BoxRec

Hello folks, I am here to give my list of the 100 greatest fighters that ever put on the gloves and fought in the ring for pay since 1882. My list is different from any other list. All lists are different. So mine is not an exception. I have known for days that many in this forum would like to see my list, and were very intrigue by it. But, for reasons of time and other things that got in my way, I could not put this list while being requested. The list exist!

I based the list in the criteria and other major factors like historical impact, what the fighter has meant to the sport, achievements and milestones, quality of opposition and dominance through a weight class or decade when each of these fighters were in their total primes. I also consider, after not being in their primes, what each of these fighters achieved when their boxing skills were not the same. Also I got to consider each fighter durability and longevity, which play a lot in these ranking. My list vary from year to year. Why? Because some of these fighters were somewhat OVERLOOKED when I did the original PERSONAL list back in 1998 AND SOME OF THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE STILL ACTIVE, WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. One fine example is the great Manny Pacquiao. He is active, but his accomplishments are so far, so great, of what he has done, that I got to include him in the list. Other fighters that are still active like Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Jr., and Evander Holyfield are included in this list also. They are/were all time greats by anybody standards.

Also in putting this list in order, I had to be as more OBJECTIVE as possible, without being biased of regarding nationalities, race or because of hating a fighter that I have never liked. If there was a fighter that I have never liked, and was great, I had to include him in the list because of his merits. I give credit where its due.

I don't care if some clowns that I know in this forum want to laugh about my list. I don't pay them any attention. They could laugh all they want to. They know who they are and you guys know of whom I am talking about. We could start a debate here about it if you question my knowledge and why I have this fighter above the other and I will try to defend my position and explain why.

So start things off, here is my list of the 100 greatest fighters pound per pound in boxing history.

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Sugar Ray Robinson
3. Sam Langford
4. Roberto Duran
5. Willie Pep
6. Harry Greb
7. Muhammad Ali
8. Jimmy Wilde
9. Joe Gans
10. Joe Louis
11. Bob Fitzsimmons
12. Benny Leonard
13. Manny Pacquiao
14. Ezzard Charles
15. Tony Canzoneri
16. Mickey Walker
17. Sandy Saddler
18. Jack Johnson
19. Carlos Monzon
20. Archie Moore
21. Sugar Ray Leonard
22. Rocky Marciano
23. Jack Dempsey
24. Pernell Whitaker
25. Julio Cesar Chavez
26. Eder Jofre
27. Ike Williams
28. Marvin Hagler
29. Stanley Ketchel
30. Alexis Arguello
31. Barney Ross
32. Terry McGovern
33. Emile Griffith
34. Gene Tunney
35. Jimmy McLarnin
36. Evander Holyfield
37. Panama Al Brown
38. Tommy Loughran
39. Dick Tiger
40. Kid Gavilan
41. Pascual Perez
42. Kid Chocolate
43. Bernard Hopkins
44. "Barbados Demon" Joe Walcott
45. Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles
46. Salvador Sanchez
47. Ruben Olivares
48. Carmen Basilio
49. George Foreman
50. Larry Holmes
51. Joe Frazier
52. Thomas Hearns
53. Abe Attell
54. Jake LaMotta
55. Charley Burley
56. Fighting Harada
57. Tommy Ryan
58. Wilfredo Gomez
59. Freddie Miller
60. Maxie Rosenbloom
61. Billy Conn
62. Tiger Flowers
63. Carlos Ortiz
64. George Dixon
65. Michael Spinks
66. Manuel Ortiz
67. Carlos Zarate
68. Floyd Mayweather, Jr
69. Miguel Canto
70. Jimmy Barry
71. Pancho Villa
72. Johnny Dundee
73. Bob Foster
74. Ted "Kid" Lewis
75. Roy Jones, Jr.
76. Packey McFarland
77. Ricardo "Finito" Lopez
78. Wilfred Benitez
79. Joe Brown
80. Beau Jack
81. Peter Jackson
82. Holman Williams
83. Freddie Welsh
84. Jack "Kid" Berg
85. Georges Carpentier
86. Marcel Cerdan
87. Jack Britton
88. Khosai Galaxy
89. Mike McCallum
90. Benny Lynch
91. Marco Antonio Barrera
92. Philadelphia Jack O'Brien
93. Azumah Nelson
94. Eusebio Pedroza
95. Sonny Liston
96. Mike Tyson
97. Vicente Saldivar
98. Jersey Joe Walcott
99. Aaron Pryor
100. John L. Sullivan/ Pete "Kid" Herman

