The other guys that he fought are what make it impressive. Which of those dont you think make things a hard run?
Carlos Monzon from 1971 - 1977 had an incredible 16 fight run, two blips but i think they are more than acceptable when looking at who they are sandwiched between. All title defenses and all thsi after coming off a Ring Magazine Fight Of The Year in 1970 against Benvenuti. Rodrigo Valdez Rodrigo Valdez Gratien Tonna Tony Licata Tony Mundine Jose Napoles Jean Claude Bouttier Emile Griffith -------------Could be cut off here because of Roy Dale or continued including him. Bennie Briscoe Tom Bogs Jean Claude Bouttier Denny Moyer ------------Another place this could be cut off because of Fraser Scott but continuing. Emile Griffith Nino Benvenuti
between August 71 and december 74 Rafael Hererra fought Chucho Castillo Ruben Olivares Enrique Pinder Ruben Olivares Rodolfo Martinez Venice Borkorsor Romeo Anaya and Rodolfo Martinez
Manny Pacquiao for about the last 8 years: Barrera x2 Morales x3 Marquez x2 Solis De La Hoya Cotto Clottey Hatton Margarito Mosley That's pretty tough competition. Harry Greb has to be up there too
consecutive it says: back to back. No I dont consider Lowery, Nardico, or Murphy particularly difficult in the history of consecutive fight runs. Ted Lowery didnt lost more fights than he won and had won two of his last 14 fights when he fought Maxim. Murphy was decent, not particularly great, somewhat protected/carefully matched. and Norkus was in a similar boat. Both those guys had lost to the best fighters they had faced who were in their primes and those guys they lost to were rarely if ever great. A lot of fighters in history can string together a couple of difficult wins, fight a journeyman, string together a couple of difficult wins, fight a journeyman etc etc. The point of the thread was to see who had the longest run of CONSECUTIVE difficult fights.
I would have thought that those two fights sandwiched in between the others made things a pretty difficult series of consecutive fights. So it is only consecutive fights, how about this one: Crouse,Smith, Smith, Clabby, Chip?
walcott had a pretty solid run of fights in the late forties... maxim, ray, maxim, ray, maxim, louis, louis, charles
more recently, i think de la hoya took on top competition. he had some gimmes here and there but he had a good run of opponents for most of his career.
Actually, if we're talking about literally back-to-back fights, Greb might not qualify as he tended to cram a lot of fights against B and C level fighters in between his big wins. Here's one for consideration: Archie Moore fought Harold Johnson (ATG future LHW champ), Nino Valdes (#1 rated HW contender), Bobo Olson (#1 MW in the world at that time), and Rocky Marciano (legendary ATG HW champ) in back-to-back fights.
You should extend this list back a few fights earlier, in which case it would read: Stanislaus Loayza Ray Miller Joe Glick Joe Glick Ray Miller Sergeant Sammy Baker Sammy Mandell Ruby Goldstein Sammy Mandell Young Jack Thompson Al Singer Billy Petrolle Billy Petrolle Billy Petrolle Lou Brouillard Benny Leonard Sammy Fuller Young Corbett Barney Ross Barney Ross Barney Ross Tony Canzoneri Tony Canzoneri Lou Ambers ...in which case we might well have a winner here.
Not exactly what the thread is asking but Armstrongs 10 month run between 1937 and 38 winning the three belts similtaneously must be the greatest period for any fighter in history.