This is based on Head to Head Ability 140: 1. Sugar ray Robinson 2. Jose Napoles 3. Floyd Mayweather 4. Pernell Whitaker 5. Aaron Pryor 6. Wilfredo Benitez 7. Julio Cesar Chavez 8. Manny Pacquiao 9. Oscar De La Hoya 10. Nicolino Locche HM: Duilio Loi, Kosta Tszyu If I included Duran, he would be placed at number 2. However he never fought at an official 140lb bout.
Did Ray Robinson ? Didn't know that. Antonio Cervantes for sure belongs there. Again Shane Mosley who you seem to grossly under rate. Alexis Arguello deserves mention.
Don't really consider these divisions as historically worth it any more. In reality the very best fighter at 140 are those who fought at 135 - 147.
Let's lose Robinson. In reality he never was in competition at 140 despite possibly weighing in at that vicinity early in his career. Personally, i always envisioned the 2 geatest at that weight class being Antonio Cervantes and Jose Napoles. To picture them squaring off for a 15 round contest gets the mouth watering.
I think Napoles would have been too slick for Cervantes, as much as I respected Kid Pambele...I think that Napoles would have really put on a show vs him. I believe that Manteqilla would have edged him for a 15 round decision.
Ra's, I agree with everything you say except for the part of Napoles. He was a solid jr. welter and was rated in Ring's ratings for 5 years straight. I know he was also the mandatory challenger for Sandro Lopopolo, but Lopopolo found some way around this and defended against someone else (possibly Fuji). Anyways, he abandoned 140 after his title shot collapsed and invaded 147. Funny enough, this was also about the time George Parnassus started promoting him up north and it was then that things started happening for him.
Didn't mayweather jr. destroy mitchel ( except if we aren't talking about the same sharmba ), shouldn't he get at least honorable mention in your list ?