It pained me to exclude excellent and great fighters like Nicolino Locche, Nino Benvenutti, Luis Manuel Rodriguez, Harry Wills, Harold Johnson, Lou Ambers, Tony Zale, Antonio Cervantes, Gene Fullmer, Flash Elorde, Ken Buchanan, Ismael Laguna, Battling Battalino, Floyd Patterson, Jim J. Jeffries, Erik Morales, Bob Montgomery, Sammy Angott, Billy Petrolle, Baby Arizmendi, Fidel La Barba, Tommy Gibbons, Young Corbett, Lennox Lewis, Juan Manuel Marquez and Billy Graham. They were in some time or another inside the 100 greatest fighters list, but, at the process of time, they got eliminated. Some of them excluded, in your view, should be in the top 100. Everybody got the right to their own opinion. It was very difficult for me to include them in.

pacquiao is just too high on that list

Overall, a good list. You are never going to get two people to completely agree; there are so many close calls. There does seem to be some balance between eras and weight classes.

Not going to get into some arguements that have been beaten to death.
Probably my biggest disagreement is Basilio being # 48 and Fullmer not making it. I have always considered Fullmer to be the better of the two, though I know that I am in the minority here. There can't be that much difference between the two. Fullmer won the two head to head matches, beat more ranked contenders/champions, and lost less often.

I would take off Carpentier and Jersey Joe Walcott. Would put in Harold Johnson and Lou Ambers.
Pep, Wilde, Marciano, Dempsey, LaMotta, and Hopkins seem a bit too high; Monzon, Sanchez, Spinks and Benitez a bit too low.

All in all a pretty good list. Better than most that I have seen.

I'm proud of you for finally posting it. Now you can reference it without any jokes from me.

Ricardo Lopez over Holman Williams is astonishing, but I've seen worse than this- much worse.

The Dark Destroyer wrote:Pacquiao sticks out for me immediately. Tyson over Lewis too, I can't make an argument for that myself.

Pac sticks out even more with Ezzard Charles right below him. Tyson wouldn't make my Top 100.

This reminds me of that moment in the first Jurassic Park when they first see that huge Brachiosaur...just total disbelief and wonder I am seeing what my eyes tell me D

elmersalsa wrote:76. Packey McFarland

Laughable.

Why is Floyd about seven places ahead of Roy Jones, if anything id give Roy the edge over Floyd?

Kudos for finally putting that up.
I didn't think you'd have Fitzsimmons that high. Also tought you had Hearns higher.
Pac is too high also.
List looks pretty much like I tought it would.

elmersalsa wrote:Hello folks, I am here to give my list of the 100 greatest fighters that ever put on the gloves and fought in the ring for pay since 1882. My list is different from any other list. All lists are different. So mine is not an exception. I have known for days that many in this forum would like to see my list, and were very intrigue by it. But, for reasons of time and other things that got in my way, I could not put this list while being requested. The list exist!

I based the list in the criteria and other major factors like historical impact, what the fighter has meant to the sport, achievements and milestones, quality of opposition and dominance through a weight class or decade when each of these fighters were in their total primes. I also consider, after not being in their primes, what each of these fighters achieved when their boxing skills were not the same. Also I got to consider each fighter durability and longevity, which play a lot in these ranking. My list vary from year to year. Why? Because some of these fighters were somewhat OVERLOOKED when I did the original PERSONAL list back in 1998 AND SOME OF THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE STILL ACTIVE, WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. One fine example is the great Manny Pacquiao. He is active, but his accomplishments are so far, so great, of what he has done, that I got to include him in the list. Other fighters that are still active like Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Jr., and Evander Holyfield are included in this list also. They are/were all time greats by anybody standards.

