My Top 25 Fighters of the Last 25 Years- what do you think?

You`re list doesn`t have credibility as Joe Calzaghe is not in the top 3.

 

Don't judge it yet, I have revised it since!!

New Version 1-20

1.Pernell Whitaker

2.Roy Jones Jr

3.Julio Cesar Chavez

4.Bernard Hopkins

5.Evander Holyfield

6.Floyd Mayweather Jr

7.Lennox Lewis

8.Mike Tyson

9.Thomas Hearns
(yes, his 147 peak and fights with SRL and Benitez were before 1983, but his career went on successfully long after 1983, in a way that Leonard and Hagler and Duran's didn't, those three were on the way back down after '83, the best periods of their careers were undoubtedly before '83- except maybe Hagler's, but he didn't fight on long enough after 1983 to be considered for this time period IMO. Hearns on the other hand went on from 1983 to beat Duran, fight Hagler, beat younger naturally bigger guys like DeWitt and the previously undefeated Virgil Hill, get the better of SRL in their 2nd fight, and between 1983 and his retirement, he held the WBC light-middleweight title, WBC middleweight, WBO super-middleweight, and the WBC and WBA light-heavyweight titles, before finishing up as a cruiserweight. If the time period was the best fighters from the last 30 years, then obviously Hearns would be higher than 9th place, but I think his post-1983 career justifies his placing here.)

10.Mike McCallum

11.Azumah Nelson

12.Oscar De La Hoya

13.Manny Pacquiao

14.Marco Antonio Barrera

15.Ricardo Lopez

16.Erik Morales

17.James Toney

18.Felix Trinidad

19.Joe Calzaghe

20.Hector Camacho/Shane Mosley



Oh crap, Joe still isn't in the top 3 anyway. Maybe if I write a list where the criteria doesn't include resume he might be top 3 then? Hmmm, no actually, because there are far more than 3 more talented/skilled fighters in that list too.

Pray tell, which of the top 3 would you rank Joe higher than (this should be good for a laugh): Whitaker, Jones or Chavez?? (bear in mind that you are also saying you think Joe is greater than Holyfield, Lewis and Mayweather too)

 

You know I wouldn't normally think of it, but your list leaves me to ponder -Tyson at 8 and Tszyu at 23 - as if Tyson is a vastly better P4P fighter than Tszyu. Putting aside all the tyson hype vis a vis the big scary heavyweight, why is Tyson so much more rated than Tszyu. Tszyu fought better quality opposition, and had a longer reign. Both had a questionable loss in their prime (very similar style losses too) as well as a loss/losses at the end of their career. He wasn't American, but Tszyu's wins were equally as destructive as Tysons, minus the obligatory fearly round K.O.s that eventuate as a matter of course when one fighter is a class better in heavyweigh fighting. I don't care what yall say, I say Tszyu is better P4P that Tyson! Accomplishments and talent!

Also Roy features so high on your lists because of talent. Which is o.k, but if that;s the metric a lot of you other listings become questionable..

Anyway as usual your list contains a lot of thought..gof effort. Just the way see things :good

 

I only recently saw Nelson v Salvador Sanchez and Nelson v Wilfredo Gomez. I had been judging him on the basis of research and seeing some of his late 80s/early 90s fights. It was clear to me I had grossly underrated the Professor. I had initially not wanted to watch the Sanchez fight as it was in 1982 and the time-period under discussion is 1983-2008, but then I realized that was ridiculous and watched it just to enhance my knowledge of what Nelson was like as a fighter. He was superb IMO. Do you agree with my current revised rating of him?

 

Why do you mention that Tszyu isn't American? I fail to see the relevance of that comment.

You have a fair point on Tszyu v Tyson, saying Tszyu is greater is not some laughably outlandish comment (like Pugilist64 saying Calzaghe should be top 3), but it's not one I can agree with.

Tyson unified the heavyweight belts and became p4p#1 in doing so. He is rightly viewed as one of the very best hw's ever h2h. Tszyu held all three major lww belts for a total of 1 month. He was never p4p#1, or 2. He is not, in my opinion, one of the very best lww's ever h2h - and that is not a division with anywhere near the litany of great champions that the hw division has.

Tszyu's resume is not better than Tyson's. Tszyu's best wins are probably Zab Judah, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Jan Bergman, Oktay Urkal, Ben Tackie, and Sharmba Mitchell. Tyson's are probably Razor Ruddock (twice), Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Michael Spinks, and Frank Bruno I.

Do you think Tszyu's are better? I don't.

For me it's definitely Tyson.

 

Never mind that, how about his placing of Chavez?! Sorry McDudeson, but your list is rancid.

 

I've changed it to JMM's nickname as I am a huge fan of his also, and I think that will provoke the idiots less. Stick with Tito though mate, you are a true and loyal fan!! :good