Over the past 25 years which boxers would you accredit the status of legend?

James Toney is a legend too. Champ at MW, SMW and CW, competitve at LHW and HW, just check his record, nuff said.

 

Ricardo Lopez

 

Joe "Legend killer" Calzaghe must be a legend.

 

I don't know if this question was addressed to me specifically McGrain, but I'll offer you my opinion anyway.

Ricardo Lopez is a very difficult one to analyse. I think I had him 19th in my top 25 fighters of the past 25 years, but I fully appreciate the argument to have him far higher up. Lopez's record and achievements are excellent, but it's his resume I have a problem with.

He had many great performances, but not so many great wins IMO, if you are taking the standard of opposition into account. His win over Saman Sorjaturong was superb, when you consider Sorjaturong went on to blast out Chiquita Gonzalez. I remember Rosendo Alvarez II being a very good win, and Alex Sanchez being a great performance.

However, he never fought Gonzalez or Carbajal, and although I think Lopez would have beaten either of them, we can't give him credit for fights he never took on.

I think of Ricardo Lopez like I think of Joe Calzaghe. A fighter of great ability who never got the most dangerous fights out there through his career to really prove it and take that concrete step into ATG status.

 

Joe Calzaghe
Lennox Lewis
Roy Jones
Ray Leonard
Marvin Hagler

 

oscar and tito, although money-spinners and very good fighters, were not top of the tree fighters.

 

in his own lunchtime maybe.

 

He ain`t got Born In The USA tattooed on his arse so naturally can`t qualify.

 

you're right....

fighting stiffs in wales his whole career and then fighting jones and hopkins at a combined age of 82 when he could have fought them earlier - except that it goes against the principles of both joe and frank warren - is an excuse.

joe consciously milked the britsh public and you're still looking to excuse him.

 

Sweet Pea, Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, Jones are legends.

 

Look at Hopkins staying in the USA miking the American public fighting stiffs in his title reign.

 

the difference being...hopkins held his title on the world stage.

because calzaghe was always reluctant to stay away from the US it affected his marketability, his fanbase, and therefore his ability to make big fights that mattered.

thats why hopkins got a tito and oscar fight.

hopkins is a brilliant ring general but, i agree totally, he fought in a poor division (as did jones), but they will be remembered as the best fighters of their era because they held their titles on the world stage.

calzaghe never did that - and he never wanted to.

 

What about Brian Minto?

 

I don't rank guys still fighting, usually. Jones isn't going to be doing anything constructive with his career from here on out so I listed him.

When Minto retires rest assured he'll go down as the most feared and avoided man in the division. The Harry Wills of the 21 century.

 

Typical American shite. An American fighter does`nt need travel,he can stay at home and he`s on the "world stage". The majority of people on this planet stay outwith the USA. You guys are seriously deluded,head stuck up one`s own arse.