Boxers who were more known fighting at a different weight class from their prime

I think SRR gets mostly known for his MW run and fights with Lamotta and Basilio.

Duran prime was lightweight but he's mostly known for his scraps with SRL and Hagler.

 

Henry Armstrong - Prime featherweight (or jr. lightweight), best known as LW or WW.

Barney Ross - Prime 135/140, best known 147.

Sam Langford - Probably prime light-heavy, best known HW.

Jose Napoles - Probably prime 135-140, best known 147.

Jimmy McLarnin - Prime 135/140, best known 147.

Floyd Patterson - Probably prime light-heavy, best known HW.

 

Evander Holyfield

 

I think Marcel Cerdan was probably at his peak as a welterweight in the early '40s, but of course is known more for being a middleweight toward the end of the decade.

 

Mike Spinks is known to most as getting blasted away by Tyson as a Heavy.

 

There are some who think that Locche's prime might have been at lightweight rather than light-welter. Still, the schoolings he gave Fuji and Cervantes might suggest otherwise.

 

I disagree about Armstrong. I think his prime was at about 133 pounds.

 

Beat me to it. :good

 

good call and missed his prime because of the war.
armstrong-cerdan would've been a good matchup

 

It's ironic to mention him in a thread about where one is most well known, but Burley was likely a top drawer welterweight, but known more for, and achieved more at his middleweight foray.

 

Johnny Persol was a natural light heavyweight who many time fought heavyweight, and at one time was ranked in the top 10 heavyweights by ring magazine.

 

I think Shane Mosley was at his most dominant at lightweight, but all of his most notable wins and losses and big money fights came at welterweight and jr middleweight

 

Michael Moorer