P4P Top 10 Official Survey (Poll Closes October 27)

Langford was the naturally larger man (far stockier and physically stronger), certainly better built for the higher weight classes once he'd come into his own. The fact that Fitz was conclusively the best Middleweight, Lt. Heavyweight, and Heavyweight on the planet for as long as he was despite being natural in the 160's is nothing short of astonishing for me.

I've no problem with anyone ranking Langford higher, though. I go back and forth on them all the time.

 

Undefeated in over 100 fights (outside of an early career bout he took part in as a youngster) against many of the top Lightweights, Welterweights, and Middleweights of the era. He usually beat them quite conclusively as well.

 

One of the things where I don't think Mclarnin ranks well. He never had a defining fight like this.

Yeh, great fight as well.

Agreed, No way he can rank higher either IMO.

He had limited sucess really, again the wins over a young, albeit still top class, LaBarba. I would say the LaBarba wins mean more than the Villa one.

Days later?

tragic indeed.

Top 20 is the perfect place for him IMO.

 

Why does Fitzimmons get so much credit when fighting in such a comparatively weak era?!

 

:stir

 

Explain.

 

Not bad. Soemthing to consider it seems.

 

Erasing McLarnin I know have one vacant spot. If possible, I'd like to give that one to post-war fighter. Since Duran and Ali already is in, the candidates would probably be Napoles, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Monzon, Foster, Spinks, Holyfield, Whitaker and Griffith.

EDIT: And Archie Moore of course.

Do anyone feel any of these have enough of a case?

 

What I gave was just a very brief overview, of course. He's a fighter who would likely be greatly enhanced in anyone's eyes upon reading accounts of his fights. The definition of a well-rounded boxer-puncher, capable of fighting on even terms in any manner, or exploiting any size (within reason) or manner of opponent's weaknesses.

He dominated a stacked Lightweight division (with the likes of Freddie Welsh, Owen Moran, Young Erne, Jimmy Britt, Leach Cross, Benny Yanger, Kid Herman, Kid Goodman, Harlem Tommy Murphy, Ray Bronson, Matt Wells, etc. among his conquests), before moving up to dominate the great Welterweight champ in Jack Britton (among others), and came back after a nearly two year hiatus to be shafted with a Draw (by all accounts) against the great Middleweight champion Mike Gibbons in the last bout of his career.

A true marvel of the ring, and still to this day one of the most overlooked fighters of all time.

 

I missed this. What do you make of Fitz's KO victory over Ruhlin? Just shy of the 200 pound mark at the time, I suppose, but still relevant, as Ruhlin was one of the most highly regarded contenders at the time.

 

****. Another new fighter to consider this late in the thread.

Seriously, though. You make a compelling case. As far as I know you're the only one who has included him. Have anyone else considered him?

 

I doubt it. The only other poster I know that is particularly high on him is Senya13 (whose research time on McFarland and many fighters of the era dwarfs mine). I believe he placed him just behind Gans in his all time list.

 

What do you make of Fitz's first bout with Jack O'Brien? From the accounts I've read, were the bout scheduled past 6 there would've likely been a KO in Fitz's favor due to his dedication to body work early on, which seemed to put the fight more and more in his favor the further along it went. Keep in mind this was a well faded Fitz as well.

The only man that had the licking of Fitz (to take a phrase out of the old-timers vernacular) in his prime seemed to be the monstrous Jeffries, who was considered at the time the most unstoppable Heavyweight force the ring had ever seen by some way.