BoxRec

I'm putting together a series of articles based on the greatest fighters of the original 8 weight classes. But rather than me picking the fighters I believe to be the best, I want the public to vote. Of course, choosing 1 fighter per weight class will be next to impossible. So, you are allowed 3 Honourable Mentions per division ie, Heavyweight All Time Champion, Ali. Honourable Mentions Louis, Tyson and Holmes

So, let me have it.

Flyweight All Time Champion:
Honourable mentions

Bantamweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Featherweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Lightweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Welterweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Middleweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

LightHeavyweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mention

Heavyweight All Time Champion:
Honourable mentions

Fly: Jimmy Wilde

Bantam: Eder Jofre

Feather: Willie Pep

Light: Benny Leonard

Welter: Ray Robinson

Middle: Harry Greb

Light-Heavy: Gene Tunney

Heavy: Joe Louis

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Fly: Jimmy Wilde

Bantam: Eder Jofre

Feather: Willie Pep

Light: Benny Leonard

Welter: Ray Robinson

Middle: Harry Greb

Light-Heavy: Gene Tunney

Heavy: Joe Louis

Good stuff

But I need 3 Honourable Mentions per division as well

Oh, I thought that was optional. I'll give it some thought.

I hate these lists as I probably wouldn't pick exactly the same fighters everytime.

Without thinking about it too much I'm going for these -


Fly: Jimmy Wilde (Pancho Villa, Miguel Canto, Fidel LaBarba)

Bantam: Eder Jofre (Carlos Zarate, Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz)

Feather: Willie Pep (Henry Armstrong, Abe Attell, Salvador Sanchez)

Light: Roberto Duran (Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Pernell Whitaker)

Welter: Ray Robinson (Sugar Ray Leonard, Henry Armstrong, Kid Gavilian)

Middle: Harry Greb (Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Robinson)

Light-Heavy: Ezzard Charles (Gene Tunney, Archie Moore, Michael Spinks)

Heavy: Muhammed Ali (Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis)

Off the top of my head and I'm sure I'll forget someone.

Flyweight All Time Champion: Pancho Villa
Honourable mentions: Jimmy Wilde, Fidel LaBarba, Newsboy Brown

Bantamweight All Time Champion: Eder Jofre
Honourable Mentions: Ruben Olivares,Manuel Ortiz, Fighting Harada

Featherweight All Time Champion: Willie Pep
Honourable Mentions: Sandy Saddler, Salvador Sanchez, Abe Attell

Lightweight All Time Champion: Roberto Duran
Honourable Mentions: Benny Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Henry Armstrong

Welterweight All Time Champion: Ray Robinson
Honourable Mentions: Ray Leonard, Emile Griffith, Kid Gavilan

Middleweight All Time Champion: Marvin hagler
Honourable Mentions: Harry Greb, Carlos Monzon, Charley Burley

LightHeavyweight All Time Champion: Ezzard Charles
Honourable Mention: Archie Moore, Gene Tunney, Sam Langford

Heavyweight All Time Champion:Joe Louis
Honourable mentions: Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield

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: Henry Armstrong, Sandy Saddler, Salvador Sanchez

Lightweight All Time Champion: Roberto Duran
Honourable Mentions: Joe Gans, Benny Leonard, Ike Williams

Welterweight All Time Champion: Sugar Ray Robinson
Honourable Mentions: Henry Armstrong, Emile Griffith, Kid Gavilan

Middleweight All Time Champion: Carlos Monzon
Honourable Mentions: Sugar Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler, Harry Greb

LightHeavyweight All Time Champion: Ezzard Charles (He was never a champion at this weight, but in his time, beat the very best 175 pounders)
Honourable Mention: Archie Moore, Michael Spinks, Gene Tunney,

Heavyweight All Time Champion: Muhammad Ali
Honourable mentions: Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano

Fly- Wilde. HM-Perez,Benny Lynch,Canto
Bantam-Jofre. HM-Harada,Zarate, Olivares
Feather - Pep. HM-Saddler,Sanchez,Saldivar.
Light-Leonard HM-Armstrong,Duran, Gans.
Welter-Robinson. HM-Leonard,Armstrong, Ross.
Middle-Monzon. HM-Greb,Hagler,Robinson.
Light-heavy- Spinks. HM-Charles, Moore, Tunney.
Heavy-Ali. HM-Louis,Foreman, Johnson.

