BoxRec

Following on from the Calzaghe thread and claims that he is one of the greatest British boxers ever, I was actually wondering who you all had in your P4P top 10 (or even 15)?

I'm a young and relatively new boxing fan, and whilst I'm aware of the likes of Lennox, Eubank, Benn, Hamed, I'm not that familiar with the older generations.

Would John Conteh and Ted Kid Lewis fit into your top 10's (15's)? How do you think our greats would fair against the best of their divisions if everyone was about at the same time?

In anticipation of your opinions, thanks.

Kid Lewis greatest pre war. Post war is a bit more difficult.

I would say Lewis over Calzaghe, higher level of competition, consistently.

Benny Lynch
Jack "Kid" Berg
Bob Fitzsimmons


Ken Buchanan
Lennox Lewis

Hamed

Minter
Conteh
Benn

Maybe guys like Rudkin, McGowan and Winstone, but their legacy is "harmed" by fighting in an area of just 2 world titles and having excellent competition there (all 3 could be judged unfortunate in at least one of their title challenges).

some great pre war british fighters not mentioned yet. When you start counting its a deep pool.

Jack ''Kid'' Berg
Jimmy Wilde
Freddie Welsh
Jim Driscoll

T

No one remember Bert Gilroy?

orbtastic wrote:Kid Lewis greatest pre war. Post war is a bit more difficult.

I would say Lewis over Calzaghe, higher level of competition, consistently.

Benny Lynch
Jack "Kid" Berg
Bob Fitzsimmons


Ken Buchanan
Lennox Lewis

Hamed

Minter
Conteh
Benn

Maybe guys like Rudkin, McGowan and Winstone, but their legacy is "harmed" by fighting in an area of just 2 world titles and having excellent competition there (all 3 could be judged unfortunate in at least one of their title challenges).

Not Winstone for me. He only became champ because a guy he lost to three times retired, and he won it against a virtual unknown. Great talent, would have been better in another era, but that doesn't change what he did actually achieve.

Saldivar? He is a HOFer?

i think he was referring, 'virtual unknown', to Mitsuni seki or whatever the bloke's name is, bloke Winstone beat to win the vacatn WBC

Ah right. well what I said still stands before and after that.

yes. i can't really assess anyone pre-70s so I'm out of the conversation really.

Seki was a very good fighter. Calling him an "unknown" based off of your own ignorance doesn't hold a lot of merit. Winstone was one of the finest lower weight technicians I've ever seen on film. A textbook pure boxer in every sense of the word. The fact that he couldn't get past one of the greatest and most dominant champions of the modern era is hardly a black mark on him, especially considering how grueling their middle match was. To bounce back from a war of that magnitude shows what great character Winstone had.

If Oliver Fennell hasn't seen them, they can't fight in his opinion. Winstone is a must for any British all-time top 10. He would have played with someone like Paul Hodkinson.

I agree, Bennie, and I actually quite liked Hodkinson.

I've some of the fights on DVD.

I'd certainly have them ahead of guys like say, Ingle, Weir & Catley etc.

Winstone was good, to say he was missing 3 fingers on one hand?

I forgot Randy Turpin, Mills & Honeyghan.

King Carlos wrote:I agree, Bennie, and I actually quite liked Hodkinson.

Yeah, I liked Hodkinson - and he could fight and won a proper world title - but he was made for Winstone's left jab.

Jimmy Wilde is my number 1.

One could argue his case for all time p4p number 1, let alone British.

In terms of pure ability Conteh has to be right up there post war. In terms of achievement post war you'd probably have to look to Lennox or Kenny Buchanan.


Pre war the argument is much harder.

What's everyone's pick for best ever British win?

Turpin/Robinson?
Berg/Kid Chocolate?

Will have a go at this later but for now I just wanted to throw in Owen Moran. He should be in the debate.

In no particular order as these greats are all at the same level:


Ginger Sadd
"Cast Iron" Casey
Jim Brady
Bert Gilroy
Ernie Roderick

Lighweight Dave Charnley is often rated as one of the best British fighters although he never won a world title. He lost a 15 round decision to Joe Brown in a world title fight that was named by Ring Magazine as Fight Of The Year in 1961

Randy Turpin was a terrific fighter who is long overdue some kind of acclaim in Britain.

How do you all rate Nel Tarleton?

jBacca wrote:How do you all rate Nel Tarleton?

Possibly the greatest one-lung'd fighter ever

yiddo14 wrote:Jimmy Wilde is my number 1.

One could argue his case for all time p4p number 1, let alone British.

How could one argue that? In my opinion he's among the most overrated fighters of all time.

jBacca wrote:How do you all rate Nel Tarleton?

The first, great Liverpool fighter.

bennie wrote:If Oliver Fennell hasn't seen them, they can't fight in his opinion. Winstone is a must for any British all-time top 10. He would have played with someone like Paul Hodkinson.

Yeah, that Jack Johnson, what a dud.

Of course Winstone would have played with Hodkinson. What's that got to do with anything? It's not like anyone is positing Hoko as a British ATG.