BoxRec

Who do you think the all-time greatest British fighters are in each weight division? Here is my list: -

Heavyweight - 1. Lennox Lewis 2. Frank Bruno 3. Joe Bugner 4. Henry Cooper
Cruiserweight - 1. Johnny Nelson 2. Carl Thompson
Light Heavy 1. Bob Fitzsimmons 2. Len Harvey 3. John Conteh
Super Middle 1. Joe Calzaghe 2. Nigel Benn 3. Chris Eubank
Middle 1. Bob Fitzsimmons 2. Nigel Benn 3. Randolph Turpin
Light Middle - 1. Maurice Hope
Welterweight - 1. Ted "Kid" Lewis 2. Lloyd Honeyghan
Light Welter - 1. Ricky Hatton 2. Jack "Kid" Berg
Lightweight - 1. Ken Buchanan 2. Freddie Welsh
Featherweight - 1. Jim Driscoll 2. Naseem Hamed 3. Barry McGuigan
Bantamweight - 1. Owen Moran 2. Wayne McCullogh
Flyweight - 1. Jimmy Wilde 2. Benny Lynch 3. Peter Kane

A few caveats on this list:-
1. Bob Fitz is counted as British as he was born in Cornwall but he could be said to be Australian. He never fought at super middle or cruiserweight as the divisions didnt exist. I didnt rank him at heavyweight as i think hes too small despite his heavyweight title
2. Len Harvey could have been rated in the lower divisions and though never won a world title was one of Britains best ever lb 4 lb fighters.
3. I'd fancy both Ted "Kid" Lewis, Lloyd Honeyghan and maybe Ricky Hatton to beat Maurice Hope but they never fought at light middle

Here are my opinions:

Heavyweight - Henry Cooper

Cruiserweight - Carl Thompson

Light Heavy- Bob Fitzsimmons

Super Middle Chris Eubank

Middleweight- Nigel Benn

Light Middle - Maurice Hope

Welterweight - Lloyd Honeyghan

Light Welter - Jack "Kid" Berg

Lightweight - Naseem Hamed

Featherweight - Barry McGuigan

Bantamweight - Wayne McCullogh

Flyweight - 1. Jimmy Wilde

What you think boys?

I think for starters Hamed over Buchanan at a weight he has never fought near?

Cooper over Lennox Lewis?

Thompson over someone who beat him?

Crease: would like to hear your arguments for how Henry is better than Lennox...

Heavyweight - Lennox Lewis
Cruiserweight - Johnny Nelson
Light Heavyweight - Bob Fitzsimmons
Super Middleweight - Nigel Benn
Middleweight - Randy Turpin
Light Middleweight - Maurice Hope
Welterweight - Lloyd Honeyghan
Light Welterweight - Ricky Hatton
Lightweight - Ken Buchanan
Featherweight - Naseem Hamed
Bantamweight - Wayne McCullogh

i dop hope we arent going to get the canadian argument again re Lewis.

I posted my this on this thread in the BOP forum so might as well add it here too

Its hard to compare different eras so I've done a pre/post war list

Heavy
Farr/Lewis

Lightheavy
Harvey/Conteh

Middle
McAvoy/Benn

Welter
Ted Kid Lewis/Honeygahn

Lightwelter
Berg/Hatton

Light
not sure/Buchannan

Feather
Driscoll/Hamed

Bantam
Moran/Mcullough

Fly
Wilde/not sure

Honorable mention Benny Lynch, Randy Turpin, Chris Eubank.

Fitzsimmons I didn't include him because it raises too many question re his nationality, weight division and the era in which he fought but if he did count I might have him number 1 pound for pound

Herol Graham started at light middle. Does anyone think he could have beaten Maurice Hope at the weight?

Yes, I think Herol Graham would have beat Maurice Hope at light middle. So too Ted "Kid" Lewis, Lloyd Honeyghan, and probably Ricky Hatton if they moved up

Loynesy wrote:Crease: would like to hear your arguments for how Henry is better than Lennox...

Henry is British