BoxRec

In keeping score of different weight classes, at one time, the flyweight division was the smallest division of the original 8 of boxing history. A division that is more predicated on speed and agility, the flyweight class has produced some extraordinary performers. There's not enough love for the little men. The lower the weight classes, the less attention the weight class receives. If the heavyweights are the men with the astronomical checks, the flyweights are the most opposite. I have never seen in my lifetime, a flyweight champion receive a seven-figure payday for a fight. Have you? But what the heavyweights possess the knockout punch, the little men possess the speed. The heavyweight crown is the most glamorous and single greatest prize in sports. It's like the most powerful man in the planet. The Baddest men on the planet. The flyweights? Well, since is the total opposite of the heavyweights, we gotta remember that people are born in different sizes. Everyone's growth is different. If you can't name the actual heavyweight world champion, you definitely as many people would not know if the flyweight champion exists. It's been like that forever. But the flyweight division has produced some remarkable little men. Some of the can punch. I mean really hit. Guys like the great Jimmy Wilde of Wales, is one of the top 15 best fighters pound per pound all time. He is probably, the best British and European boxer that ever lived if you want to claim that the great Bob Fitzsimmons was Australian. Other great flyweights on this list like Pascual Perez of Argentina, makes it in my view, a top 50 all time pound per pound best boxers. Other luminaries like Miguel Canto of Mexico, Philippines' great little man Pancho Villa, Scotland's best ever Benny Lynch and a little guy that tangled with bigger men by the name of Fidel LaBarba are the most notorious and historic figures that represent this tiny division. They belong in the top 100 best fighters ever pound per pound if you ask me. Just look at their achievements...It's only 112 pounds! Man! They are small. Why the little men don't get the recognition they deserve? Is it a crime to be a little guy? Maybe is a division that is dominated by Oriental boxers. A very popular division in the Far East.

These in my view, are the top 25 all-time great flyweights ever:
1. Jimmy Wilde
2. Pascual Perez
3. Fidel LaBarba
4. Miguel Canto
5. Pancho Villa
6. Benny Lynch
7. Masao Oba
8. Horacio Accavallo
9. Small Montana
10. Pone Kingpetch
11. Santos Laciar
12. Pongsaklek Wongjonkam
13. Sot Chitalada
14. Newsboy Brown
15. Frankie Genaro
16. Midget Wolgast
17. Hiroyuki Ebihara
18. Betulio Gonzalez
19. Tancy Lee
20. Chartchai Chionoi
21. Omar Narvaez
22. Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson
23. Percy Jones
24. Joe Symonds
25. Efren "Alacran" Torres

Honorary Mention: Fighting Harada, Hilario Zapata, Yuri Arbachakov, Erbito Salavarria, Peter Kane, Jackie Paterson, Rinty Monaghan, and Nonito Donaire

Newsboy is way too low, Perez too high. Nice to see labarba get rated properly, he's often underrated. I have villa #1.pretty sure Genaro & wolgast would make my top 10.

Pretty darn good list, IMO. I thought a lot of Perez so no problem from me at #2 (like WIlde, a good punch). I might have Laciar and Ebihara a little higher and possibly have Harada in the top 25 but most of the right names look like they are there.

Elmeralsa has always interesting list, normally do not agree on everything but this is a solid fly list.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Newsboy is way too low, Perez too high. Nice to see labarba get rated properly, he's often underrated. I have villa #1.pretty sure Genaro & wolgast would make my top 10.

I agree with you about the great Fidel LaBarba. A very underrated champion. If he would have won at least the featherweight crown after being flyweight champion, he would have been written by historians as one top 50 pound per pound all time greats. He was really something.

Newsboy Brown knock against him was that he lost for the crack at the flyweight world crown to a guy from Scotland named Johnny Hill.

elmersalsa wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Newsboy is way too low, Perez too high. Nice to see labarba get rated properly, he's often underrated. I have villa #1.pretty sure Genaro & wolgast would make my top 10.

I agree with you about the great Fidel LaBarba. A very underrated champion. If he would have won at least the featherweight crown after being flyweight champion, he would have been written by historians as one top 50 pound per pound all time greats. He was really something.

Newsboy Brown knock against him was that he lost for the crack at the flyweight world crown to a guy from Scotland named Johnny Hill.

Titles should mean very little on these lists. Especially when rating his era.

If you want to see lots of action and speed, then see these flyweight fights:
Fighting Harada vs Pone Kingpetch I & II
Chartchai Chionoi vs Efren "Alacran" Torres I & II

The great Harada was something. He became world champion at 19. Was that the record before the great Wilfred Benitez became champion at 17?

In a weight class mostly dominated by Far East fighters, five of the top 25 best flyweights on this list are Americans. Ironically, No other country got more in this list.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:Newsboy is way too low, Perez too high. Nice to see labarba get rated properly, he's often underrated. I have villa #1.pretty sure Genaro & wolgast would make my top 10.

I agree with you about the great Fidel LaBarba. A very underrated champion. If he would have won at least the featherweight crown after being flyweight champion, he would have been written by historians as one top 50 pound per pound all time greats. He was really something.

Newsboy Brown knock against him was that he lost for the crack at the flyweight world crown to a guy from Scotland named Johnny Hill.

Titles should mean very little on these lists. Especially when rating his era.

In a way, yes.