The 10 Greatest Bantamweights

Lightweight is deep enough for top 15.

 

Given your area of expertise, I'd say Flyweight.

 

Either way, I'm just saying with top 15 you'll get less boo birds.

I actually like bantam weight boxing. For some reason I can quite figure out, the division produces its share of KO's and has plenty of pound for pound puncher's.

 

So when’s it going up bro?

 

Are you telling us Moore is not coming up in this list? I would have loved to read your take on him and a few others...I know he is rated highly and on quite a few lists. I am familiar (but not fluent) with his record and accomplishment and era, and would have enjoyed those insights.

 

I’m going through some of bantamweight fights from the 60s and that was really a brilliant era. A lot of quality fighters from the undeniably great (I think four of this top 10 the way it’s shaping) to some really quality guys that unfortunately for them never got to be champion like Jose Medel, Jesus Pimentel, Alan Rudkin, Bernardo Caraballo and others.

Medel fought for the title twice a loss to Jofre and a debatable loss to Harada. Pimentel astonishingly only fought for the title once (when he was old already) vs. Olivares, Caraballo sane as Medel had to face Jofre and Harada and then Rudkin who gave an excellent account of himself with Harada and Rose before his last shot vs. Olivares.

What an era. Those guys would be champions I think in the last quarter century.

Who would have win these mythical matches?

Medel vs. Caraballo
Rudkin vs. Medel
Rudkin vs. Caraballo
Pimentel vs. Rudkin
Pimentel vs. Caraballo

All those would have been tremendous fights.

 

Yeah that’s true. Same with Jofre he was supposed to fight him after Jofre beat Caraballo and didn’t want to go to Brazil.

 

Thanks for enlightening me! I honestly knew nothing about this man. Rarely heard his name. Sounds like a real BEAST!

 

To be fair, it was all Harry Kabakoff. He was always bickering with George Parnassus. Those two were like oil and water. The fight with Jofre was supposed to take place in LA, but then got shifted to San Antonio. Parnassus and Texas promoter Tony Padilla had their hands in it, but I believe Harry pulled him out for some reason. The Harada fight, Harry balked at giving up options on Pimental's next few fights to japan if he won. These were all crazy reasons, however, because when you're the challenger you're going to have to grant concessions. It's not fair, but this was the name of the game. Pimental's issue was that he was so damn loyal. Harry was his manager, trainer, cornerman and best friend, so he was going to the finish line with Harry, come what may.