You would probably have to say Judah takes the number 1 spot for quality of opponant and performance. Despite Zab being somewhat overhyped. After that probably between Mitchell and MAG. Tszyu doesn't have a great resume when you are looking for career defining wins. I mean Sharmba Mitchell for christs sake and thats arguably his no2 opponent. Though it actually had quite a few decent but not great fighters to fill it out. Either faded very good fighters or somewhat talented boxers whose final record doesn't really show the ability they had when Tszyu fought them. Guys like Urkal, Hector Lopez, Bergman, Hurtado were all pretty handy fighters for a time. A few of the older guys he beat before he was champ weren't to bad either considering how few pro fights he had.
I'd say Judah, MAG and Hurtado. Not a strong résumé IMO. He'd have been better off if he fought De La Hoya, Whitaker Cotto and Mayweather. Even if he lost all four, he'd have acquitted himself well vs truly elite fighters. I think he'd likely have beaten at least Cotto.
Not a lot of big names but a lot of really solid fighters. 140 was a really tough and underrated division back then. I would say Zab first, Mitchell 2nd and Hurtado third. Mitchell was one of those guys that a lot of top fighters wanted no part of. He was damn good. Hurtado was a very talented Cuban that gave Sweet Pea all kinds of problems and had only lost to Pernel going into their fight. Honorable mentions would be guys like Ben Tackie, Gonzalez and Urkal who were all considered dangerous at the time Tzyu fought them.
Zab Judah is probably the go to pick for most. But there's some people that dispute the merit of that win. Max Kellerman stated the stoppage was premature: https://www.espn.com.au/boxing/columns/kellerman_max/1274417.html
Judah Mitchell II Gonzalez Judah, he was written off and he blew him away. Mitchell II he’d been off for more than two years and was being picked to lose, and blew him away. Gonzalez was viewed as a near pick-em and he destroyed him.
I can't pick just three. How about three Americanos & three Mexicanos? In chronological order: 1991 Vernon Forrest WPTS3 - Wins the Light Welter World Amateur Championship less than 12 months out from an Olympics & turns pro in the country it took place in. Good win by any standard & shows you the level Tszyu was at when he turned pro. 1994 Hector Lopez W10 - Lopez had made the Olympic final a decade earlier & was razor sharp for this one. 1999 Miguel Angel Gonzalez KO 10 - Brutal beat-down of long reigning WBC Lightweight champ who Oscar had boxed cautiously behind the jab against. 2000 Julio Cesar Chavez KO 6 - He was over the hill when Tszyu faced him but no-one ever put the best chin in the business down quite like this. 2001 Zab Judah KO 2 - Unifies Light Welter professional World Championship by making heavy favourite Zzzzzzzab break-dance like it was 1999. Early stoppage my arse. He got dropped hard twice by one punch. 2004 Sharmba Mitchell KO 3 - Tszyu's last ever win was one of his best. Despite being beset with serious injuries late in his career, he wound back the clock in stopping the very active Mitchell in a one-sided fight.
Judah takes the top spot because Tszyu was the underdog, it was for THE 140-pound championship, Tszyu knocked him out in dramatic fashion, and despite the fact Judah never realized his potential, that was still the worst defeat Judah ever suffered. It says something in light of Judah's fairly deep modern resume. The Mitchell rematch and Gonzalez or Hurtado make the most sense at #3.
