The Greats...

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by George Crowcroft, May 21, 2019.


  1. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    The problem with level of competition, is that you can only fight the opponents in your era, you realistically cannot fight fighter's from the past or future. The greats should be judged on their performances vs their competition, in their respective fights. An example being such as Rocky Marciano not fighting an overweight 260 lb modern day favorite fighter of today. Those fighters would be considered grossly overweight back then. It is not his fault for that. He is just an example of several who are criticized because they did not face opponents of today. Truthfully fighters took their conditioning and training serious back then, it was not about greed, or who could make more noise. If a fighter wins quite a few important fights, that boxer should not be criticized because, maybe the more prestigious fighter may not want to fight that boxer. To each their own.
     
  2. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    On the top 75 list, one of the things that stuck out for me was Ali at 3 and Louis at 19. You've adjusted that now so the gap is narrower (6 and 15 respectively) but I'd put those two next to each other in my p4p list. They are either both top 10 or not in my view. Louis has a very strong case for no. 1 at heavyweight although Ali tends to edge it in most lists based on competition level.

    I still can't quite get my head round Charles over Robinson although it's not insane.
     
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  3. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    I should say your top 20 names are looking solid though. Where they place is all about criteria though. And it's your list ultimately.

    And making these lists is a ballache as I'm discovering.
     
  4. PhillyPhan69

    PhillyPhan69 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    hold on a second...who in the world are you talking to???
     
  5. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    Benny Leonard= GOAT

    Dominated an exceptional crop of contenders in the Lightweight division. Retired as the undefeated Lightweight king. Could have easily won the Welterweight Title, he actually did win it by accidently hitting Jack Britton with a lefthook. Had to get DQ'd.
    (not to **** off the boys)
    If your that good that you can knock a champion out that your trying to carry then your the GOAT imo. @147 no less.

    He had also moved boxing forward with his ability/skills. His ring IQ was off the charts. Like Magic Johnson on the basketball court Benny saw the game in slow motion. Leonard took everything that was learned in the previous generation and put it all together in one complete package.
    The Jewel of The Ghetto. King Benny.
     
  6. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Myself apparently.

    No, it was directed at @George Crowcroft as it was his list.
     
  7. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    P4P Top 100 in Tiers...

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    1. Sam Langford
    2. Harry Greb
    3. Henry Armstrong
    4. Ezzard Charles
    5. Sugar Ray Robinson
    6. Roberto Durán
    7. Muhammad Ali
    8. Bob Fitzsimmons
    9. Willie Pep
    10. Joe Louis

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    11. Archie Moore
    12. Ray Leonard
    13. Packey McFarland
    14. Tommy Loughran
    15. Benny Leonard
    16. Jimmy McLarnin
    17. Barney Ross
    18. Jimmy Wilde
    19. Tony Canzoneri
    20. Mickey Walker

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    21. Gene Tunney
    22. Joe Gans
    23. Terry McGovern
    24. Manny Pacquiao
    25. Sandy Saddler
    26. Floyd Mayweather Jr
    27. Jack Britton
    28. Tommy Gibbons
    29. Charlie Burley
    30. Maxie Rosenbloom

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    Éder Jofre, Fighting Harada, Young Corbett III, Ike Williams, Lloyd Marshall, Kid Gavalín, Bernard Hopkins, Tommy Hearns, Carlos Monzón, Marvin Hagler

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    Holman Williams, Battling Nelson, Ted Kid Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Jake LaMotta, José Napoles, Midget Wolgast, Newsboy Brown, Pancho Villa, Fidel LaBarba

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    Carlos Ortiz, Luis Rodríguez, Emile Griffith, Freddie Welsh, Young Corbett II, Miguel Canto, Panama Al Brown, Rubén Olivares, Freddie Miller, John Henry Lewis

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    Salvador Sánchez, Julio César Chávez,
    Alexis Argüello, Wilfred Benítez, Freddie Steele, Abe Attell, Jack O'Brian, Joe Lynch, Vincent Saldivar, Johnny Killbane

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    Kid Lavigne, Pernell Whitaker, Sammy Angott, Memphis Pal Moore, Mike Gibbons, Harold Johnson, Jack Dilion, Rocky Marciano, Joey Maxim, Stanley Ketchel

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    Soldier Bartfield, Roy Jones Jr, James Toney, Bob Montgomery, Jimmy Britt, Michael Spinks, Jimmy Bivins, Leo Houck, Érik Morales, Barbados Joe Walcott

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    Tommy Ryan, Kid Chocolate, Young Griffo, Pascual Perez, Oakland Billy Smith, Lennox Lewis, Román González, Young Peter Jackson, Baby Arizmendi
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2020
  8. PernellSweetPea

    PernellSweetPea Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    With this criteria. Thomas Hearns should be higher than most. Maybe there should be another one losses and how significant they are.
     
  9. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I tend to overlook losses
    Based on how I view the old fighters who fought more, I view the new fighters with similar parameters. If they never beat the guy, I don't take points away from them I just don't give them the points they'd have got for beating him.
    No shame in losing to the better man.

    As for Hearns, I think that he's in a good spot, Tier 4 is very stacked.
     
  10. PernellSweetPea

    PernellSweetPea Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I think Hearns wins are as good as anyone.. His losses are what hurts him because they show his vulnerabilities defensively. Offensively he was unbelievable.
     
  11. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Bob Fitzsimmons is where he belongs, finally!

    Still don't understand the Pone mention though.
     
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  12. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Was a toss up between him and Gonzalez for that final bracket, chose Pone based of the Harada win.
     
  13. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    It was a massive boost to his resume. It was controversial tho (don't think I've seen anyone who thought he won).

    He also has a controversial decision over Ebihara.

    Pone is quite hard to gauge overall in my opinion. I'm not totally decided on my views on him tbh.
     
  14. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    :bump:bump:bump
     
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  15. ChrisJS

    ChrisJS Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I was never a Whitaker fan but I feel you heavily undervalue him (and Chavez for that matter). He’s a few tiers too low for me. I can’t see him not at least top 40 personally. Same for Roy Jones who I was also never a fan of. Good list and names otherwhere else. Nobody will ever see exactly eye to eye but something seems wrong about no Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Carlos Zarate especially with Canelo in there. That would put Canelo already top 5 from Mexico?

    Also no Wilfredo Gomez, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes? There’s a few names in there that I feel aren’t in their class.