The best fighter you've "seen" at each weight.

Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali (1964-67) or Lennox Lewis (1997-00). It pains me to say Lennox but I put him pretty damn high H2H with his mix of size, skill, power, strength, and athleticism.

Cruiserweight: Evander Holyfield. I think Rocky Marciano would have been too small for a lot of great (and some not so great) heavyweights in history but he would have been a force at cruiserweight.

Light Heavyweight: Michael Spinks. Bob Foster is up there too, and I think a match between the two of them is 50/50. Roy Jones is also up there, I don’t think his chin was always as bad as it became, but I still have him being a slight to mild underdog against Spinks and Foster. Spinks’s versatility makes me put him tentatively at the top. Not enough footage of Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles that I’ve seen to put them at the top. Most of the Moore stuff I’ve seen was when he was an old man (first Durelle fight is one of the greatest fights ever)

Super Middleweight: Roy Jones. The absolutely easiest choice for me to pick.

Middleweight: Marvin Hagler. A versatile guy who would box and brawl, fight from either stance, heavy hands, very accurate, great jab and combos, solid defense, iron chin, great conditioning and desire to win. I know the loss to Willie Monroe was not controversial, but all the other losses he had, I thought he won or drew. I had him beating Boogaloo, drawing with Leonard, and also beating Vito in that draw.

Most of the Sugar Ray Robinson fights I’ve seen of him were past his prime, after his first retirement following the Joey Maxim fight. In earlier fights at 160 (Jake LaMotta 6 and Rocky Graziano), he looked excellent for the most part. He took more jabs from LaMotta than I expected, but then unleashed all hell on him later on. You could see how free flowing he was with his hands and combination punching. Roy was a freak of nature, but he was relatively inexperienced during his time at 160. I guess you can say his prime began in the Thomas Tate fight, his last at 160, and looked brilliant in that short fight. But still, I have to put Hagler first.

Junior Middleweight: Tommy Hearns. I love watching Felix Trinidad’s fights at 154, but I think Hearns would have a field day with the straight right hand. I wouldn’t argue against Mike McCallum either.

Welterweight: Sugar Ray Leonard from 1979-82 is one of the best fighters to ever be captured on film. That actually says a lot about Roberto Duran too for that matter.

I really haven’t seen enough fights of Jose Napoles and Emile Griffith to accurately assess how I would have them at welter.

Junior Welterweight: Both Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather spent short time in winning belts at 140 as opposed to more accomplished 140 lb champs like Aaron Pryor and JC Chavez. Same with Manny Pacquiao, he only had one fight there. But as it is, I still favor Whitaker to beat the others by decision, so I have him first in terms of H2H.

Lightweight: Roberto Duran. No argument against those that would pick Whitaker over him, but I lean towards Duran.

Junior Lightweight: Floyd Mayweather. Alexis Arguello and JC Chavez have cases too. Arguello would give Floyd a tougher fight than often given credit for. He may be similar in frame to Diego Corrales and also not the quickest on his feet, but he was a clever boxer with basically every punch in the book. I think he drops a competitive decision. I think Chavez has a better chance at beating Floyd. Floyd was very selective with his punches and could allow himself to get outworked by guys applying pressure. And Chavez was brilliant at applying pressure. But I’d make Arguello a slight favorite over Chavez. Arguello’s punches would be harder to walk through than Floyd’s. And although Chavez could box and move use the ring when he needed to (Lockridge fight), I think that kind of style of fight might favor Arguello.

Azumah Nelson was an excellent fighter but I would have to make him the underdog against the above. And Hector Camacho would be a tough fight, but I keep thinking he would get too defensive after getting hit too hard/often and drop decisions.

 

HW - Joe Louis
CW - Evander Holyfield
LHW - Michael Spinks
SMW - Roy Jones Jr
MW - Sugar Ray Robinson
JMW - Thomas Hearns
WW - Sugar Ray Leonard
JWW - Jose Napoles
LW - Pernell Whittaker
SFW - Alexis Arguello
FW - Willie Pep

 

HW - Ali (Louis close 2nd)
CW - Holyfield
LHW - Qawi
SMW - Jones
MW - Monzon
JMW - Norris
WW - Leonard
JWW - Pryor
LW - Duran
SFW - Mayweather
FW - Sanchez

 

Ali
Moore
Monzon
SRR
Duran
Pep
Jofre
Wilde
Not keen on the other weight classes. keep well.

