Great fighters, but not ATG..........

Yes but it does not prove that he was an all time great.. Norton did beat Ali and i can see tua having a walk in the Park with kenny... Tyson fury is not an all time great but i see him beating marciano and ezzard charles for example

 

I'm so instilled in my ways of ranking now that I don't really like debating issues such as this because I feel it is a waste of everyone's time.

But for what it's worth my definition of ATG is someone who's greatness transcends time.

So for me it's someone who is considered a top ten h2h fighter in their division.

With that being said anyone who's on the fringes of the top ten of their division but not quite there is a great fighter, just not enough to transcend all time.

 

The only fighter I would describe as great in there is Emile Griffith.

 

Ezzard Charles is definitely an ATG.

 

This one would see you lynched over in general, I'm imagining. Totally get where you're coming from and agree with you, however, even though Marquez is among my personal favorite modern fighters along with his brother.

 

Yessir, I saw it...very emotional account of that single most epic fight of Emile's life........but, I tire of the talk of Paret, and that overblown stuff about EG being gay, bi, or whatever....I'm more into that 1966 Tiger fight...the three Benvenuti bouts...and all those nontitle bouts of his where he became the patient, skilled technician...the Griffith who admittedly didn't thrill the fans, but demonstrated that he was a marvelous, subtle ring mechanic.

 

She spoke of personal type issues...and described his character and about his dedication to his chosen sport....however, for some reason, she didn't hang around too long, which was a shame.

 

MAB was always my man...especially as the tamer of that detestable, bat eared little creep Hamed.

 

The Hamed viewing is a boxing essential, to say the least! A personal treat of a fight, for me anyway.

 

I actually ran with Marquez pretty hard myself... I had money on him to stop Pacquiao in their fourth encounter, haha. That might be one of my most exciting fights I've ever had the privilege to watch live.

 

Kessler, Marquez........Nigel Benn?

 

One of the most satisfying and gratifying fights of modern times IMO. I hated that little jug eared fu cker.

 

Those sound like pretty reasonable criteria... but as you say, there are some grey areas.

For example, are we to take the term "ATG" literally - and only apply it to those exceptional boxers, who would be great in any era (like Louis, Robinson, Pep, Ali, etc.)? Or do we also include those who made it to the top in the early days of the gloved era, where there wasn't much competition?

Now don't misunderstand me; I have a lot of respect for anyone who excels in his own time. If you beat the best around, we can't really ask for more, no matter what the era. Having said that, I have a hard time calling (for example) someone like Nonpareil Dempsey an ATG... even if he was seen as the best boxer 130 years ago.

But then again, if we define an ATG as someone who was outstanding in his own time... yes, then Nonpareil probably does fit the term.

 

Absolutely agreed, one of the few fighters I've ever come across that I simply cannot stand. Find him to be an obnoxious loud mouthed little *****.