Also in putting this list in order, I had to be as more OBJECTIVE as possible, without being biased of regarding nationalities, race or because of hating a fighter that I have never liked. If there was a fighter that I have never liked, and was great, I had to include him in the list because of his merits. I give credit where its due.

I don't care if some clowns that I know in this forum want to laugh about my list. I don't pay them any attention. They could laugh all they want to. They know who they are and you guys know of whom I am talking about. We could start a debate here about it if you question my knowledge and why I have this fighter above the other and I will try to defend my position and explain why.

So start things off, here is my list of the 100 greatest fighters pound per pound in boxing history.

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Sugar Ray Robinson
3. Sam Langford
4. Roberto Duran
5. Willie Pep
6. Harry Greb
7. Muhammad Ali
8. Jimmy Wilde
9. Joe Gans
10. Joe Louis
11. Bob Fitzsimmons
12. Benny Leonard
13. Manny Pacquiao
14. Ezzard Charles
15. Tony Canzoneri
16. Mickey Walker
17. Sandy Saddler
18. Jack Johnson
19. Carlos Monzon
20. Archie Moore
21. Sugar Ray Leonard
22. Rocky Marciano
23. Jack Dempsey
24. Pernell Whitaker
25. Julio Cesar Chavez
26. Eder Jofre
27. Ike Williams
28. Marvin Hagler
29. Stanley Ketchel
30. Alexis Arguello
31. Barney Ross
32. Terry McGovern
33. Emile Griffith
34. Gene Tunney
35. Jimmy McLarnin
36. Evander Holyfield
37. Panama Al Brown
38. Tommy Loughran
39. Dick Tiger
40. Kid Gavilan
41. Pascual Perez
42. Kid Chocolate
43. Bernard Hopkins
44. "Barbados Demon" Joe Walcott
45. Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles
46. Salvador Sanchez
47. Ruben Olivares
48. Carmen Basilio
49. George Foreman
50. Larry Holmes
51. Joe Frazier
52. Thomas Hearns
53. Abe Attell
54. Jake LaMotta
55. Charley Burley
56. Fighting Harada
57. Tommy Ryan
58. Wilfredo Gomez
59. Freddie Miller
60. Maxie Rosenbloom
61. Billy Conn
62. Tiger Flowers
63. Carlos Ortiz
64. George Dixon
65. Michael Spinks
66. Manuel Ortiz
67. Carlos Zarate
68. Floyd Mayweather, Jr
69. Miguel Canto
70. Jimmy Barry
71. Pancho Villa
72. Johnny Dundee
73. Bob Foster
74. Ted "Kid" Lewis
75. Roy Jones, Jr.
76. Packey McFarland
77. Ricardo "Finito" Lopez
78. Wilfred Benitez
79. Joe Brown
80. Beau Jack
81. Peter Jackson
82. Holman Williams
83. Freddie Welsh
84. Jack "Kid" Berg
85. Georges Carpentier
86. Marcel Cerdan
87. Jack Britton
88. Khosai Galaxy
89. Mike McCallum
90. Benny Lynch
91. Marco Antonio Barrera
92. Philadelphia Jack O'Brien
93. Azumah Nelson
94. Eusebio Pedroza
95. Sonny Liston
96. Mike Tyson
97. Vicente Saldivar
98. Jersey Joe Walcott
99. Aaron Pryor
100. John L. Sullivan/ Pete "Kid" Herman

It pained me to exclude excellent and great fighters like Nicolino Locche, Nino Benvenutti, Luis Manuel Rodriguez, Harry Wills, Harold Johnson, Lou Ambers, Tony Zale, Antonio Cervantes, Gene Fullmer, Flash Elorde, Ken Buchanan, Ismael Laguna, Battling Battalino, Floyd Patterson, Jim J. Jeffries, Erik Morales, Bob Montgomery, Sammy Angott, Billy Petrolle, Baby Arizmendi, Fidel La Barba, Tommy Gibbons, Young Corbett, Lennox Lewis, Juan Manuel Marquez and Billy Graham. They were in some time or another inside the 100 greatest fighters list, but, at the process of time, they got eliminated. Some of them excluded, in your view, should be in the top 100. Everybody got the right to their own opinion. It was very difficult for me to include them in.

