Not to mention, Lionel Rose was a substitute for #1 contender Jesus Pimental. Harada certainly did go high end in his championship reign.
Gans beating Erne, Elbows McFadden, Jimmy Britt, Dave Holly, Mike Sullivan, Battling Nelson etc in title fights while beating the likes of Blackburn in non-title fights takes some beating. Same for Leonard beating Welsh, Tendler, Leo Johnson, Rocky Kansas, Lockport Jimmy Duffy, Richie Mitchell etc while beating Britton, Dundee, Kilbane, Ritchie, Soldier Bartfield and others in between defences. In fact, Benny really takes some topping.
In fights contested under 140lbs, Leonard went something like 96-0 from age 20 until the end of his career. Considering the array of quality fighters he beat, that's astounding. He's my #1 at LW, with Gans at #2.
Old Bones , not shabby : Dave Charnley Ralph Dupas Battling Torres Kenny Lane Paolo Rossi Bud Smith Joey Lopes Orlando Zulueta stay safe buddy.
Hagler has the best overall 10 in a row competition wise that I've seen .. and Manny Pac has a case for 10 - 12 in a row .. winning titles /defences those 2 are my choices
Foreman----frazier to win an a bout few thought. softie defense in roman--like lots of champs. then norton who lots were picking for the upset. then ali. and his > the title loss was strong too.
Jose Napoles Curtis Cokes (twice) Hedgemon Lewis (twice) Ernie 'Indian Red' Lopez (twice) Armando Muniz (twice) Emile Griffith Adolph Pruitt Clyde Gray Billy Backus Carlos Ortiz Joe Brown Flash Elorde (twice) Sugar Ramos (twice) Doug Vaillant Kenny Lane Ismael Laguna (twice)
Tyson had the toughest possible opponents in the short period of time 1986-1988(89). It would be hard to imagine a more difficult run. https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/top-5-heavyweight-champions-in-the-1980s.699013/#post-22156309
He's probably my number one as well mate, I find it quite hard to separate him and Gans, with Duran being right up there with them (arguably a shade behind tbh).
Loads of great suggestions here, I am learning a lot! Need to doing out my old Ring records book and look up some of the contenders that have been mentioned.
Mayweather: Mosley (lineal 147) Ortiz (WBC 147) Cotto (WBA 154) Robert Guererro (The Ring 147, WBC) Alvarez (WBA, WBC 154) Maidana x2 (WBC, WBA) Pacquiao (WBA, WBC, WBO, Ring) Berto Pacquiao: Weirdly enough, he beat Hector Velazquez, Morales, Larios, Morales, and Jorge Solis successively without a real belt. He then started a chain of Barerra, Marquez, and David Diaz before breaking it by fighting Oscar for no belt. Hatton, Cotto, Clottey, Margarito, Mosley Marquez is his best run but Mosley was awful by that point.
Oh come on, get serious. Most of these defences (bar, Sonny, Floyd and Ernie) were derided at the time and basically compared with Joe "bum of the month" tour. Now they're being held up in "best ever" discussions? No.