Without Pep having a win over Saddler to his credit you might be able to make a case for Saddler, but with that win, has to be Pep. More quantity and consistency amongst his resume.
Well, let's look at their resumes, side-by-side: Pep Saddler Manny Ortiz Chalkey Wright (four times) Jock Leslie Willie Joyce Joey Archibald (twice) Allie Stolz Jackie Wilson (twice) Saddler Pep (three times) Flash Elorde Lauro Salas (twice) Joe Brown Orlando Zulueta (twice) Tommy Collins ...and they both share wins over Paddy DeMarco, Harold Dade, Charley Riley, Ray Famechon, Teddy Davis, and Miguel Acevedo.
Are you joking? This is easily in favor of Pep. Pep cleaned out an entire featherweight division of top ranking fighters for a WHOLE DECADE, and beat multiple hall of famers. Pep also beat FOUR featherweights who hold victories over Sandy Saddler. when we compare depth, common opponents, quality, and especially CONSISTENCY, pep takes it by a landslide. You might argue quality, but was the green version of Joe Brown Saddler beat better than the Prime version Willie Joyce who was coming off of wins over Ike Williams and Henry Armstrong? I would say no And Flashe Elorde, a good win, but was he any better than a peak Manuel Ortiz..who would suffer just one loss in that 4 year span? To guess who? Pep Not really. Pep was well past his prime coming off a broken back suffered in a plane crash. The fact pep was able to beat a prime sandy at that stage of his career is truelly remarkable. If you compare common opponents, you will find Humberto Sierra Jock Leslie and Phil Terranova all decisevley beat sandy saddler. Pep beat all 3 of those fighters multiple times.
I really don't see how you could leave off Humberto Sierra, Phil Terranova, Sal Bartolo or Eddie Compo from Willie Pep's list. All highly ranking top featherweights of the 40s who Pep DOMINATED, and two of those men BEAT sandy Saddler.
Pep dominated the FW ranks for about 8 years even after being involved in a devastating plane crash. During his reign he had fine victories over Sierra, Wright, Ortiz, Joyce, Terranova etc.... He lost his crown in 1949 to Sandy Saddler but then reagined it th next year in an amazing past prime win. He then had 2 more fights with Saddler and was out boxing saddler every time before being stoppe for various reasons. In between the fights with Saddler Pep beat Fabela Chavez and Armond Savoi who were both raked umber 3 in the world when pep fought them and this was a past prime Pep. peps dominace over the 40s and his past prime wins seals the deal
Well if you want to add them to Pep's list, then you'd also have to add guys like Oscar Calles, Bill Bossio, and Lulu Perez to Saddler's.
Have to rememeber Saddler was only beaten ONCE his entire career over 15, and that was by Pep in one of Pep's best performances ever. He was nearly impossible to outpoint, truly. That's consistency in it's own right.