Greatest Middleweight once and for all- Greb? Monzon? Hagler?

[Theron]

I made a thread asking about a fantasy fight about Monzon vs Hagler but a lot of people seemed to disagree with me that Harry Greb was the greatest Middleweight of all time which i definatley think he is, if he's not who is to you?

The Criteria i picked Greb on was pretty much just amount of quality opponents beaten as we can't actually watch him fight but we can see his record of beating 18 future present or past champions, defeating men in higher weight classes than himself, i love this quote about Greb it sums up why i think he's the greatest middleweight ever
“Greb may have been the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, who ever lived. Certainly, he was among the top 2 or 3. He combined the speed of Ray Robinson, the durability of Jim Jeffries, the stamina of Henry Armstrong, and the unbridled ferocity of Stanley Ketchel with a will to win unsurpassed in the annals of sport. At his peak, he was unbeatable, defeating virtually every middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight of his generation. A great, great fighter.”

[Manassa]

It's Monzon for me due to his clear cut and dominant reign in that single division - and the fact his exploits are filmed, offering even more clarity.

Greb is a very hard one to rate, at least for me - another one like Henry Armstrong - not the greatest in any of the classic divisions, but possibly the best of all time at 168lbs and 130lbs, and the #1 and 2 on my pound-for-pound list, respectively. I have no qualms about anyone suggesting Greb would beat anyone at 160lbs, and I think he was certainly capable of competing on even terms with any light heavyweight in history.

[lufcrazy]

I pick Hagler as MW goat. I had him beating antuofermo first time out so I think his run as best mw is just as good as Monzons.

These two are my 1&2 at the division. I have Greb number 3 and same at lhw.

In fact I also have him 3 p4p.

[frosty36]

Hagler
Greb
Monzon

[McGrain]

Robinson for me, but i'm happy with Monzon. Not a very definitive answer

[lufcrazy]

I pick Robinson as the best mw in history. Anyone weighing 160 in the ring would be an underdog against him.

[orriray59]

Monzon or Hagler.

[anj]

1. Monzon
2. Hagler
3. Greb

Greb is my no.5 all time.
Monzon will most likely be in my top 10-15 all time.

[burt bienstock]

In fantasy fights there is no sure way we can ever know who would beat who, but I still maintain that what Harry Greb accomplished in a 300 fight career,ABLE to whip LHs as well as Hwts, such as Gene Tunney, Tommy Gibbons, Jack Dillon, Tommy Loughran,Billy Miske, Kid Norfolk, Gunboat Smith, Maxie Rosenbloom,Bill Brennan,[ 4 times without losing nary a round],also beating MWs Mike Gibbons, Tiger Flowers, Southpaws Johnny Wilson, Tiger Flowers, and the truly great Toy Bulldog Mickey Walker, maybe his greatest feat in 1925, when Greb with about 290 bouts, creaking with overuse and having to lose pounds , ran around Central Park TWICE in a steamy July sun, the same afternoon with only orange punch to sip, came into the ring at 158.05 and gave the prime Walker a lacing, finishing the 15th round stronger than Harry started the bout...With all this heroics on his record, which MW
can be rated above him truly ? Oh yes and for the last 5 years or so fighting with but ONE eye...Greb #1...

[red cobra]

Monzon, followed by Hagler, then Greb.

[MadcapMaxie]

Monzon

Hagler

Greb

[dpw417]

I think it's a very fine line here...there is no truly definitive answer.Styles would make the fights. Monzon, Hagler, Greb, Robinson, Burley, and some more deserve mention...Fitz makes a case too...I don't think anyone at 160 could physically overpower Fitz. Greb's record speaks absolute volumes! Robinson while not on the same plain of consistency at the weight, on a given night at his best, could be the best. Monzon as stated so many times, fought so well to his strengths...Burley shows on film a rare defensive ability to totally shut down one of the better punchers at light heavyweight in that era, in Oakland Billy Smith...Everyone's own eyes will tell them Roy Jones Jr is a marvel...At the weight.. who knows? Maybe Sam Langford kicks everybody's ass...Too tough to say...

[salsanchezfan]

I kind of agree with the spirit of what Manassa threw out there, that Greb was more of a guy who fought at any number of weights between 160-175, and some of his best victories are over non-middleweights, whereas fighters like Hagler and Monzon were just designed to be 160-pounders for the entirety of their careers. It's hard to put anyone above them in that division if you think of it that way. If you think about it that way, it's hard not to go with Monzon.

[McGrain]

Yeah, definitely. Greb's actual MW resume is not that incredible. In comparison to, say, his LHW one which is incredible.

[lufcrazy]

I agree there. His mw resume is great but as good as his lhw resume.

He did very well to stay so well conditioned throughout his career.