Guess the champ by weight class & professional career duration

Division(s) at which they won gold, and time from debut to swansong in years/months/days.

1. Heavyweight, twenty years, three months, five days
2. Welter/Middleweight, twelve years, five months, twenty-nine days
3. Light/Welter/Middleweight, sixteen years, five months, twelve days

Let's just see how do we with those for starters.

 

All from the Western hemisphere, and grew up in home states all bordering the same ocean.

 

Georges Carpentier? Only one I can think of that was early enough for traditional weight classes that went through several.

 

Nope, bit later.

 

Absolutely flummoxed. Busted a nut trying to figure it out.

 

Wow, that's quite a reaction!

 

Post nut clarity is a helluva thing.

 

British???

World Title Holders or British Title Holders?

 

World.

And none are British, no.

(GB isn't Western hemisphere)

 

If everybody would like a little hint, say aye. (three ayes will carry the motion)

 

1. Mike Tyson
2. Carmen Basilio
3. ??

 

You've nearly cracked it, mate!

The hint (now moot) was going to be "All three grew up in states on the Atlantic seaboard on the N. American tectonic plate."

Oh and goddamn it, I'm just now realizing the OP has a blooper in it. The third champ's third weight class should read light middle. In view of that, wanna go ahead and solve the puzzle?

 

I had a feeling, something had to be wrong re #3... but with this new information I'm gonna say Pernell Whitaker.

 

Mea culpa (had "Light" copied but apparently forgot to paste )

You nailed it!

Kid Dynamite (Bed-Stuy) and Sweet Pea (Norfolk) had that East Coast brine in their noses, while The Upstate Onion Farmer (Canastota) would have had to drive a few hours.

 

Alright, another trio...this time I'll make sure to have not made any omissions or finger flubs before hitting "post".

• Flyweight, 11 years, 11 months, 12 days
• Middleweight, 13 years, 1 month, 11 days
• Bantam/Feather, 19 years, 6 months, 9 days

This group also has a commonality (note: not necessarily geographical), that they also all share with a man many writers have cited as one of the greatest to never even get a world title shot.

Bonus points if you can solve and name the connection.