The Original 8 divisions: Pick your greatest fighter

Do this over again..

Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali
HMs: Joe Louis, George Foreman, Larry Holmes

Light Heavyweight: Sam Langford
HMs: Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Gene Tunney

Middleweight: Harry Greb
HMs: Carlos Monzon, Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler

Welterweight: Ray Robinson
HMs: Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Joe Walcott

Lightweight: Roberto Duran
HMs: Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Pernell Whitaker

Featherweight: Willie Pep
HMs: Salvador Sanchez, Henry Armstrong, Sandy Saddler

Bantamweight: Eder Jofre
HMs: Carlos Zarate, Ruben Oliveras, Manuel Ortiz

Flyweight: Miguel Canto
HMs: Jimmy Wilde, Pascual Perez, Benny Lynch

Begrudingly place Pep and Jofre ahead of Sanchez and Zarate respectively, two of my all-time favorite ATG little giants.

 

Hw- Joe Louis
HM -Dempsey, Liston, Ali
LH- Gene Tunney
HM-Ezzard Charles , Tommy Gibbons, Archie Moore
Mw- Harry Greb
HM- Bob Fitz, Stanley Ketchel, Mickey Walker
WW- Ray Robinson
HM- Tommy Hearns, Tommy Ryan, Jack Britton
LW- Benny Leonard
HM- Joe Gans, Roberto Duran, Tony Canzoneri
FW- Henry Armstrong
HM- Terry McGovern, Abe Attel, Willie Pep
BW-Terry McGovern
HM-Eder Jofre,Manuel Ortiz, Carlo Zarate
FW- Jimmy Wild
HM- Pancho Villa, Benny Lynch

 

Hmmm, Hearns is my favourite fighter but not sure he can be in and SRL not.

Very controversial 160, near none of the usual suspects. Surprising Monzon can't get in the top 4.

 

Tommy Hearns is one of my favorite welterweights. SRL and he are linked close together, but I loved Hearns TNT right hand...I do not rate Monzon that high IMO. I think H2h Hagler, Freddie Steel, would have beaten Monzon were they to have met. I don't think any MW in history could have caught up to Harry Greb, and kod him when he was in his absolute prime. You couldn't decision him. When you have a swarm of bees in your face all 15 rounds, you are on the defensive mode...Greb never gave you the ball...Of course near the end ,the weekly fights,traveling from city to city took it's toll on Greb. 300 bouts, even slows down a windmill...

 

Just can't win can you, Burt? Everybody calls you bias for your adulation of the 1920s-50s ATGs and many of which you saw in person, so then you select an ultra-modern in Hearns and catch grief for it.

Glad you have a very high opinion of him though.

 

:yikes

:happy :happy :happy

:bowdown

 

Tac, it does seem that i can't win. Oh well. My "adulation" is predicated on
what gut feelings I have on top fighters,I have either seen or read about
from various witnesses, ex fighters and historians of boxing. Whether oldtimers or "moderns",I choose from the consensus of boxing experts in
picking my choices...And yes, I truly think that aside from Ray Robinson,
{ by far greatest fighter I seen ringside} I can't visualize any Welterweight
beating him because of his height, and boxing skills,alongst great hitting powers. Of course,SRL,and a Ted Kid Lewis,and Kid Gavilan would also be in the mix...
On ESB we must develop a thick skin. Why just yesterday, some guy said to me,"Burt you are two faced ". well I replied to him " if I was two-faced, would I wear this one "? atsch Cheers T.

 

It was actually ultra modern vs ultra modern

edit

Just to clarify, i wasn't so much trying to give BB grief so much as giving him a chance to expand - which he did. I still can't see SRL not mentioned for Tommy as besides beating Tommy Ray beat Benitez and won a rematch vs Duran at the weight as well vs a great win over Pipino and sensational wins over lesser opponents.

At 160, well there's certainly a lot of players, his lot definitely included.

 

Oh, it's adulation as well and all too natural. Everybody has that select group of fighters that were undeniably great from any objective viewpoint, but have another level of invincibility to their fans and at some point, ignited a person's passion for the sport in ways others don't and could never hope to.

It's how I feel about Duran, Sanchez, Zarate among others. Something clicks and that's your fighter.

 

Oh, wasn't being serious at all JT. Some people do show Burt a lot of disrespect though just for having an experienced and seasoned opinion. Sometimes this place becomes less of a discussion about boxing and resembles more of a YouTube comments section. Dreadful stuff. People seem to be genuinely irritated, which is both amusing and sad.

 

Ok mate, i'm picking up what you're putting down. Keep up the good work.

 

Heavy.
ALI.
H M.Johnson,Dempsey, Louis.


L Heavy.
LANGFORD.
H M.Charles,Tunney,Moore

Middle.
Greb.
H M. SRR,Monzon,Hagler.

Welter.
SRR.
H M.SRL,Armstrong,Walcott.

Light.
Leonard.
H M.Gans,Williams,Duran.


Feather.
Pep.
H M.Saddler,Armstrong,Driscoll.

Bantam.
Jofre.
H M.Olivares,Zarate, Ortiz.

Fly.
Wilde.
H M.Lynch,Perez,Canto.