So here's my take, people always tend to disagree, but it's only my opinion.

I would also note that I did not include any boxers in two weight classes.

Flyweight All Time Champion: Jimmy Wilde
Honourable mentions: Frankie Genaro, Benny Lynch and Rinty Monaghan (but I'm biased)

Bantamweight All Time Champion: Eder Jofre
Honourable Mentions: Carlos Zarate, Ruben Olivares and Panama Al Brown

Featherweight All Time Champion: Willie Pep
Honourable Mentions: Alexis Arguello, Sandy Saddler and Kid Chocolate

Lightweight All Time Champion: Henry Armstrong
Honourable Mentions: Benny Leonard, Ike Williams and Roberto Duran

Welterweight All Time Champion: Sugar Ray Robinson
Honourable Mentions: Ray Leonard, Kid Gavilan and Ted Kid Lewis (because he deserves a mention)

Middleweight All Time Champion: Carlos Monzon
Honourable Mentions: Jake LaMotta, Marvin Hagler and Harry Greb

LightHeavyweight All Time Champion: Archie Moore
Honourable Mentions: Ezzard Charles, Gene Tunney and Michael Spinks

Heavyweight All Time Champion: Joe Louis
Honourable mentions: Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano and George Foreman

BarryWashington wrote:im surprised so many people are including spinks in their top 4 LHWs of all-time

Why?

Off the top of the head, kinda just winging it here:

Flyweight: Jimmy Wilde
HM: Fighting Harada, Jung-Koo Chang, and Miguel Canto

Bantamweight: Eder Jofre
HM: George Dixon, Ruben Olivares, Terry McGovern

Featherweight: Willie Pep
HM: Alexis Arguello, Sandy Saddler, Henry Armstrong

Lightweight: Roberto Duran
HM: Packey McFarland, Joe Gans, Benny Leonard

Welterweight: Ray Robinson
HM: Kid Gavilan, Jose Napoles, Ray Leonard

Middleweight: Harry Greb
HM: Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, Bob Fitzsimmons

Lt. Heavyweight: Ezzard Charles
HM: Archie Moore, Bob Foster, Michael Spinks

Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali
HM: Joe Louis, Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano

Good stuff so far. Keep em coming

Controversial wrote:Bantam: Eder Jofre (Carlos Zarate, Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz)

Not to be pernickity, but wasn't McGovern predominantly a Featherweight?

I know he won the Bantamweight World itle but didn't he spend most of his career as a Featherweight?
And so shouldn't he be ranked as a feather?

Because in that case, maybe I could have thrown in Wilfredo Gomez in there, as he was around that weight(ish) too...

King Carlos wrote:Featherweight: Willie Pep
HM: Alexis Arguello, Sandy Saddler, Henry Armstrong

Cry and shame!

I forgot all about Arguello, I should be ashamed of myself..
This is why these things are so damn hard, because you always tend to forget someone...

Crease wrote:

Controversial wrote:Bantam: Eder Jofre (Carlos Zarate, Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz)

Not to be pernickity, but wasn't McGovern predominantly a Featherweight?

I know he won the Bantamweight World itle but didn't he spend most of his career as a Featherweight?
And so shouldn't he be ranked as a feather?

Because in that case, maybe I could have thrown in Wilfredo Gomez in there, as he was around that weight(ish) too...

Yeah it's an awkward one because the bantamweight and featherweight limits fluctuated around that time. If you look on McGoverns record one featherweight title fight was billed at 118lb and a later featherweight fight the weight changed and moved upto 126lbs. McGovern cleaned out the bantamweight division but even when he fought Dixon for the featherweight title he weighed the same as he did when he fought for the bantamweight title against Palmer (116lb). Today the bantamweight limit is 118 and the featherweight limit is 126 so I guess it depends on how you view it.

Controversial wrote:Yeah it's an awkward one because the bantamweight and featherweight limits fluctuated around that time. If you look on McGoverns record one featherweight title fight was billed at 118lb and a later featherweight fight the weight changed and moved upto 126lbs. McGovern cleaned out the bantamweight division but even when he fought Dixon for the featherweight title he weighed the same as he did when he fought for the bantamweight title against Palmer (116lb). Today the bantamweight limit is 118 and the featherweight limit is 126 so I guess it depends on how you view it.

