I actually agree with you about the belts. I have posted numerous fawning threads here on Packey Mcfarland (one of my all time faves) and Mike Gibbons, so you are getting no argument there. But just as the IBT Intercontinental Cruiserweight Emeritus Champ does little for me, so does Joe Choynski's induction to the IBHOF... (he was certainly qualified for the Hall of Really Good).
A major problem with this as a metric is that it ignores the stage of the career of the guy they beat. They could be a raw novice or shot to bits and it still gets counted, they may have gone into the fight injured or otherwise not at their best. The fight itself could have been 1 win out of 6, or even a complete robbery and it'd still be counted.
I terms of using HoF for judging a fighter, it's very dubious. I think you'd struggle to come up with any argument that Tom Sharkey was better than Jimmy Britt, Solly Smith, or Benny Yanger
I didn't know Fields was in but Goldstein is in as a non-participant, if I am not mistaken. That can't count here.
I was in IBRO but opted out this year to focus on school. Thanks for the kind words. If I remember right, you were always arguing for McLarnin as one of the best ever.
Maybe Langford was, but he didn't beat Ketchel, it was an ND and I think the reports show it was an inconclusive one. Jack Blackburn is in he HoF as a non participant for having trained Joe Louis. On top of that O'Brien was past his best while Tiger Flowers and Godfrey weren't anyone yet when he beat them.
For modern era, Mayweather has these guys: Gatti Shane Cotto Oscar Canelo Pacquiao Marquez There's also a chance for a minority of Genero, Zab, Castillo, Hatton and Corrales to get in.
Well, according to the OP Jack Blackburn counts - and if that's the case, Goldstein must count as well.
I think about that too but this serves as a rough sketch, like packey mcfarland and rocky both beat 4 hall of famers but packey beat guys above his weight class(lightweight) welteweight Jack britton middleweight Mike gibbons and beat owen moran and freddie welsh when they were peak , meanwhile rocky fiested on 2 natural light heavies who were past prime and 2 past prime heavies !
