Who do you rate as the best Light Heavyweight of all-time?

Sam Langford and Harry Greb might be the best of them all.

 

Yes burt...Tunney would have that everpresent, important edge that he's always been credited for having....DISCIPLINE!! I think he would outgeneral Billy...I agree with you here!

 

Taking a close look at their records, Ezzard Charles faced many more top fighters than Gene Tunney. Moreover, Tunney faced a number of top fighters who were still young, including Tommy Loughran, or well past their peak, including Battling Levinsky, Georges Carpentier, Tommy Gibbons and Jack Dempsey. You could also add Harry Greb to the list, but he still was a truly great fighter at the time he fought Tunney in a series of bouts.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Battling Levinsky was past his peak when he lost to Georges Carpentier by a knockout in the fourth round and to Gene Tunney by decision in a twelve-round bout. After beating Levinsky, Tunney took a brutal beating while losing by decision after fifteen rounds in his first bout with Harry Greb. Carpentier reportedly turned down a purse of $150,000. to fight Harry Greb, who probably would have taken him apart with little trouble during the late 1910s and early 1920s.

- Chuck Johnston

 

I'd go with:

1. Archie Moore
2. Ezzard Charles
3. Sam Langford
4. Gene Tunney
5. Bob Foster
6. Michael Spinks
7. Billy Conn
8. Tommy Loughran
9. Jimmy Bivins
10. Roy Jones Jr

 

Rjj

 

Roy Jones Jr

 

I like Sam L. as much as the next guy, but who did he beat at this weight to deserve to be no. 1 or top 3 even

 

I have days when I think that 175 was the deepest division of all!

Being a top 10 heavyweight, is like being a top 30 light heavyweight.

They split the division in half, and both halves were still among the best!

 

Not really Burt. More like he "out-youthed" them. Both men were well past their best. Gibbons was at the end of his career.

Except for Black fighters on his resume That definitely goes to his detriment. That being said, Tunney was still an excellent fighter.

 

I'd definitely take Conn over Tunney. Billy was faster and definitely more proven than Tunney. His chin withstood the bombs of a heck of a lot more big punchers than Tunney, who only fought one and that being a past-prime Dempsey.

Tunney had a very carefully designed career, one where he made sure he had almost every conceivable advantage stacked in his favor or he wouldn't sign (The Greb book and the research on Gene's behind the scenes shenanigans, like insisting on his handpicked referee etc, made me lose a lot of respect for him).

Conn on the other hand took ALL the risks that Tunney wouldn't in his own career. No negotiating table shenanigans and garbage like that. Conn fought any and everybody.

 

I think you mean Battling Levinsky whom you are confusing with fringe heavyweight contender King Fish Levinsky.
Battling Levinsky was a 10 year veteran when Carpentier beat him in 1920 ,his best days had irrevocably departed.

 

Foster and Conn.

I know about Archie Moore´s reputation but there are simply not enough
recordings for me to judge that^^

 

Archie Moore, reigned for about ten years,and did some damage beforehand.