Is Lightweight historically the strongest division?

Yeah, LHW is strong too.

My LHW top 10 contributes 2 fighters to my pfp top 15 - Charles and Greb. Langford and Fitzsimmons arent in my LHW top 10, which is based solely on fights contested at or around LHW. However, if they were, then it would match my LW top 10 as containing 4 x boxers in my p4p top 15.

 

Exactly the same names as mine, if in a slightly different order.

Credit to you for posting & I have no major issues with your list.

A minor one would be Welsh ahead of McFarland. According to my notes McFarland went 90-0-7 at or around LW, Welsh 121-26-17. They fought 3 times, officially a win for McFarland and 2 draws, though reports generally consider McFarland to be on the better end of the draws. To be fair, Welsh did beat a green Leonard, though lost to him twice. There doesn't appear to be a huge difference between the quality of their win resumes, McFarland's superiority in dominance against the field and coming out on top in their own series makes him a lock above Welsh, imo. If world title reigns heavily factor into one's ranking criteria, then that's an area Welsh obviously has a big advantage over McFarland, but given McFarland reportedly won the 1 title shot he received, on fair scorecards, and clearly did enough to warrant another, I don't hold that against him.

The above paragraph is incidental really. Of all the LWs in history, us both selecting the same top 10 names speaks well for them. The only other guy I had to deliberate seriously on, was Sammy Mandell. He beat Canzoneri & whilst his win resume otherwise wasn't as deep as Tony's, he was more consistent at the weight.