Let's go Modern - who was the best fighter in each of the 9 modern divisions?

We seem to forever debate who the greatest were in the traditional eight divisions, but most of the unwanted nine modern divisions have been in operation for a long time now, so it would be good to debate who have been the best in those divisions.

What I have done to start us off is to say who I think was THE best fighter who ever fought in each division H2H, ie this is not a debate on career/pound-for-pound greatness, it is simply about who showed himself to be the finest fighting machine ever at that weight by producing the goods in key fights.

If I think there is a clear number 1, I have not acknowledged any other realistic contenders. This is just my opinion of course, feel free to disagree. I'm sure there will some disgruntled fans of Zapata, Yuh, Norris, Calzaghe, Pacquiao, Morales, Barrera, Moon, Galaxy, etc etc - but these are my calls and all they are is a starting point. Disagree at will. That's kind of the point.

:bbb



Cruiserweight

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(1987)

Other Realistic Contenders: None.


Supermiddleweight

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(1994)

Other Realistic Contenders: None.


Light-Middleweight

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(1983)

Other Realistic Contenders: Mike McCallum (1986)


Light-Welterweight

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(1982)

Other Realistic Contenders: Julio Cesar Chavez (1989), Wilfred Benitez (1976)


Super-Featherweight

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(1979)

Other Realistic Contenders: Floyd Mayweather Jr (2001), Julio Cesar Chavez (1985)


Super-Bantamweight

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(seventy-eight)

Other Realistic Contenders: None.


Junior-Bantamweight

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(1986)

Other Realistic Contenders: Jiro Watanabe (1984)


Light-Flyweight

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(1983)

Other Realistic Contenders: Yoko Gushiken (seventy-eight)


Minimumweight

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(1993)

Other Realistic Contenders: None.

 

Calzaghe wouldn't have a chance in the ring vs peak Superman.

Winky would not beat Hearns or McCallum, not a chance, therefore he is not a "realistic" contender.

Ross and Canzoneri didn't fight in the light-welter division as it is now, it wasn't created in its current form till the 1960s if I'm not mistaken.

Cervantes is a good shout though. Would he be your number 1?

 

Fair enough amigo. I couldn't disagree more though. Jones would be Calzaghe's nightmare IMO. Everything Calzaghe has, Jones has more. Calzaghe relied heavily on handspeed and workrate - Jones was faster than him of hand and foot, and was as fit and well-conditioned as anyone I've ever seen. Calzaghe compensated for a lack of defence with a sturdy chin - Jones hit far harder than anyone Calzaghe ever faced. Look at the guys who dropped Joe... Jones would have no trouble at all doing likewise or more likely worse. Jones's lightning-fast right hand would land all night, it's a no-win for Joe C as far as I can see. He was very good while Jones at his 168 zenith was positively supernatural.

He may outwork Hearns?? I don't understand what you mean here. Not at all.

I wouldnt have bothered making the thread if we could just bring up the old timers again, my point was to get us talking about the modern divisions. Someone could clarify this, but I think the jr-welter division was abolished at some point and resurrected in the 60s? I should have been more specific in my thread-starter then, I was looking for the best men in the current divisions since those divisions started in their current form (phew!).

:huh Dunno why you mentioned him then, if you don't view him as a possible number 1. If you, like me, are sure that Pryor and Benitez are better than him, then he ceases to be a realistic other contender for us both, don't he??

Yes, that's a good call. I'm a big fan of the Professor, I just don't see the sfw version of him beating Arguello, but that's certainly debatable. I should've included him. :good

 

Chavez's resume may be better, but I emphasized that was not the point here. If you think Chavez would beat Pryor h2h then that's a fair enough call though. Personally I was more impressed by Pryor in the 1st Arguello fight than I was with JCC in any of his 140 fights. No way does Tapia topple my man at J-b. A case can't be made for Galaxy as far as I can see, he was over-reliant on power and feasted on bums, his skill level was not on par with those guys.

 

Marciano never fought in the cruiserweight division, therefore he can't be considered for best fighter ever to fight in the cruiserweight division.

Leonard and Mayweather were great fighters who fought in those divisions, but Hearns beating Duran & Benitez looked better and proved more than Leonard did vs Kalule IMO, and Mayweather fought dross at lww, he proved nothing there. Then again, he did look brilliant vs Gatti so I can kind of see where you're coming from on that one. But if you include him on that basis, you'd have to include Pacquiao as well, who looked every bit as scintillating against a considerably better opponent in Hatton.

 

I cannot understand how anyone who saw Jones fight at 168 can think Calzaghe could even run him close. To me they are just two completely different standards. It's like saying Trinidad would beat Ray Leonard at 147 or that JM Marquez would beat Willie Pep at feather - ie a very good but flawed fighter of this age against a very special ATG in terms of ability. But hey, each to their own.

 

Yes, JCC can have some Gatorade in the championship rounds.