The Greatest Middleweights of All Time

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022.


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  1. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    The superior top fifty.

    #50. Young Corbett III
    #49. Marcel Cerdan
    #48. Randy Turpin
    #47. Jermain Taylor
    #46. Bobo Olson
    #45. Marcel Thil
    #44. Paul Pender
    #43. Jack Chase
    #42. Jeff Smith
    #41. Gennady Golovkin
    #40. Roy Jones Jr
    #39. Sumbu Kalambay
    #38. Charles McCoy
    #37. Mike McCallum
    #36. Michael Nunn
    #35. James Toney
    #34. Billy Papke
    #33. Gene Fullmer
    #32. Bert Lytell
    #31. Jack Dillon
    #30. Tony Zale
    #29. Fred Apostoli
    #28. Charles McCoy
    #27. Tiger Flowers
    #26. Mickey Walker
    #25. Tommy Ryan
    #24. Emile Griffith
    #23. Jack Dempsey
    #22. Ken Overlin
    #21. Ezzard Charles
    #20. Billy Conn
    #19. Joey Giardello
    #18. Mike O'Dowd
    #17. Lloyd Marshall
    #16. Leo Houck
    #15. Mike Gibbons
    #14. Stanley Ketchel
    #13. Frank Klaus
    #12. Teddy Yarosz
    #11. Holman Williams
    #10. Jake LaMotta
    #09. Charley Burley
    #08. Freddie Steele
    #07. Dick Tiger
    #06. Bob Fitzsimmons
    #05. Bernard Hopkins
    #04. Marvin Hagler
    #03. Carlos Monzon
    #02. Sugar Ray Robinson
    #01. Harry Greb
     
    George Crowcroft, May 17, 2022
    George Crowcroft, May 17, 2022
    #16
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  2. Mteslamiller

    Mteslamiller Member Full Member

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    McGrain, my list includes only men who held the title or part of the title.
     
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    #17
  3. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    That would include all three of those guys.
     
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    #18
  4. Mteslamiller

    Mteslamiller Member Full Member

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    Scartissue, to be honest with you, my factoring in consistency was directed mostly toward Sugar Ray Robinson in my reasoning as to why he shouldn’t occupy the top spot on the list. I see that doing so left the list open to criticism about the consistency of the other fighters. That’s my fault. So you’ve made a very good point. Now, as it relates to LaMotta compared to Fullmer, a less consistent great fighter should rank higher than a more consistent fighter who is very good but not great.
     
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    #19
  5. Mteslamiller

    Mteslamiller Member Full Member

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    Burley, Williams, and Gibbons held world titles? I don’t recall any them holding even a split title.
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    #20
  6. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Gibbons ran a claim that was recognised by many for some years. Williams and Burley both held the "colored" world championship.

    If you're recognising a piece of dog**** like the WBA - who have recognised as world champion guys like Rob Brant, Maselino Masoe and Julio Green as champ - I see no reason why you wouldn't admit holders of the world colored championship, who were often better than the NYSAC or NBA champs - Cocoa Kid, to Charley Burley, to Holman Williams, like they had a genius only policy or something.

    The point is, if you validate the IBF champions, why invalidate the colored champions? I can see no reason to do so at all.
     
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    #21
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  7. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Green beat Joppy. He was legit.

    The WBA later splintered into a two tier belt. Masoe, who was trash, beat another limited fighter for the second tier belt and Brant later beat Murata to win it.
     
    NoNeck, May 17, 2022
    NoNeck, May 17, 2022
    #22
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  8. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Great list.

    The only sore thumb is a fighter I am a huge fan of... Bob Fitzsimmons being ranked that high with such a light resume in the division. Pound for pound he is probably #3 on the list but strictly as a middle I don't put him in the top 10.
     
    Seamus, May 17, 2022
    Seamus, May 17, 2022
    #23
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  9. Mteslamiller

    Mteslamiller Member Full Member

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    I wasn’t aware of Gibbons’ claim but I do know that Burley and Williams were avoided. I did want to focus more on the titleholders than the greats who never officially recognized. Good post.
     
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    #24
  10. Reinhardt

    Reinhardt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    It's a good list, and once the right people are on it all's left to do is quibble about what order they belong. Personally I'd have Hopkins a little lower as I think Steele, Tiger and Fitz would give him big problems. While they don't have the volume of work at 160 Hearns and Duran would give some of these guys a lot of problems
     
    Reinhardt, May 17, 2022
    Reinhardt, May 17, 2022
    #25
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  11. Mteslamiller

    Mteslamiller Member Full Member

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    Seamus is that really you?
     
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    #26
  12. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Well so far as "officially recognised" goes - on the one hand, you have a bunch of boxing people recognising Gibbons - and on the other hand you have corrupt, leeching organisations recognising whoever pays them. Literally, whoever pays them money to contest their title.

    I don't know what to make of this term "officially recognised" where it concerns an organisation like the WBC who literally were almost sued out of existence for corruption, but not where it concerns boxing people (who may be, in some instances, no better, but certainly can't be any worse).

    I mean list who you want, it's no biggie really, but I can't take seriously the notion that the IBO should be "officially" taken seriously but the recognition that Gibbons received shouldn't be for some reason.
     
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    #27
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  13. Mteslamiller

    Mteslamiller Member Full Member

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    And I think we are all in agreement that having 4 corrupt organizations with 4 champions per division is absolutely disgusting.
     
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    Mteslamiller, May 17, 2022
    #28
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  14. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Defo bad for business anyway
     
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    McGrain, May 17, 2022
    #29
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  15. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Why wouldn't it be?
     
    Seamus, May 17, 2022
    Seamus, May 17, 2022
    #30
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