Best Smaller Fighters Ever: just by HEIGHT.

Under 5’4 will include most lower weight fighters from flyweight down and a fair few above flyweight too. For example, if we’re using Boxrec as a source, Vicente Saldivar was 5’3 and he was a featherweight. Esteban DeJesus was 5’4 and he was a lightweight. Hell, James Hardrock Green is listed as 5’4 and he was a light middleweight and middleweight (not that he was a great fighter).

 

Pascual Perez was 4ft 11" and Jimmy Wilde was 5ft 2", of course both total legends.

Baby Jake Matlala was 4ft 10", not a great but a very decent fighter. Shortest champ ever I think?

 

You still get bigger height disparities in the HW division.

I don't know the best short guy EVER, but guys like Frazier, Monte Barret and a few others come to mind

 

Tommy Burns under 5’8 would be more than a handful for most in his height range considering his 180lb frame

 

The under 5'8" would be interesting. Qawi against a bunch of dudes his own height, most of whom weigh a good bit less? Dear god.

 

Gervonta and Hamed would clean house.

 

Best H2H, relative to the era in which they competed (to eliminate rule set, with/without PEDs, etc. considerations), in a no upper weight limit contest (which is what I think you're asking), off the top of my head,imo:

<5ft 10ins = David Tua or Sam Langford (strictly relative to their own era, prime Langford was a better HW than Tua)
<5ft 8ins = Sam Langford
<5ft 6ins = Dwight Muhammed Qawi
<5ft 4ins = BJW

That's not a list of the best p4p fighters under those heights (though Langford arguably is the best sub-5ft 8ins p4p boxer in history), e.g. Henry Armstrong was better p4p than Qawi, but if by - "Not in terms of relative to their division" - you essentially mean in a HW contest/a contest with no upper weight limit, I think the much bigger Qawi would be a more formidible H2H opponent than Armstrong.

 

Midget Wolgast was only like 5'4

 

Never realized James Green was that short somehow haha

 

He'd go back to prison fighting men his own height.

 

Imagine Tua and Tyson (5'10) facing 5'9 SRL.

 

1. I understand the OP was asking for the best H2H fighter under the specified height in an uncapped weight limit. I.e. literally who would win out of BJW vs Wolgast with both fighters weighing whatever they want?
2. Brilliant as Wolgast was, 5ft 4ins isn't short for a flyweight. Canto at 5ft even and Perez and 4ft 11ins are better examples of boxers that were short even for flyweights.

 

Ah so it's shortness relative to the weight class? Interesting.

 

Robert Villemain 5'6,

maybe 5'7" but often cited at 5'6", an EXCELLENT & Great Fighter, unsung & forgotten. Britain's, Ernie Roderick too.