I guess there are multiple interpretation of the OP question. "Best" as in best at being a journeyman/fulfilling that role? "Best" as in best h2h, and given lucky breaks could've/should've been a champ if not p4p material? "Best" as in best résumé one can possibly have while still being classified a journeyman by general acclamation?
Im going to look up Kingpins resume seeing as he is fresh in the mind. Hope he calls it a day though. But he must be some serious journeyman.
You don't think he ranks as an ATG journeyman? Win over the former lineal light heavyweight champ, knocked Ward down and gave another champ all he could handle. And he did all this without any real backing while being 5'7 and easily being able to make junior middleweight.
I love Deezol. I'm just not ready to put him ahead of some of the guys with a few dozen losses from back in eras when everyone fought on like a weekly basis, on consistently tough schedules.
Inspiration for this post, Sir Kingpin, tho I'm not sure we can put him in p4p, I'm hoping this thread will provide some real bad boys. Not that I need much confirmation, but last night was proof to me I really do like boxing. I've taken great joy in watching kingpin and seeing how each prospect has dealt with him. Although he is well past sell by date, I was so impressed with how Bakole dealt with him, I've not seen Kingpin look that uncomfortable, he got battered, which says a lot cos he barely ever get a hit.
It's a pretty open question, I'm trying to get a fair feel for what people like in journeymen, as originally stated I judge journeymen on such things as Resume (no good getting pinged by future greats, people who gave future greats tough fights) Survivability (journeyman can't afford to often) Robberies (we know they are there to lose, given a fair crack what might they have won) Easiness on the eye (nobody, especially not casuals wants to see someone on the back foot not trying to fight at all, especially when potential fans are deciding wether or not they want to follow certain prospects) However these are only my opinions and if that's all I cared for, i wouldn't be asking you lot. I'm open to any arguments that list a journeyman as a p4p great in the journeyman league.
Someone already beat me to Darnell Boone, but go check out my man Anthony Ivory. Fought every name Jr Middle and Middleweight of the 90s and early 2000s, guys like Kessler, Sturm, Winky Wright (twice) Pavlik, Echols (also twice I believe), Keith Holmes, Simon Brown, Lourent Boundini, Hassin Cherrifi, Diabolis Hurtado, and several more. Never had a title shot, only stopped 5 times in 116 fights.. I'm sure plenty of those Ls were bad decisons And in true journeyman fashion, despite having 116 pro fights, Boxrec couldnt even dig up one lousy picture of him to put on his profile