The Fifty Greatest Featherweights of All Time

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by McGrain, Dec 28, 2016.


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  1. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Tier I
    Willie Pep, Sandy Saddler

    Tier II
    Abe Attell, Sal Sanchez, Alexis Arguello, Vincente Saldivar, George Dixon,, Eusebio Pedroza, John Klibane, Freddie Miller, Young Griffo.

    Tier III
    Azumah Nelson, Marco Antonio Barrera, Henry Armstrong, Louis Kaplan, Battling Battalino, Prince Naseem, Jim Driscoll, Kid Chocolate.

    Tier IV
    Baby Arizmendi, Young Corbett II, Terry McGovern.

    Tier V
    Sugar Ramos, Danny Lopez, Davey Moore, Hogan Bassey, Chalky Wright, Chris John, Freddie Norwood, Jeff Fenech, Barry McGuigan

    Tier VI
    Antonio Esparragoza, Young-Kyun Park, Juan Manuel Marquez, Solly Smith, Eugene Criqui , Johnny Famechon, Howard Winstone, Fidel LaBarba

    Tier VII
    Eder Jofre, Ernesto Marcel,Owen Moran, Johnny Dundee, Tony Canzoneri, Sal Bartolo, Jose Legra, Kuniaki Shibata, Percy Bassett, Benny Yanger.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2017
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
    #1
  2. Senya13

    Senya13 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Benny Yanger?
     
    Senya13, Dec 28, 2016
    Senya13, Dec 28, 2016
    #2
  3. LittleRed

    LittleRed Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    If you're asking if you forgot anybody how about Manuel Medina. He might not be more than honorable mention but he stuck around the top 10 for over a decade, enjoyed 5 reigns as a titlist, and beat (according to boxrec) 10 titlist. Probably deserves a W over Tapia as well. If you needed another name he's not a bad call.
     
    LittleRed, Dec 28, 2016
    LittleRed, Dec 28, 2016
    #3
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  4. Boilermaker

    Boilermaker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    At a glance, without looking at records (and i may have credited work outside division results in some cases), i would have thought Famechon, Le barba and Canzoneri up a tier.

    Although i think Pep and Saddler are probably one and two, Attel and Driscoll could easily be in the same tier.

    Personally, i would rank Fenech a tier or two higher (head to head) although i can see why others would rank him lower, so you probably have him about right.

    McGovern did have his kriptonite in young Corbett but i would still have him in tier II.

    By my coudnt these adjustmements require me to drop out Pedrosa *(2 tiers), Arguello and Kaplan 1 tier.

    And on final thoughts i am swapping Fenech and barrera
     
    Boilermaker, Dec 28, 2016
    Boilermaker, Dec 28, 2016
    #4
  5. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yes, in. You rarely disappoint.
     
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
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  6. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    If you were calling on the next 20, i'd say "bravo", but i think not for your man here. A couple of his best wins above the poundage and he lost to Scott Harrison. I'm Scottish. You know this.
     
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
    #6
  7. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    A closer look tomorrow Boilermaker.
     
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 28, 2016
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  8. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I agree that LaBarba should be up a tier, and i've knocked him up one. This actually means i can bin a tier, so I've done that too, though I can re-introduce it. I'm not sure about Famechon but it is a bit alarming to see him below McGuigan. I'll have to think about that.

    Canzoneri - very limited work at the weight. The only question is whether or not he should be on this list, not if he should be higher.


    Featherweight is not that deep.
     
    McGrain, Dec 29, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 29, 2016
    #8
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  9. timmers612

    timmers612 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'd consider Armstrong in the top tier, its not a certainty that Pep and Saddler would have beat him at feather.
     
    timmers612, Dec 29, 2016
    timmers612, Dec 29, 2016
    #9
  10. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I agree but that's more head to head thinking. In his career, Armstrong is 1-0 in title fights at the weight, and there's no reason to see him as anywhere near comparable resume-wise. But I agree, head to head, he's there or thereabouts probably.
     
    McGrain, Dec 30, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 30, 2016
    #10
  11. Drew101

    Drew101 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Some impressions

    * I'd move Arizmendi up a tier, replacing Barrera. The work he did at the weight was more substantive than MAB's.
    * Marcel could probably go higher
    * Arnstrong's resume includes a lot of really good fighters. He probably needs to go higher based on the work he did (albeit in a fairly short period of time).
    * Petey Sarron probably warrants placement on the list, imo.
     
    Drew101, Dec 30, 2016
    Drew101, Dec 30, 2016
    #11
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  12. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I think Sarron could squeeze on there based upon what he did against Miller, yes. But he didn't do that much besides.

    Armstrong's keynote wins seem to be Sarron, Belloise, Arizmendi and a fat Wolgast. Who else are you thinking?

    I think Marcel could go a bit higher too, but he's hanging a lot on that Arguello win.
     
    McGrain, Dec 30, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 30, 2016
    #12
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  13. Drew101

    Drew101 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Armstong's featherweight resume also includes Zurita for sure and it's a good win. He's over the weight wins over Casanova, Chavez, Wright, and Klick. Basically, once he started rolling, he in essence unified the division while scoring victories over many of the ranked contenders at the time.

    But, I will grant it's a pain in the ass to rate him, since a lot of victories over featherweight occur above the weight. He's probably the best 130lb fighter in history...but that doesn't help your featherweight rankings, does it?
     
    Drew101, Dec 30, 2016
    Drew101, Dec 30, 2016
    #13
  14. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Casanova was ranked but had been chewed out of them by the time Armstrong met him. That's a decent win though. So is Zurita. He was never ranked at featherweight (Did he even make it to featherweight?) but you could argue that should be included.

    Chavez\Wright\Klick weren't featherweight contests; technically a couple of them wouldn't even qualify as super-featherweight contests. You have to draw the line somewhere and 130lbs is too heavy.
     
    McGrain, Dec 30, 2016
    McGrain, Dec 30, 2016
    #14
  15. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    This is what I ended up with:

    50 - Jose Legra
    49 - Jeff Fenech
    48 - Earl Mastro
    47 - Solly Smith
    46 - Juan Manuel Marquez
    45 - Percy Bassett
    44 - Kuniaki Shibata
    43 - Sal Bartolo
    42 - Eder Jofre
    41 - Eloy Rojas
    40 - Antonio Esparragoza
    39 - Young Kyun Park
    38 - Johnny Famechon
    37 - Howard Winstone
    36 - Ernesto Marcel
    35 - Chris John
    34 - Eugene Criqui
    33 - Fidel LaBarba
    32 - Baby Arizmendi
    31 - Marco Antonio Barrera
    30 - Chalky Wright
    29 - Hogan Bassey
    28 - Benny Yanger
    27 - Azumah Nelson
    26 - Louis Kaplan
    25 - Owen Moran
    24 - Davey Moore
    23 - Barry McGuigan
    22 - Battlinig Battalino
    21 - Prince Naseem Hamed
    20 - Johnny Dundee
    19 - Danny Lopez
    18 - Sugar Ramos
    17 - Jim Driscoll
    16 - Young Griffo
    15 - Kid Chocolate
    14 - Tony Canzoneri
    13 - Henry Armstrong
    12 - Terry McGovern
    11 - Young Corbett II
    10 - Alexis Arguello
    09 - Eusebio Pedroza
    08 - Johnny Kilbane
    07 - Freddie Miller
    06 - Sal Sanchez
    05 - Abe Attell
    04 - George Dixon
    03 - Vicente Saldivar
    02 - Sandy Saddler
    01 - Willie Pep
     
    McGrain, Mar 30, 2017
    McGrain, Mar 30, 2017
    #15
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