Earlier today I said that I thought Bernard Hopkins had done more business in the top five than any other champ. Not true because good gracious Marvin Hagler. Not guaranteeing that this is all right, it's all based on some very disorganised notes that i'm going to try to pull together below by typing, we'll see how we go! And we might be able to correct it and add to it as I go. I haven't looked at everyone and obviously guys like Greb didn't box in an age where a regular, reliable rating panel convened but I looked at a lot of the champs who had meaningful reigns and clearly were going to qualify. This list is numbers of fighters; so guys who beat one top-five contender four times, or two top-five contenders twice, don't get on this list. Champs who beat four or more Ring/TBRB top 5 ranked contenders, at the time they were ranked: Marvin Hagler - (9) Mike Colbert, Bennie Briscoe, Alan Minter, Fulgencio Obelmejias, Vito Antuofermo, Mustafa Hamsho, Juan Domingo Roldan, Tommy Hearns, John Mugabi Bernard Hopkins - (7) Howard Eastman, Oscar De La Hoya, Robert Allen, Willie Joppy, Felix Trinidad, Keith Holmes, Antwon Echols. Carlos Monzon - (7) Rodrigo Valdez, Tratien Tonna, Tony Licata, Jean Claude Bouttier, Emile Griffith, Denny Moyer, Nino Benvenuti Sugar Ray - (7) Randy Turpin, Jake LaMotta, Steve Belloise, Rocky Castellini, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Bobo Olsen. Jake LaMotta - (6) Jose Basora, Coley Welch, Robert Villemain, Robert Villemain, Marcel Cerdan, Laurent Dauthuille. Teddy Yarosz - (6) - Ken Overlin, Solly Kreiger, Babe Risko, Vince Dundee, Jimmy Smith, Sammy Slaughter. Fred Apostoli - (6) Babe Risko, Lou Brouillard, Solly Krieer, Marcel Thil, Freddie Steele, Georgie Abrams. Dick Tiger - (5) Joey Giardello, Hank Casey, Gene Fullmer, Nino Benvenuti, Rubin Carter. Georgie Abrams - (4) Teddy Yarosz, Billy Soose, Ernie Vigh, Coley Welch. Gennady Golovkin - (4) Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Daniel Jacobs, Daniel Geale, Grzegorz Proksa. Obviously, not all top fives are equal, comparing one era to another can be telling, but Marvin's heroics aside you can throw a blanket over the guys you'd expect to be able to throw a blanket over! Any thoughts? Any surprises? Any interest? Who else would be worth a look you think?
My bad. A stretch, but Napoles was world champ in another division when he fought Monzon. Just sayin'!
Yeah, sorry, I should have said, you don't get on this list by beating one top five guy 4 times, or two twice or whatever. Top five guys.
No, not making it. Zale definitely, possibly Georgie and Holman but I didn't bother to look because there's no fourth man.
