Because Heavyweights are better than all the others. The champion of heavyweight is the champion of boxing. The weight classes were invented by tough little fighters (and their handlers) who knew they were limited and couldn't beat the champion, so they invented weight limits and accepted challenges from all-comers within that limit, and barred the bigger men from fighting them. But the real champion - the heavyweight champion - sets no limit, will literally beat anyone. People might enjoy the skills of the little guys more, like they might enjoy the longer rallies in ladies' tennis or something like that. It's just aesthetics. But we know who the best really are.
Heavyweight is the best division, without question. In a strict sense. But I'd pick Lightweight as the division that contained the most prime legends in history.
I know I said light-heavyweight was the best a couple years ago, but nowadays I can see it as low as four - but no lower. After making a series of top fifties, one for each major weight, I've seen there's a few sides to being known as the greatest division ever. You have to ask yourself, what's better? The division with the better tenth place, or the division with the better fiftieth? Or once you get to fifty, how many elite fighters have you left off? IMO, all of these things matter. A great top ten makes a division strong, but a great top fifty makes a division deep, if that makes sense. Sort of how I'd say Leonard's résumé is better than Duran's, but Duran's is better than Leonard's. Anyway, LHW is one of those division which is awesome for the top ten-fifteen, but sucks as you get past forty. Whereas the three I can see in front of it, are welterweight, middleweight, and lightweight. I'd wager these are most people's top three anyway. Welterweight is clearly the weakest link of these three IMO, as even though it arguably has the best top ten, it's quite thin when you start getting further down, and starts having dips in quality which the other two do not. Ultimately, my pick for having the best mix of all components needed, is 135. On top of having dozens of high level fighters which did not make the cut (Nazorv, Lil' But Bad, Mosley, Marquez, etc.); it has the strongest top ten IMO. It helps that the best fighter ever spent most of his prime years there as the division's most dominant champion. Here is my top fifty: #50. Harlem Tommy Murphy #49. Sammy Fuller #48. Jose Luis Castillo #47. Jose Luis Ramirez #46. Edwin Rosario #45. Guts Ishimatsu #44. Floyd Mayweather Jr. #43. Hector Camacho #42. Esteban DeJesus #41. Alexis Arguello #40. Julio Cesar Chavez #39. Elbows McFadden #38. Wesley Ramey #37. Joe Mandot #36. Billy Petrolle #35. Dave Holly #34. Joe Shrugue #33. Willie Ritchie #32. Jack Kid Berg #31. Richie Mitchell #30. Lockport Jimmy Duffy #29. Frank Erne #28. Jack McAuliffe #27. George Lavigne #26. Jimmy Carter #25. Charlie White #24. Lew Tendler #23. Ken Buchanan #22. Rocky Kansas #21. Barney Ross #20. Jimmy Britt #19. Johnny Dundee #18. Ismael Laguna #17. Sammy Mandell #16. Bob Montgomery #15. Joe Brown #14. Willie Joyce #13. Sammy Angott #12. Beau Jack #11. Lou Ambers #10. Pernell Whitaker #09. Henry Armstrong #08. Freddie Welsh #07. Ike Williams #06. Tony Canzoneri #05. Packey McFarland #04. Roberto Duran #03. Carlos Ortiz #02. Joe Gans #01. Benny Leonard
Great post and top 50, George. Duran at 4? Bit surprised by that, although it isn't outrageous. Ortiz has some brilliant wins and better names overall but was not quite as consistent or dominant as Duran was. Not the point of your post, but anyway... I agree re the best divisions - depth has to come into it and lightweight is probably deeper than any other weight class.
Welterweight has a remarkable number of passing-of-the torch fights (from one dominant champion to the next). Not sure if that makes it the best but it does mean the best have fought the best.
I think it's likely welterweight or lightweight, in part because it's a numbers game. It seems as if more boxers participate in those classes (that's certainly the case today), so through that alone you will have a larger influx of talent. Plus, I think 135 and 147 have an ideal mix of skill, speed, power, and stamina, and the balance gets offset the more you head in one direction. For instance, you get more power but less stamina as you travel up in weight and the opposite effect as you move down. I am willing to concede that middleweight belongs there, too.
If you like boxing for boxing you watch the little guys the skill gap is immense it isn't aesthetics they're the talent real entertainment for me. If you want to watch the biggest least skilled guys fight for the sake of knowing they could beat a bunch of much smaller guys up go ahead? I don't know why AJ being able to beat Inoue makes you a fan because what's sad is Journeyman in the UFC would crush Lennox Lewis does that mean you'll be converting to MMA?
No Battling Nelson (who defeated Jimmy Britt, Joe Gans, and Young Corbett II)? Can you explain why Battling Nelson isn't in your list?
