126lb Featherweight Top 10 all time

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by SuzieQ49, Jun 26, 2022.


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  1. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    Tough weight class

    Based on Head to Head and Accomplishments

    1. Willie Pep
    2. Sandy Saddler
    3. Salvador Sanchez
    4. Vincente Saldivar
    5. Henry Armstrong
    6. Johnny Kilbane
    7. Abe Attell
    8. Alexis Arguello
    9. Manny Pacquaio
    10. Azumah Nelson

    HM: Johnny Dundee
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2022
    SuzieQ49, Jun 26, 2022
    SuzieQ49, Jun 26, 2022
    #1
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  2. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    01 - Willie Pep
    02 - Sandy Saddler
    03 - Vicente Saldivar
    04 - George Dixon
    05 - Abe Attell
    06 - Sal Sanchez
    07 - Freddie Miller
    08 - Johnny Kilbane
    09 - Eusebio Pedroza
    10 - Young Corbett II

    Then: Kid Chocolate, Young Griffo, Ramos, Arguello, McGovern, Amrstrong, Canzoneri,
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
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  3. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Why Attell over McGovern, is it mostly longevity?

    I have trouble rating Attell that highly, because he never really established his supremacy with his fights against Owen Moran being so even, and losing the news decision to Driscoll.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
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  4. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    #10. Freddie Miller
    #09. Terry McGovern
    #08. Eusebio Pedroza
    #07. Johnny Kilbane
    #06. George Dixon
    #05. Salvador Sanchez
    #04. Abe Attell
    #03. Vicente Salvidar
    #02. Sandy Saddler
    #01. Willie Pep

    This was my 'greatness' list, but I'd rate Marcel, Armstrong and Pacquiao much higher on a head-to-head based list.
     
    George Crowcroft, Jun 26, 2022
    George Crowcroft, Jun 26, 2022
    #4
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  5. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I'm not really hearing this Pacquiao thing. He never made featherweight post-2004. He clearly wasn't a better fighter than Marquez at this weight. There's no real reason to favour him over Morales at this weight because he lost to Morales a couple of months after he left it. It is absolutely clear he wasn't the two-handed fighter at feather he would become later in his career....I can't see any reason, really, to figure Pacquiao as anything particularly special at this poundage. A really good fighter, yeah, but there are a few of those.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
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  6. SwarmingSlugger

    SwarmingSlugger Active Member Full Member

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    Good list I think Pep deserves much higher ratings in p4p list than he usually gets, 230 wins without a big punch unreal.
     
    SwarmingSlugger, Jun 26, 2022
    SwarmingSlugger, Jun 26, 2022
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  7. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yeah, I think it is a lock personally. A decade at the top about 20 defences. That's ****ed up. Contrast that with Kilbane!

    McGovern gets slid back on account of Corbett, too.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
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  8. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    What do you make of the fights with Moran? Do you rate him highly too, or do you just think he was a bad style for Attell or something?

    I find it hard to look past how even they were in their 25 and 23 round contests.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
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  9. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Moran has that legacy problem. It's impressive, holding a champ to draws, but it's not enough to do what you mean after that mean more in the way wins would. My memory of their two big contests were that they were boxed very conservatively? That suits Attell. What does he care? He knows that Moran can't take his title boxing conservatively and he also knew that if Moran brought the pressure it would suit him, that is it would suit Attell. So he waited.

    The man was a born winner. He and Kilbane held the title for longer between them than the next ten champions did combined.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
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  10. PhillyPhan69

    PhillyPhan69 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Seeing Saldivar outside of the top 5 causes me great grief!

    1 Pep
    2 Saddler
    3 Saldivar
    4 Sanchez
    5 Dixon
    6 Attel
    7 Pedroza
    8 Miller
    9 Kilbane
    10 McGovern
     
    PhillyPhan69, Jun 26, 2022
    PhillyPhan69, Jun 26, 2022
    #10
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  11. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Agree, difficult to defend.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
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  12. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Moran does have a lot of good wins, though he is hurt in this by his best wins being spread across three divisions.

    For me the lack of a win over Moran is more significant without it I think there's a question mark about if he should be considered world champion or an American champion

    I don't want to overstate this too much, as ai hold Attell and Noran in pretty high regard, but it does hurt his ranking for me.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
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  13. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Right, like Dundee.

    He is credited with a win over Moran though.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    #13
  14. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Wasn't it just a 10 round ND? It's a debatable point but when they had two decision contests over much longer distances, I don't see a Newspaper decision setting it.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
    BitPlayerVesti, Jun 26, 2022
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  15. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Yeah, very much so, but out of being awarded the win, loss, or having another draw, it's reassuring that Attell is currently credited with the win.

    He was apparently able to beat Moran in the eyes of the majority of recorded observers at one point in time. It's not nothing.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2022
    #15
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