Andre Ward at SMW.

I think Joe outworks him.
RJJ would be too flash for him to get up close. A lot of Roy's KO's come when people attempted the clinch.
Prime Eubank
Prime Toney
Collins
Benn
Would prime Kessler beat him? 50/50 Ward is at this level.

 

He's easily top 10.

I think he'd be in most people's top 5, if not higher.

 

Top 10. No higher. He fought a good super 6 but then had legal troubles so didn't do enough to warrant any higher.

 

But what's the criteria though?

Roy Jones only fought at SMW for 2 years, but he's the best SMW there's ever been.

In terms of accomplishments, it's obviously Joe Calzaghe.

Andre has to be on the top 5 along with those 2.

 

Probably #2 behind calz

 

Lets look dispassionately at his achievements in the division.

WBA (Super) Champion, WBC Champion, The Ring Champion, winner of the Super Six, undefeated, 6 successful defences

It's an impressive list and certainly justifies him as a top ten in the division's history, but where? This leads to comparison with other fighters who could be in top ten, and they are, or could be:

Calzaghe - WBO, WBC, WBA (Super), IBF and the Ring Champion, undefeated, 21 successful defences
Eubank - WBO Champion, 14 successful defences
Benn - WBC Champion, 9 successful defences
Kessler - WBA (Regular), WBA (Super) and WBC Champion, 6 successful defences
Froch - WBA (Regular), WBC and IBF Champion, 7 successful defences
Jones - IBF Champion, undefeated, 5 successful defences
Liles - WBA champion, 7 successful defences
Park - IBF and WBA Champion, 9 successful defences
Toney - IBF Champion, 3 successful defences
Collins - WBO Champion, undefeated, 7 successful defences
Ottke - WBA (Super) and IBF Champion, undefeated 21 successful defences.

It's clear in terms of accomplishments he cannot be rated above Calzaghe - Calzaghe simply did more than him in the division - but there's no one else who legitimately can claim to have achieved more than him at Super Middleweight, and only Ottke could be in with a shout of challenging him.

So, whether we like or not, a top three in terms of only accomplishments must read:

1 - Calzaghe
2 - Ward
3 - Ottke

Then you move onto ability and where you rate them in terms of their talent and effectiveness as fighter. This is a harder one to judge because it's drawn more from personal opinions than anything else, and other than a real life results against fighters from the same era there's no much solid behind the reasoning. We can only difinitively rate him above people he beat in real life but when it comes to hypothetical match ups against fighters 20 years older than him long since retired it becomes far less clear. Perhaps we have to rely on the popular opinion of boxing for this but is that without dispute?

For what it's worth, this would be my top three in terms of ability:

1 - Jones
2 - Calzaghe
3 - Ward

I have Calzaghe over Ward because I prefer his high-output pressure punching style over Ward spoiling style - though both are not without their flaws and certainly warrent legitimate criticisms.

Overall then I would say Ward must be rated second only to Calzaghe as the divisions greatest ever fighter.

 

Top 10 easily.

 

Great post.

It's really hard to rank them.

Personally, I could never rank Ottke in the top 3.

 

I'm just envisioning Nigel Benn and Ward in the same ring together, lol. You need a chin to survive Nigel Benn.
Benn vs JR would have been insane. 50/50 fights every single time. Kinda like Kudry vs Dorticos

 

Good stuff!!

 

SOB the dirtiest boxing in boxing history. Cheats like hell. Lost to Kovalev by decision in the first fight and lost by disqualification in the rematch, low blows to the testicles are illegal not matter what Tony Weeks claims and Bob Bennett refuses to even review the video. SOB tried to fight a wino on HBO, but HBO refused to show it, nor pay for it. HBO lost money to SOB because nobody likes to see him wrestle, headbutt, hold, low blows, elbow, etc., he also always has his personal judges, referee, boxing commission and esp. the corrupt lying Bob Bennett, who claims Byrd is a great judge and had never had a bad card before the Golovkin fight! Are you kidding me? Watch Bob Bennett lie live on HBO about the Rigo fight also.

 

Honestly, for me Ottke couldnt even rank in the top ten of the greatest Super Middleweights of all time, not least because of the Reid fight, but in terms of accomplishments he is one of the most successful fighters the division's ever had and whether we like it or not, or whether we like him or not, that has to be recognized in judging him and other fighters against each other.

Where Ottke fails and falls down the rankings is in his performances and because of the controversies surrounding him, and because of that I struggle to put him in the top ten when I judge by both accomplishment and ability.

 

number 1 SMW obviously but in terms of boxing history, SMW is still young so he might be ousted soon.

If we are being honest, we all knwo he'll be back soon enough. Retiring at 33 for good when they on such a crest isnt feasible, unless you are trying to avoid losses/avoid a fighter who would mash you.

 

Benn would have been incredibly dangerous early, but he was more dangerous as a MW.

Personally, I'd have given him a 4 round window against Roy. After that, Roy would have broken him down.