time list based on one victory. Outside Kessler, Ward's professional career is relatively nondescript. In my opinion Ward is the most overrated fighter in boxing right now.

If we are to formulate a list based on ability, than Roy Jones and James Toney deserve to be number one and two, in my opinion. However, there is no arguing that Calzaghe did more at 168 than any other fighter. And it has already been mentioned several times, but Ottke should be on the list. While Ward is overrated, I feel Ottke is underrated by many. Several of the so-called "Ottke robberies" were in fact fair decisions in close fights.