BoxRec

The records and performances of Gene Tunny, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore stand out in the LHW division. And all three are top 10 p4p fighters IMO.

It would be difficult to argue against them as their depth of opposition is unparalleled. But who is #4?

Guys on the ballot...

Sam Langford? Many try to give this p4p great a home here.
Tommy Loughran
Harry Greb
Tommy Gibbons
Jimmy Bivins
Billy Conn
Bob Foster
Michael Spinks
Artur Beterbiev
Dimitir Bivol

Ezzard wrote: ↑07 Nov 2024, 04:48 The records and performances of Gene Tunny, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore stand out in the LHW division. And all three are top 10 p4p fighters IMO.

It would be difficult to argue against them as their depth of opposition is unparalleled. But who is #4?

Guys on the ballot...

Sam Langford? Many try to give this p4p great a home here.
Tommy Loughran
Harry Greb
Tommy Gibbons
Jimmy Bivins
Billy Conn
Bob Foster
Michael Spinks
Artur Beterbiev
Dimitir Bivol

You don't think RJJ deserves a mention?

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑07 Nov 2024, 06:14

Ezzard wrote: ↑07 Nov 2024, 04:48 The records and performances of Gene Tunny, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore stand out in the LHW division. And all three are top 10 p4p fighters IMO.

It would be difficult to argue against them as their depth of opposition is unparalleled. But who is #4?

Guys on the ballot...

Sam Langford? Many try to give this p4p great a home here.
Tommy Loughran
Harry Greb
Tommy Gibbons
Jimmy Bivins
Billy Conn
Bob Foster
Michael Spinks
Artur Beterbiev
Dimitir Bivol

You don't think RJJ deserves a mention?

No. He would just lose to too many of the top guys to be worth mentioning.

I would probably go for Greb.

Ezzard wrote: ↑07 Nov 2024, 06:31 I would probably go for Greb.

Greb for me too.

Michael Spinks or Bob Foster

Does Tunney deserve to be in the top 3 at 175 automatically?

p4p1 wrote: ↑08 Nov 2024, 01:06 Does Tunney deserve to be in the top 3 at 175 automatically?

I think so. He beat three of the guys in the rough list I put up. Delaney too. And Carpentier.

I actually have Spinks at #1. He came a long when the division was very strong and he dominated it. That is virtually unheard of. What more could Spinks have done?
I think there are a few guys that are very close.
The three mentioned - Tunney ,Charles, Moore, and Spinks. I would include Langford. You really have to through his career and look at fights where he fought light heavyweights and was under 175 himself. His weight did go up and down and sometimes we don't know what he weighed. Still, I think he was right there.

Bob Foster is another possibility. His competition was not that great, but he dominated it until he started getting old.
Jones' competition was even weaker than Foster's. A win over DM would have helped his case. As it is, you just can't put him at the very top.

Bivins career overlapped with Harold Johson. I think Johnson is slightly better. I just don't think Johnson and Greb are quite at the very top, but that is arguable.

It really is 5 or 6 guys - Langford, Tunney, Charles, Moore, Spinks, and possibly Foster.
Actually one of the best divisions to discuss.

- IBRO ALL-TIME RATINGS
December 31, 2019
Light-Heavyweight Results
1. Ezzard Charles (586)
2. Archie Moore (538)
3. Gene Tunney (495)
4. Sam Langford (468)
5. Bob Foster (451)
6. Mike Spinks (434)
7. Tommy Loughran (403)
8. Billy Conn (371)
9. Harry Greb (325)
10. Roy Jones Jr. (258)

Discuss...

Since 2019 we have Kov, Ward, Beterbiev and Bivol...

BroughtonRulesRefuge wrote: ↑08 Nov 2024, 12:58 - IBRO ALL-TIME RATINGS
December 31, 2019
Light-Heavyweight Results
1. Ezzard Charles (586)
2. Archie Moore (538)
3. Gene Tunney (495)
4. Sam Langford (468)
5. Bob Foster (451)
6. Mike Spinks (434)
7. Tommy Loughran (403)
8. Billy Conn (371)
9. Harry Greb (325)
10. Roy Jones Jr. (258)

Discuss...

Well, this list is about right. Bob Foster and Michael Spinks are the only toss up.

John Henry Lewis is a galling absence in this thread. Fairly sure that Archie Moore ranked himself after Lewis in discussions about best ever 175lbers in his era. That’s quite the commendation, and unlike with Greb, I suspect we wouldn’t be disappointed if fresh Lewis fight footage appeared. Based on contemporary boxer’s reports / opinions and the sport’s rapid evolution from the 10’s into 30’s, I place Lewis very highly.

ecto55 wrote: ↑14 Nov 2024, 22:00 John Henry Lewis is a galling absence in this thread. Fairly sure that Archie Moore ranked himself after Lewis in discussions about best ever 175lbers in his era. That’s quite the commendation, and unlike with Greb, I suspect we wouldn’t be disappointed if fresh Lewis fight footage appeared. Based on contemporary boxer’s reports / opinions and the sport’s rapid evolution from the 10’s into 30’s, I place Lewis very highly.

Where do you rank John Henry Lewis at 175lbs? He is to be believed to be famous rapper LL Cool J's great great grandfather or something of his mother's side of the family tree.

LL Cool J is my favorite all-time rapper, too!

Solid picks here. Jack Dillon did some great work also. Not number four , I’d have Conn or Foster there probably but he’s often overlooked too. Sorta like John Henry.