Any list is open to critcism, some of which has been fairly raised already. And i could add some notable absent fighters such as (off hand) Corbett, Choynski, Burns, Mike Gibbons, Darcy, Non Pareil Jack Dempsey, McAuliffe, Steele, Bivins, Maxim (not that any of these have to be there, although being one of only two light heavyweight to ever hold and win a world heavyweight title must have Burns pretty closs to a lock, but i have to say, that is the bet list of this type that i have ever seen and i doubt anyone could find a better list.

I wasnt really privy to the lead up discussions that had many criticising the existence of such a list, I presume Saad and GI were particularly vocal about it. This post reminded me a lot of the Robbie Peden v Nate Cambell first fight. (That list stopped the showboating/arrogance in an instant)

Fair play to you for putting the list up there.

Holmes one place below Foreman and Ketchel once place below Hagler are things I will never agree with, but it's all about opinions sir.

and as a matter of interest, why in the world does your top 100 list have 101 fighters. And why group Sullivan and Herman of all fighters for the unsplittable last spot :?? (not that either isnt sustainable)

Pryor? In the top 100? Are you daft? Just drop him in exchange for Cervantes....and it's a gem of a list....lol.

Hell of an effort regarding an impossible task.



By the way, There is a brand spanking New and exciting BOTP Rule.....

No one is allowed to post another persons top one hundred list.

Why you ask?

Because it is an example of very bad behavior and has no redeeming social, sporting, or educational value.

It's repugnant that someone would even attempt to perpetrate such a heinous fraud within a community typically known for it's sterling integrity and high moral fiber.

The offending thread has been securely locked for eternity to stand as an example of just how NOT to behave on this forum.

A really good attempt of an impossible task. It's always hard to have consistent criteria throughout; comparing eras OR weight divisions is hard enough, to do both is admirable.

BoxBuzz wrote:Pryor? In the top 100? Are you daft? Just drop him in exchange for Cervantes....and it's a gem of a list....lol.

Hell of an effort regarding an impossible task.



By the way, There is a brand spanking New and exciting BOTP Rule.....

No one is allowed to post another persons top one hundred list.

Why you ask?

Because it is an example of very bad behavior and has no redeeming social, sporting, or educational value.

It's repugnant that someone would even attempt to perpetrate such a heinous fraud within a community typically known for it's sterling integrity and high moral fiber.

The offending thread has been securely locked for eternity to stand as an example of just how NOT to behave on this forum.

It took the so-called offending thread to finally see the result of this herculean effort regarding this unfeasible task.

Senya13 wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:76. Packey McFarland

Laughable.

And why is laughable? have you seen the record of the great Packey McFarland?

And what do you guys think of the great Aaron Pryor in the top 100? Why he should not be in? Let's look at his accomplishments.

By 2013, this list will be changed depending of the active fighters. I believe when his career is through, the great Manny Pacquiao will be a top 20 fighter. Maybe a top 10 or top 5 depending how he beats the great Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

big train express wrote:pacquiao is just too high on that list

Explain why he should not be there at that position?

elmersalsa wrote:And what do you guys think of the great Aaron Pryor in the top 100? Why he should not be in? Let's look at his accomplishments.

No De La Hoya, but Pryor gets in on accomplishments!?

Jesus H. Christ

Oscar > Aaron (on accomplishments) eight days a week

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:And what do you guys think of the great Aaron Pryor in the top 100? Why he should not be in? Let's look at his accomplishments.

No De La Hoya, but Pryor gets in on accomplishments!?

Jesus H. Christ

Oscar > Aaron (on accomplishments) eight days a week

To me, Oscar De La Hoya was never better than the great Aaron Pryor. Pryor was a hell of a fighter.

Moving the goalposts in a hurry again, I see

I'd love to hear how Pryor was more accomplished than Luis Rodriguez.

elmersalsa wrote:

Senya13 wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:76. Packey McFarland

Laughable.

And why is laughable? have you seen the record of the great Packey McFarland?

I am guessing that you misunderstood why this was thought laughable. It is hard to imagine 75 better fighters than Packey!

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:I'd love to hear how Pryor was more accomplished than Luis Rodriguez.

He'd just switch the goalposts and tell you Pryor looks the better man