The Ipswich Express Top 100 Fighters of All Time List

54.


Harry Wills 81-10-4 (51) (Includes Newspaper Decisions)

Best Wins: W10x5, W8, W12, W15 x 2, W20, TKO7 & KO6 Sam Langford, W8, W10, W12 & KO8 Joe Jeanette, KO5 & W12 Sam McVey, W12 Luis Firpo.


Good Losses: D6, D10, KO19, KO14, Sam Langford, L20, L10 & D6 Sam McVey, D10 Joe Jeanette.

Wills is perhaps the fighter who most famously suffered from "the colour line". He was the number one contender for Jack Dempsey's crown but never got the opportunity to fight for it. He battled with Langford an incredible 22 times as a result of coloured fighters having to fight each other, while being ducked by whites. Also ranked in the Ring's Top Punchers. The number of wins he owns against Langford, Jeanette and McVey weighs heavily for me.



53.


Billy Conn 64-12-1 (15)

Best Wins: W12 Tony Zale, W10 Al McCoy, W15 x 2 Gus Lesnevich, W15 x 2 Melino Bettina, W15 & W10 Fred Apostoli, W15 x 2 Teddy Yaroscz, W10 Young Corbett III, W10 Vince Dundee, W10 Fritzie Zivic.

Good Losses: KO13 Joe Louis, L10 Teddy Yaroscz.

Most of the footage available of Conn is as a Heavyweight. He started his career at Welter and went on to become one of the finest Lt Heavy's ever. He was boxing Joe Louis' ears off when he foolishly chose to go for the knock out in the 13th round and was stopped himself. What many fail to realise is that he weighed under the Lt Heavy limit against Louis, a truly remarkable feat! A beautiful boxer that occasionally let his Irish temper get to him, making him slug when he didn't need to. Underrated by many.


52.


Dick Tiger 60-19-3 (27)

Best Wins: W10 Nino Benvenuti, W15 x 2 Jose Torres, W10 & W15 Joey Giardello, W10 Ruben Carter, W15 & TKO7 Gene Fullmer, W10 Henry Hank, KO6 Florentino Fernandez.


Good Losses: L125 Emile Griffith, L10 Joey Archer, L10 & L15 Joey Giardello, D15 Gene Fullmer.

Recognised by many experts as the best fighter Africa has ever produced. His battles with Fullmer and Giardello are legendary. Managed to win the World Middleweight title before moving up to capture the Lt Heavyweight title, despite being a small fighter in that division. In fact he weighed under today's Super Middle limit for the Torres fight. Still good enough to whip Benvenuti three months shy of his 40th birthday.


51.


Floyd Mayweather 40-0 (25)

Best Wins: TKO10 Ricky Hatton, W12 Oscar De La Hoya, W12 Zab Judah, W12 x 2 Jose Luis Castillo, TKO9 Jesus Chavez, W12 Carlos Hernandez, TKO10 Diego Corrales, TKO8 Genaro Hernandez.

Hating Mayweather seems to be the hip thing among boxing fans these days. The cold hard facts are that Mayweather is easily the most talented fighter of his generation and he would give nightmares to any fighter around his weight, from any generation.

His beat down against Diego Corrales should be in everyone's collection. That he traveled as far north as 154lbs to beat De La Hoya still amazes me. He is scheduled to fight Mosley in the next few months. If he gets by Sugar Shane, he would jump considerably up this list. If he were to beat the one man wrecking ball that is Manny Pacquiao at an even later date, it's conceivable he is top 15 or higher.


50.



Jake LaMotta 83-19-4 (30)

Best Wins: W10 Bob Murphy, KO15 Laurent Dauthuille, TKO10 Marcel Cerdan, W10 Tommy Yarosz, W10 Tony Janiro, W10 x 3 Tommy Bell, W10 Holman Williams, W10 & TKO9 Jose Basora, KO6 George Costner, W10 x 2 Fritzie Zivic, W10 Ray Robinson.

Good Losses: TKO13, L10 x 2, L12 Ray Robinson, L10 Lloyd Marshall, L15 & L10 Fritzie Zivic.

To be completely honest, when I was putting this together and grouping fighters in pools, I never imagined LaMotta being so high. However, when you got through his record he fought and beat just about everyone. He is the first man to beat Ray Robinson, knocking him through the ropes in the process.

Sure, he was heavier than Robinson, but that says more about Robinson's greatness than an unfair advangtage in my opinion. He had a better skill set than many give him credit for and he was too tough for his own good. His crazy bull rush tactics are forever enshrined in boxing folklore.

