Best fighters to ever step in the ring

Fighters that there’s plenty of film of:

Sugar Ray Robinson, Eder Jofre, Roberto Duran, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jose Napoles, Ezzard Charles come to mind. I’m sure there’s many more in the same category.

 

My mistake...I rated Ezz over Burley but I make mistake when I wrote this!

 

Glad to see Casamayor getting his dues!

 

No worries mate. Fair play for admitting it, too. Most wouldn't.

 

It is fashionable now to downplay Burley, as he peaked late 80s (Pound for pound) when his sweetness died, and Charley was crowned the best living fighter.

But fashion is fickle and Burley will be back, as he was rather good.

 

It's not that I dislike/downplay Burley, it's more that my Charles-fanboy radar kicked in and couldn't let that slip. There's just no argument for Burley being better than Charles, in anyway.

 

There clearly is (once you get below 160lbs). Burley is that good, you need to put a serious case together for even Robinson to top him, let alone Charles.


I do have Charles (7) above Burley (19), but it is close enough that as I mentioned, as fashions and popularity change, Burley could get a push.

 

I’m starting to feel the same way about Michael Spinks at light heavyweight

 

It’s good to see Ray Leonard getting some love in this forum

 

Surprised no one has mentioned Lennox Lewis yet

 

Your list has barely changed in the 14 years I’ve been on these forums.

 

No Greb, Monzon, Gans, B. Leonard, Olivares, Kecthel, Walker, just wondering....

 

Robinson at 160 from the St. Valentines Day Massacre. We got to see a veteran against his arch-nemesis. He boxed, he fought, he took punches and he just about killed Superman.

The will to win became the will to destroy. I cannot imagine any fighter at 160 or P4P withstanding the skill, power and will to win that Robinson showed against a fellow All-Time Great.

Champion: Sugar Ray Robinson
1. Harry Greb
2. Ezzard Charles
3. Sam Langford
3. Sugar Ray Leonard
4. Muhammad Ali
5. Jack Johnson
6. Joe Louis
7. Henry Armstrong
8. Roberto Duran
9. Willie Pep

I haven’t done a list in years. Not sure I am comfortable with Pep over Benny Leonard. It also might be that Armstrong needs to be moved up over Louis and that Johnson needs to be moved up over Ali.

 

This is a cool post for all kinds of reasons!