Minter is one of my all time favourite fighters. When I was growing up my Grandfather used to tell me about the time he went to go watch Minter defend the Undisputed Super Middle Weight crown against “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler and the absolute chaos that insued after he lost. I even have a picture of him in my room which was taken by and old friend who was a sports photographer and who got a chance to meet Minter and do a photo shoot. Anyway recently I’ve been looking back and studying his career quite closely in my opinion I’d say he ranks in as one of the top 15 greatest middleweight champions of all time. On my personal list I have him just above Golovkin who comes in at 16th. He won the title exactly 44 years ago as of writing this against Vito Antuofermo. He then defended the undisputed championship against the very same Vito Antufermo. He then took on Marvin Hagler in September 27th 1980 where he lost the title after quitting on his stool after the 3rd round. Minter would go on to have three more fights. The two of which he lost and the first of which he won. He would then retire on the 15th of September 1981 with a record of 39 wins 9 losses and 1 draw. He would retire as a former undisputed middleweight champion, a two time British champion and a two time European champion. His record I personally believe is one of the finest in middleweight history and if he hadn’t of had to face a Prime Hagler I think he would have reined as champion a lot longer. But what do you think? Is he an all time great in the middleweight division? Or is he just an average champion who lost to an all time great.
He was an awesome action fighter and a big time bleeder. Only seen a handful of his fights but I recall them all being bangers. Not an all timer for me, and probably two significant 'greatness classes' below the aforementioned Golovkin. Really interesting history and the fight with Hagler was a big deal, how it all played out with the riot etc. He has his chapter in boxing history for sure.
Sure there have been deaths in boxing, but nothing serious. Alan Minter. Great fighter though, but not that great for me to rank him amongst the all time greats.
Good fighter, underrated skills and a top bloke, but nowhere near the top 15 middleweights of all time. I thought he was beaten by Kevin Finnegan in two of their three fights and one was a flat out robbery. Kevin also gave Hagler far more trouble. Always good to listen to Alan, loved his quote when he asked his doctor how he could stop getting cut-up so often in fights "stop getting hit so much' (was the docs reply).
He was a very good fighter if not great but handicapped by his cuts ... definitely underrated .. tough as nails .. the Hagler that dethroned him was an absolute monster to be able to do what he did ... Marvin at his peak ..
My top 20 MWs of all time, based solely on fights contested in & around that division: 1. Monzon 2. Greb 3. Hagler 4. SRR 5. Hopkins 6. M. Gibbons 7. Ketchel 8. Steele 9. Ryan 10. Burley 11. Williams 12. Apostoli 13. GGG 14. Fitzsimmons 15. Walker 16. LaMotta 17. Yarosz 18. Dillon 19. Flowers 20. Tiger Minter was a fine fighter, but I can't see an argument for him breaching him my 20.
Not sure why Minter would be in the argument. He held the title and that's about it. Ironically I am trying to create a fictional boxer from that era/scene right now.
Hi Buddy. Your list is the template for the MW rankings, absolutely finate, every fairly newish and green poster would do well to put your list in their fav bar, and revisit on a regular basis, the MWs are a very contentious division particularly at the very top, to wit I have your 1/2 around the other way, but not a falling out issue obvs, very pleasing to see The Fighting Bellhop rated just outside the top ten, has been a fav of mine since the first article I ever read, accompanied by a photo of Whitey Bimstein tapping his hands in muted black and white, Whitey " he was a strange fighter, tough as nails, and feared no one, I once pulled his leg and told him we had a secured a fight with Louis, how long before we go to camp was his straight faced reply, on the other hand sometimes he couldnt/wouldnt fight, try as i might, even slapping him hard, was to no effect, he just couldn't fight " the man himself " I loved to get up close and hit em hard to the body, punchers never hurt me " when I see your name I know wisdom is about to follow, stay safe hombre.
Very good list. I’m happy to see you’ve put LaMotta there as he’s a personal favourite of mine. Quite a few people don’t rate him as an all time top 20 MW, but for me…with that rock hard head of his, that relentless swarming style that never let his opponents get a seconds rest, and him being the first man to ever defeat the great SRR (his only win out of six, I know, but it was the Great Ray Robinson after all)…he defo gets into my Top 20 too.
Minter is probably a tad underrated on here but I can’t make any case for him being in the top 15-20 list. A good fighter with good skills and decent power but unfortunately was prone to bleed and the fact he tended to like a tear up didn’t help him.
Minter was a very good middleweight but not a great one. Probably hits the lower reaches of all time top 30.
Loved his fights against Kevin Finnegan, agree with most on here a very good fighter but not really an all time great