Indeed mate. But iI always thought here wrre too many weight divisions anyway... (Well there are nowdays)

BarryWashington wrote:

raylawpc wrote:

BarryWashington wrote:I'm surprised so many people are including Spinks in their top 4 LHWs of all-time

Why?

don't understand why he would be. IMO, Moore, H. Johnson, Charles, Foster, Bivins, etc. deserve to be ranked higher.

I think Spinks was better than Foster, both dominated Light Heavyweight in their times, so there's not much to choose between them there. Both however also tried for the heavyweight title against all time greats, Spinks twice won narrowly against Holmes, Foster lost heavily against Frazier and Ali. Foster also lost against lesser heavweights like Doug Jones and Zora Folley.

I totally agree on Spinks over Foster, his challengers were superior to Bob's. But I don't think either of them crack the top 6 or 7 at Light Heavy. It's a loaded division.

Controversial wrote:I hate these lists as I probably wouldn't pick exactly the same fighters everytime.

Without thinking about it too much I'm going for these -


Fly: Jimmy Wilde (Pancho Villa, Miguel Canto, Fidel LaBarba)

Bantam: Eder Jofre (Carlos Zarate, Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz)

Feather: Willie Pep (Henry Armstrong, Abe Attell, Salvador Sanchez)

Light: Roberto Duran (Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Pernell Whitaker)

Welter: Ray Robinson (Sugar Ray Leonard, Henry Armstrong, Kid Gavilian)

Middle: Harry Greb (Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Robinson)

Light-Heavy: Ezzard Charles (Gene Tunney, Archie Moore, Michael Spinks)

Heavy: Muhammed Ali (Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis)

Well done, that saved my index fingers a lot of work.

duranfan wrote:

Controversial wrote:I hate these lists as I probably wouldn't pick exactly the same fighters everytime.

Without thinking about it too much I'm going for these -


Fly: Jimmy Wilde (Pancho Villa, Miguel Canto, Fidel LaBarba)

Bantam: Eder Jofre (Carlos Zarate, Terry McGovern, Manuel Ortiz)

Feather: Willie Pep (Henry Armstrong, Abe Attell, Salvador Sanchez)

Light: Roberto Duran (Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Pernell Whitaker)

Welter: Ray Robinson (Sugar Ray Leonard, Henry Armstrong, Kid Gavilian)

Middle: Harry Greb (Carlos Monzon, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Robinson)

Light-Heavy: Ezzard Charles (Gene Tunney, Archie Moore, Michael Spinks)

Heavy: Muhammed Ali (Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis)

Well done, that saved my index fingers a lot of work.

Surely not the same picks for all of them, that would be a hell of a coincidence !!

Fly: Jimmy Wilde 2nd Pancho Villa

Bantam: Eder Jofre 2nd Carlos Zarate

Feather: Willie Pep 2nd Manny Pacquiou

Light: Roberto Duran 2nd Benny Leonard

Welter: Ray Robinson 2nd Henry Armstrong

Middle: Ray Robinson 2nd Marvin Hagler

Light-Heavy: Roy Jones Jnr 2nd Archie Moore

Heavy: Muhammed Ali 2nd George Foreman

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.

Keep em coming

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)

Off the top of my head:
Flyweight All Time Champion: Jimmy Wilde
Honourable mentions: Pancho Villa, Fidel LaBarba, Pascual Perez (although Saad's choice of Newsboy Brown I think is very intriguing and he could be here as well)

Bantamweight All Time Champion:Eder Jofre
Honourable Mentions: Panana Al Brown, Terry McGovern, Kid Herman (perhaps a bit biased as he's from my hometown the Big Easy)

Featherweight All Time Champion: Willie Pep
Honourable Mentions: Sandy Saddler, Abe Attell, Battling Battalino

Lightweight All Time Champion: Benny Leonard
Honourable Mentions: Joe Gans, Henry Armstrong, Barney Ross

Welterweight All Time Champion: Ray Robinson
Honourable Mentions: Joe Walcott, Kid Gavilan, Emile Griffith (Leonard JUST misses the cut here, but I can surely see arguments for him being included among the honourable mentions)

Middleweight All Time Champion: Harry Greb
Honourable Mentions: Micky Walker, Marvin Hagler, Charles Burley

LightHeavyweight All Time Champion: Sam Langford
Honourable Mention: Gene Tunney, Ezzard Charles, Tommy Loughran

Heavyweight All Time Champion: Joe Louis
Honourable mentions: Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey