Countries That Never Produced An All-Time Great

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Italian Stallion, Oct 14, 2020.



  1. Italian Stallion

    Italian Stallion Active Member Full Member

    742
    283
    Apr 8, 2018
    Whether great, solid, or just mediocre/weak boxing nations, let's list all those countries which never quite produced an ATG in the sport of boxing.
     
  2. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

    6,388
    6,956
    Jul 2, 2006
    India

    Costa Rica

    Iceland
     
    Kamikaze likes this.
  3. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    26,101
    41,915
    Mar 3, 2019
  4. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    25,495
    2,107
    Oct 22, 2006
    All of them; no one was calling Robinson, Greb, Moore et al great in 1230 BCE!
     
    Xplosive likes this.
  5. Jamal Perkins

    Jamal Perkins Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,451
    2,707
    Oct 19, 2012
    Greenland

    Saudia arabia

    Lebanon

    Iran

    India (even with 2 billion and a belligerent tyrannical leader encouraging communal fighting)

    China ( even with the billion and a belligerant tyrannical leader hosting death camps for uiyghurs)

    Falklands Islands
     
    red cobra likes this.
  6. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

    8,585
    11,046
    Oct 28, 2017
    You'd probably quicker naming all the ones that have.
    America
    UK
    France
    Germany
    Austalia
    Ireland
    Canada
    Thailand
    Japan
    Argentina
    South Africa
    Mexico
    Philippines
    Ukraine
    Nicaragua
    Brazil

    Someone else can finish that list
     
  7. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

    8,585
    11,046
    Oct 28, 2017
    South Sudan certainly hasn't yet
     
    George Crowcroft likes this.
  8. 88Chris05

    88Chris05 Active Member Full Member

    1,378
    3,124
    Aug 20, 2013
    In terms of countries who have actually contributed a fair bit and produced good fighters / world champions, but curiously no real greats as of yet...

    South Africa. Lots of capable or even very good fighters / title holders: Mitchell, Matlala, Coetzee, Bungu, Malinga, Toweel, Sanders etc. Nobody you'd really call a true great, though.

    Dominican Republic. Think this was covered on here recently.

    France. This one might be controversial, I guess, but I'm not as impressed as a lot of others with the likes of Cerdan and Carpentier, who I'd put in the good-to-very good class, but not properly great.

    Venezuela. Again, lots of good fighters, some really good, but nobody who you could really put in the truly great class. Linares probably closest, and certainly a great pure talent, but his overall record doesn't quite match up, I'd say. Beyond that there's Rondon, Contreras etc. - and of course we'll never know how Valero might have ended up being rated.
     
  9. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    26,101
    41,915
    Mar 3, 2019
    Chris, if you don't know who Betulio Gonzalez is I'd definitely recommend that you check him out. He beat guys like Canto and Oguma, and arguably beat Oba in one of the best flyweight fights ever.

    Top 15 (ish) at the weight IMO, but very fun fighter to watch.
     
    Flashback and Amos-san like this.
  10. 88Chris05

    88Chris05 Active Member Full Member

    1,378
    3,124
    Aug 20, 2013
    Hey George, yeah I'm very familiar with Gonzalez and have seen some of his fights - more just that he slipped my mind. Back in the day, for whatever reason, I spent years thinking that he was Mexican so maybe that was an old memory trick coming back to haunt me. Either way, I'd still say he's ever so slightly short of real great status...But I may need to revise my claim above that Linares is the closest thing to that which Venezuela has produced.
     
    George Crowcroft likes this.
  11. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    26,101
    41,915
    Mar 3, 2019
    I think it's arguable he could be classed as such. Especially if top 15 in their weight division is part of your criteria.
     
  12. 88Chris05

    88Chris05 Active Member Full Member

    1,378
    3,124
    Aug 20, 2013
    Yeah, it's close. I think someone who gets in or around the #14, #15 spot has a decent claim to being an all-time great purely on that basis, but probably less so at Flyweight which I don't see as being as strong or deep as Lightweight, Welter, Light-Heavy etc. Much like France, I guess my pick of Venezuela wouldn't be a totally popular one. I'm going to stick with it, though, as I'm a leathery and stubborn old badger.
     
    George Crowcroft likes this.
  13. ChrisJS

    ChrisJS Boxing Addict Full Member

    3,066
    6,630
    Sep 11, 2018
    I think Betulio was magnificent, and the best from Venezuela but not quite a “great”.

    I would nominate Spain. It’s a great sporting country that’s produced boxers and has no greats.
     
  14. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,021
    5,518
    Aug 17, 2011
    For the first 20 or so fights of his career, I thought that Engels Pedroza was going to be Venezuela's best.
     
    George Crowcroft likes this.
  15. Devon

    Devon Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,835
    2,129
    Dec 31, 2018