The Greatest Title Reign In Boxing History?

itrymariti

Louis had a loss to Charles in a world title bout, but it is largely irrelevant.

I think Louis does score heavily in longevity and quality of perforamcne but someone like Monzon has a really balanced reign.

I'm not going to argue too much as I have made my points clear and there is not that much in between them. I need to brush up on Benny Leonard but it looks like he would be my second place and Louis in at third

 

Agree with all of this.

 

I'd say it's totally irrelevant for this discussion actually since that loss came after his reign.

 

Louis

1. Quality of opposition
beat everyone avoided no one

2. Quality of performance
he beat everyone during his reing and did so decisively (the only time there was a question mark he had a rematch and destroyed his opponent).

3. Examination of losses
there were no losses during his reign

4. Longevity
the longest reign of any champion in any division

 

Still Hopkins

 

I think Bob Fitzsimmons middleweight reign is the best, although i can see the argument for Joe Louis.

Fitzys middleweight reign started in 1891 when he beat the Non pareil Jack Dempsey. Jack was getting on but was still an all time great.

He then won, by my count, 11 fights throughout the next two years, all by knockout and all bar one within 3 rounds. The guy who took him further was none other than Peter Maher, who was one of the top heavyweight contenders of the time. In fact, Peter Maher is quite likely a better credentialed fighter than any other middleweight champion has ever defeated! certainly he would be in the top half a dozen anyway. In 1893 he scored another 12 victories all by KO before the 4th round, but mist in rounds 1 or 2. This included the top middleweight contender Jim Hall and also the New Jersey middleweight champion Jack Warner. Also, in an exhibition against Peter Maher, the fight apparently had to be stopped in the 2nd round. And in one night, he KOd 7 heavyweight boxers over 200lbs in 19 rounds, in a single night. Again, this is something that no other world middleweight champion has ever done or come close to doing. In fact heavyweight legend george foreman tried it, but never came close to doing it.

Onto 1894. As middleweight champion, Fitzsimmons knocked Joe Choynski out cold, so severley that police intervened and stopped the fight. Choynski is arguably a top 10 light heavyweight and was a better fighter (arguably) than any other middleweight fighter has ever fought. It is as impressive as anything ever done. 1894 was a slower year with only about 4 other fights, but all of these were won within round 1 or 2! And several of his sparring partners for exhibitions, Con coughlin in particular comes to mind (nearly killed by a body shot!) came off the worst for ware.

Onto 1895, and it is clear that Fitz was slowing a little, as he focused more on the heavyweight title than on defending the middleweight crown. 1895 had just 2 known fights. A KO 1 and KO3 in New York, just 3 days apart.

In 1896 he fought for a version of the World heavyweight championship and beat Peter Maher by KO in 1. Again, no middleweight has ever done this. (Roy Jones was a former middleweight, but he didnt weigh in as a middleweight!). This was followed by another fight against another top heavyweight contender in Tom Sharkey (who went the distance twice with Heavyweight King Jim Jeffries). Fitzsimmons knocked him out cold in the 8th, although he was DQd for his troubles by the referee. Again, this is an opponent who is a higher caliber than any other middleweight has ever faced. And Fitz knocked him out.

Finally, in March 1897, Fitz middleweight reign came to an end 6 years after it started. And what an ending it was. If you are going to vacate a title, there is simply no better way to do it. He vacated the title because at 158lbs he had just knocked out the World Heavyweight Champion and arguably the greatest prizefighter that ever lived in Jim Corbett. Not only was this a better win than any other middleweight has ever had. But i would say it is the most spectacular retirement of any fighter in any division!

All in all, i would say that is the most dominant reign ever. No middleweight got close to him. Actually, no light heavy or heavy could touch him. And it is worth noting that while the legendary Jim Jeffries eventually caught up to him at heavy, in 1903 (this time weighing in as a super middleweight and not a middleweight, but surely capably of fighting at middle if required), Fitz won the light heavyweight title from another light heavy legend George Gardner. and it took another living legend Philadelphia Jim O brien (who was actually a heavyweight contender to beat him), but jim took 2 tries to do so, and it was only after Fitz hadnt really fought more than once in 2 years that he beat him. This means that it wasnt really until almost 14 years after he had won the middleweight title that a light heavy could be found to beat Fitz, and even then, it is doubtful that there was a middleweight alive who would have considered themselves a better prize fighter than Fitz. It is actually a shame that Fitz didnt continue to defend the middleweight title, because even as late as 1909 when he was stopped in the 12th round of an Australian Heavyweight title fight against Bill Lang, Land was still a higher caliber of fighter than any other middleweight (he was admittedly a supermiddle/light heavy at this stage) has ever managed to beat. So it is arguable that he was the best middle for nearly 20 years.

 

^^^

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Joe Louis doesn't win in the overall "Quality" category, but his reign is legendary overall............... 1937 to 1949 is INSANE on that basis alone....... Louis' title reign is the most POPULAR in all of sports history........ Again, POPULAR!!

Ali's championship reigns 3X over is prolly the greatest of any champion ever.....

Holyfield and his comp is pretty damn respectable too.......

Little dudes like Wilfredo Gomez and Eusebio Pedroza are worthy to mention, as well..........

MR.BILL:hat

 

But Ali's challengers like Chuvalo, Mildenberger, London, Cooper, Bugner, Spinks, Shavers, Wepner, etc., etc. were all definite ATG HWs...

 

Well said-I could not agree more!:good:good

 

:?

 

Has anarci not been on this thread yet? He's going to be either happy or mad that he didn't get there first.