 

Well that's us halfway through boys. Hope you're enjoying it. I am, despite my brain being ready to crumble! Sit back and enjoy the next 50...

 

Much like Tyson trying to fight off the back foot... just can't do it.

 

Accidental double post.

 

49.


Luis Rodriguez 107-13 (49)


Best Wins: W10 x 2 Bennie Briscoe, TKO9 George Benton, W10 x 2 Rubin Carter, W15 Emile Griffith, W10 & TKO3 Yama Bahama, W10 Frederico Thompson, W10 Curtis Cokes, W10 x 2 Virgil Akins UD10, W10 Benny Paret.

Good Losses: KO11 Nino Benvenuti, L15 x 2 & L10 Emile Griffith.

Known as "El Feo" or "The Ugly One" Rodriguez is yet another Cuban to appear on this list. His series of battles with Emile Griffith is one of the closest contested in the modern era, with many believing that Luis should have received more than just the one victory. A master defensive fighter who wasn't afraid to get in a war.


48.


Jack Britton 212-53-44 (30) (Includes Newspaper Decisions)

Best Wins: WQD 13 Benny Leonard, W12 Mickey Walker, W15, W8, W10 x 3, KO9, W12 x 2 & W20 Ted Lewis, W12 & TKO18 Charley White.

Good Losses: L15 Mickey Walker, D15 & D10 Dave Shade, L10 & L6 Benny Leonard, D6, D10 x 3, L6, L10 x 2, L12 x 2 & L20 Ted Lewis, L10 x 2 & D8 Packey McFarland.

One of the greatest Welterweights of all time. Britton won the title on three occassions. He holds the record for the number of title fights in a career ( 38 ), many of which were against the great Ted Lewis, his rival. He defended his title 6 times in his second reign and 15 times in his third. Wins over all tiem greats Walker and Leonard go a long way as well.


47.


Julio Cesar Chavez 107-6-2 (86)

Best Wins: TKO5 Greg Haugen, W12 Hector Camacho, TKO12 Meldrick Taylor, TKO10 & TKO2 Roger Mayweather, TD11 Jose Luis Ramirez, TKO11 Edwin Rosario, W12 Juan La Porte, W12 Rocky Lockridge, KO6 Ruben Castillo KO6, Mario Martinez TKO8


Good Losses: TKO8 Oscar De La Hoya.

Chavez is another fighter that for mine, has actually become somewhat underrated over the years. He is a 6 time world champion over 3 divisions, beating 15 other world champions on the way. He owned the longest undefeated steak in boxing history (89-0-1), he possessed an indomitable will to win and a ferocious body attack.

His fight against Taylor will forever be etched in the minds of fans, showing incredible heart to stop Taylor with seconds remaining. It was the fight of the 90s. His beatdown of Hector Camacho in what was a "pick-em" is also a "must see"


46.


Ruben Olivares 88-13-3 (77)

Best Wins: TKO2 Jose Luis Ramirez, TKO2 & TKO9 Bobby Chacon, W15 x 2 Chuco Castillo, KO5 Lionel Rose, KO8 Jose Medal, W12 Art Hafey, TKO11 Jesus Pimentel.

Good Losses: TKO12 Eusebio Pedroza, W10 Bobby Chacon, KO7 Danny Lopez, L15 David Kotey, KO13 Alexis Arguello, TKO14 Chuco Castillo.

It's hard to imagine a more exciting fighter that "El Púas" or "The Sharp Points". Rated by most as the greatest Bantamweight who ever lived, he was also one of the greatest punchers our sport has seen. He has consecutive knock out streaks of 22 and 21 fights apiece. His demolitions of Ramirez, Rose and Chacon are frightening. Even in defeat it was all about give and take. Check out his first round with Lopez, if you've never seen it. It's something straight out of a Rocky movie. A Bantam and Featherweight champion.



45.


Jack Johnson 73-13-9 (40) (Includes Newspaper Decisions)


Best Wins: W15 Sam Langford, W14 Tommy Burns, W6, W15 Joe Jeanette, KO20 & W20 x 2 Sam McVey

Good Losses: D6 & D10 Jeanette, L20 Marvin Hart, D12 Peter Jackson.

Quite possibly the single most important athlete of the last century. No other fighter in history has had to endure what "The Gavelston Giant" went through. He managed to defeat the best fighters of his generation and somehow managed to live to tell the tale in those racially charged times. His fight with Ketchel is something that I didn't rate in his "best wins" but it was a sensational fight. Also considered by many experts to be one of the best defensive fighters of all time, he had enough punching power to keep anyone honest.