THE CLASSIC HALL OF FAME INAUGURAL INDUCTION: The Welterweights (Closed - Results In)

Ray Robinson
Barbados Joe Walcott
Mickey Walker
Jose Napoles
Jack Britton
Emile Griffith
Ray Leonard

 

Sugar Ray Robinson
Ray Leonard
Jack Britton
Jose Napoles
Emile Griffith
Mickey Walker
Jimmy McLarnin

 

He is a greater fighter than Griffith, it's that simple.

Griffith has some excellent wins against Rodriquez, Tiger, Archer, Briscoe and Benvenuti but he also lost his share against them too, as well as to fighters that should never have beaten him. He also lost to Napoles and Monzon, his 2 best opponents.

Leonard on the other hand beat Benitez, Hearns, Hagler and made Duran quit, the worst out of them is better than anyone Griffith evet met aside from Monzon and Napoles, who both beat him.

 

It's truly not that simple and you may need to take a closer look at Griffith. It could require a thread of it's own to be honest. I don't see a lot between them, Griffith fought killers till his last few fights he was bound to lose some.

 

I don't know enough to debate that point very strongly to be honest. I just feel it in my bones.

 

In your brilliant top 100 p4p thread from 2013 you had Griffith at 39, Napoles at 40 and Ryan 49. I'm curious, has your ranking of Ryan improved in the interim or are you using different criteria here? I'm still working to finalise my own p4p list, though Ryan sneaks in the top 25 of my provisional list, so im not questioning your inclusion of him (hes in my 7 too), just curious as I say.

 

I don't believe he is first ballot but he could be close H2H on his night he could be the best. My list is the by-product of knowing very little outside of what I see in the fights and basic research. Truly mine might be one of the worst because of that very fact. I don't know what I believe entirely with these things so you're wrong but right about everything else probably. What do you think of Emile over Leonard? P4P. I think this is a good topic that's relevant here.

 

Fun to read too. Thanks for the response, which is understood

 

He was steadily declining and at a weight class that was too big for him, I'm not holding those past prime losses against him at all. But getting knocked out by Carter in the 1st round, and losing to club fighters (albeit a very small amount) that lost 1/3 of their fights in his prime years is going to cost you a bit when you are compared to a guy that always demolished fighters of that level. Griffith at his best was definitely a great, but I can't see him above a guy who beat better competition and lost less at the same time.

I think this perspective may work for you. One lost to his welterweight rival and didn't prove he was the best 147er of his era, and didn't beat the ATG Middleweight that defeated said rival when he moved up, the other one sucessfully did both.

 

Robinson
Napoles
Gavilan
Walker
Leonard
Griffith
Basilio

 

I agree, very little in it.
Griffiths and Gavilan did better against middles but the fights would be 147lbs so it doesn't matter