Charley Rose's top 10 Lightweights of all time, October, 1968

Good list for the time, Ike Williams might have appeared though, even Beau Jack at that time in the lower section maybe? I know lists always have a bit of nostalgia about them and maybe it was too early for someone like Jack in 68 (or maybe he just doesn't make the cut), but i'd expect Williams to be in there really.

Also, anyone want to tell me about Leach Cross? Haven't heard of him.

 

No Ike Williams? :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

 

Are you ****ing kidding me? Leach Cross>Ike Williams, shows what you know.

 

Ross should be there some were imo.

 

Why are old time historians so bias against the 1930s-1960s era? it really shows in their all time lists. Were the just in denial that boxing clearly started modernizing during this time? Perhaps they still had an emotional attachment to bareknuckle techniques that were slowly dying out.

 

Looks a lot like Nat Fleischer's list from around the same time, as all but Rivers, Blackburn and Cross are also on Fleischer's list (he had George Kid Lavigne, Lew Tendler and Owen Moran instead).

What these two historians had in common, was a love for the pre-WW1 fighters... and a complete lack of respect for post-WW2 boxers. Some of these rankings are so absurd, that they can't really be taken seriously.

 

Well Jack Blackburn had a pretty even record with the bigger Sam Langford, in about 6 fights, he also Drew fights with his share of heavy contenders, Harry Greb, Philadelphia Jack O Brien, among others. If Sam Langford is one of your top 10 heavys, then you must rate him pretty highly.

Which fighters are you 100 per cent confident would fight on even or close to even with the above fighters? I wouldnt even be 100% certain that guys like Leonard (either of them) would necessarilly do as well. I dont rate him this highly, but it certainly isnt as absurd as you put it.

 

Haha, yeah it's just generational bias, goes on today, went on then, and went on even before then. Remember the Tommy Loughran article that was posted a while back?

 

TEETO , Leach Cross was the lightweight idol of the East Side of NY, before the advent of Benny Leonard, pre World War One...He was a great right hand puncher and was known for feigning being groggy and counter
punching his opponenents as they fell into a trap...He was the ONLY boxer in history who knocked out his opponents teeth at night, and fix their teeth the next morning in his Dental Office in NY....He was named " The Fighting Dentist " aptly...Hope I gave you some info!...b.b.

 

thanks for that Burt, very interesting, 'the fighting dentist', sounds legendary:good

 

When I say "absurd", I don't mean Blackburn's high placing... but the general over-population of pre-WW1 fighters in these rankings by old time historians. I'm certainly not knocking Blackburn, who undoubtedly was a great fighter.

 

Blackburn #3? Seems like a reac. But then again Rose felt Langford was the #1 all time heavyweight.