Debating my top ten SMW list

On a 'H2H' basis, that night he was as close to unbeatable as you can get. Off the page. Watch the fight! Eubank says it was supernatural that he was able to win ie beyond human. It was. In the realm of genuine miracle.

 

He'd be at one if had beaten the best at the time. He didn't, he beat a half-assed Toney (not his fault Toney didn't train, though). He never beat the Collins', McClellan's, Benn's or Eubank's. Without those names he's not #1, despite everyone with sense picking him to beat both Joe and Ward.

 

Good list.

Roy was the greatest SMW of all time.

Bika doesn’t make the top ten for me.

 

Not many people will list Watson. I think he can be listed on a H2H basis though. But not at number 1.

None of those guys were better than Roy was in his prime.

 

It was 1 in a million. Eubank says it was a supernatural force, not actually him.

 

He didn't overcome ANY adversity at all, not even a fraction after making 168 a day before. So no he wasn't the greatest middleweight or 'super' middleweight etc

 

Their resumes are close, but I think that Joe was a better fighter and he’d have beaten him had they have fought.

Byron was dangerous but not a great fighter. He had a great win over Liles, but I think that Frankie was faded at that point. He lost to Sven and he got knocked out in 2 rounds by Joe.

 

Byron Mitchell wasn't in the class of Tony Thornton or Lindell Holmes. He did nothing that well, quite slow and methodical.

 

The Barkley who fought Toney would've beat Mitchell up. They were real fighters.

Charles Brewer was a better fighter than Mitchell. And he was nothing special.

 

Liles was at his best in 1994. I thought Nunn edged him though, but to live with Nunn is hugely impressive.

 

Nunn obviously was at his best in 1988, when he looked close to unbeatable against Tate.

 

I rate both on resume and H2H ability.

On a H2H basis, nobody comes close to Roy.

None of those guys would have been favoured to have beaten Roy at 25.

Why did he have to beat Collins etc?

Collins went life and death with a faded Eubank.

Eubank was in Britain with his WBO belt.

Andre Ward didn’t fight Andre Dirrell and Lucian Bute. But he was still the best SMW of his era.

Roy fighting Collins shouldn’t have any bearing on his rating, not if it’s on a H2H basis.

Toney trained, but he ballooned up beforehand. Which is in of the biggest mysteries. Because James always got himself in shape when he respected his opponents and saw them as a threat.

 

There was also Tim Littles and Gerald McClellan, both beat Liles in 1988 in the amateurs, INCREDIBLE talents. Littles was better than Liles, I just don't think he was the same after Toney.

And obviously Benn wasn't the same after McClellan.