 

At HW for me, it's Joe Louis. The guy had perfect technique; was great on the front and back-foot; he could throw beautiful combos and he was extremely smart, tough and athletic. I think a couple fighters'd beat him, but that's just due to styles. They aren't better fighters IMO.

I don't see how it could be anybody but Holyfield at CW. And I'm not one of those old ogres who refuse to learn about the modern CW scene, or these newbilly ****s who **** all of the old fighters. Holyfield was just the best here.

No explanation needed. Charles schooled, KOed and beat another candidate at his own game. Just watch the ****er fight. Unbelievable. Marvin Johnson is a close second.

Jones Jr's combo of technique, craftiness and athleticism was brilliant. He literally took the second best SMW ever to school and shut him out while clowning around at times. He's obviously number one.

I love Marvin Hagler's style. He was impossible to hurt; when on offense, impossible to deny; technically perfect, and brilliant out of both stances. Great jab, great cross, hooks, uppercuts, footwork, etc; etc. You can go on for hours, but in short, no other fighter at 160 impressed me like Hagler did in his title defences between '80 and '83.

Hearns and Benitez at 154, and you saw what happened there.

Honestly, I find Sugar Ray Robinson overrated. But that said, you can't say he isn't special. Ray Leonard was right up next to him, and I suppose it depends on what you'd like. I tend to prefer offense to defence, which is why I find Robinson slightly better than Leonard. Duran could make it too, but I'll be honest, I'm tryna keep things it so each fighter only gets one weight. Or else Charles'd take up 160 to 200lbs and that's not fair.

Roberto Duran is the best fighter ever IMO, so it's him. Although Whitaker and a few others aren't far behind.

As much as it pains me to say it, Floyd is the best SFW ever. Unbelievable in his title fights there.

I love Ernesto Marcel, he was just sublime. One of the most complete fighters I've ever seen across all weights, and one of the smoothest movers around.

I'd say it's a toss up between Harada and Olivares for me, at BW. Olivares more talented, Harada more skilled. I dunno, take your pick.

Flyweight is really a cesspit with no clear number one. Harada could be it, so could Wolgast, Canto, Wilde, Borkhorsor, etc etc. Since I half mentioned Harada at BW, and he was clearly better there, I'll sack him off and say I like Canto here. Canto or Wolgast.

Definitely Chang. Destroyed Zapata, and he'd be my number two.

Definitely Lopez. Not even close.

 

Heavyweight: Ali

175 - Foster
160 - Hagler
147 - Robinson (I would put him at 160 but want diversity)
135 - Duran
126 - Pep
118 - Jofre
112 - Harada

 

Really shows how differently people see things, I reckon. Honestly, I wouldn't have Foster top three at LHW sort of thing, although I would have him at four. I also think that if we're just going off ability in a vacuum, then I'd have Duran number one from 135 to 160. It's only his lack of size that lets him down as he moved up.

 

Go a slightly different take
240 plus Lewis
220-240- Tyson
210-220- Ali
200-210 Frazier
190-200 Louis
180-190 Marciano
170-180 Charles
160-170 Jones
150-160 SRR
140-150 Mayweather
130-140 Duran
120-130 Pep

 

S-HW - LL
HW - Joe Louis, JJW, Ali, Tyson
L-HW - Charles
S-MW - Lloyd Marshall
MW - SRR, Hagler, SRR, Hearns
WW - Duran
can't say without certainty the lower weights, however,

PBF
Pacman
and Carbajal

would be among them.

 

Ok I'm going by fighters I actually saw in my lifetime
Larry Holmes
Evander Holyfield
Michael Spinks
Roy Jones
Marvin Hagler/Monzon
Napoles/Pryor
Duran
Arguello
Pedroza
Olivares
Lopez

 

Seems like one certainty on this topic, Duran is undisputed No 1 at LW. Not often we all agree ! keep well.

 

HW - Ali, Louis, Lewis and young Tyson
CW - Holyfield
LHW - Foster, Jones Jr.
SMW - Calzaghe
MW - Hagler, Monzon, Robinson
SWW - Hearns, Norris
WW - Leonard
SLW - Locche
LW - Duran
SFW - Arguello
FW - Pep