The Ipswich Express Top 100 Fighters of All Time List

He could crack, that's for sure.

 

No worries mate. I appreciate your opinions and I'm sure you'll disagree with some more over the next few days!

 

74.

Ted Lewis 232-44-24 (80) (Record includes "Newspaper decisions")

Best Wins: W6, W20, W10 x 2, W12 x 2 Jack Britton, W20 Roland Todd, W10 x 2 Mike O'Dowd.

Good Losses: L15, L8, KO9, L10 x 6, L12 x 2, L20, L6 & D12 Britton, Benny Leonard D8, Mike Gibbons L10.

Do you think it's fair to say that "Kid" Lewis and Jack Britton had a bit of a rivalry going? These two legends fought each other no less than 20 times, often for the World Welterweight title. His style went from a pure boxer using his let hand to a pressure fighter, during his stay in the US.

73.

Lloyd Marshall 71-24-4 (36)

Best Wins: W10 Jack Chase, W10 Joey Maxim, W10 Holman Williams, W10 Jake LaMotta, KO8 Ezzard Charles, W10 Charley Burley, W10 Teddy Yaroscz, W10 Ken Overlin

Good Losses: KO6 Ezzard Charles, L10 & TKO10 Archie Moore, L10 x 2 Williams, D 15 Jack Chase.

This is a guy that I'm not too familiar with. His name is littered with some of boxing's best ever fighters. Wins over La Motta, Burley and Charles speak volumes. Much of his career was fought during the Second World War. He will be inducted into the IBHOF this year.

72.

Nino Benvenutti 82-7-1 (35)

Best Wins: KO11 Luis Rodriguez, W15 x 2 Emile Griffith, W15 & KO6 Sandro Mazzinghi.

Good Losses: TKO 12 Carlos Monzon, L10 Dick Tiger, L15 Emile Griffith.

Considered by many to be Italy's greatest ever boxer. Has a 2-1 record in his trilogy with Emile Griffith. Won his first 65 fights, including capturing the world Lt Middle title. Dusted Griffith for the 160lbs title, and defended it a few times before running into Carlos Monzon.

71. Gene Fullmer 55-6-3 (24)

Best Wins: KO10 Benny Paret, W15 x 2 Florentino Fernandez, W15 x 2 Ray Robinson, TKO 12 & TKO14 Carmen Basilio, W10 Charley Humez, W10 Paul Pender.

Good Losses: D15 & L15 Dick Tiger, D15 & KO5 Ray Robinson, D15 Joey Giardello.

A fighter who is the epitome of toughness. Fullmer doesn't get enough credit for mine. Has a 2-1-1 record against Ray Robinson. His wars with Carmen Basilio are still rated MA15+ to this day. They're on youtube, do yourself a favour.


70. Joe Frazier 32-4-1 (27)

Best Wins: W15 Muhammad Ali, KO5 Jimmy Ellis, TKO7 & TKO5 Jerry Quarry, W12 Joe Bugner, W15 & 10 Oscar Bonavena, TKO4 George Chuvalo, KO6 Doug Jones, TKO10 Eddie Machen.

Good Losses: L12 & TKO14 Ali, TKO2 Foreman.

An absolute wrecking-ball of a fighter. Pressure personified from the first bell until the last. His victory of Ali in the Fight of the Century will forever enshire him in the boxing annals. Had a devestating left hook and the heart the size of an ox. Name another fighter that gets bounced like a basketball 6 times by Foreman and still needed a "Technical" knock out. At his best, he was one of the greatest Heavyweights of all time.

 

Not at all mate!! I'm all for it being picked apart, I really am. Some of it is splitting hairs and I've second guessed myself hundreds of times already! It sure beats talking about the usual suspects all the time.

 

Thanks mate, I appreciate your kind comments. It's been ****ing tough so far. The list has changed a few times. I'll try and expand on the summaries once I hit top 20 or so.

 

69. Marco Antonio Barrera 65-7 (43)

Best Wins: W12 x 2 Erik Morales, W12 x 2 Rocky Juarez, W12 Johnny Tapia, W12 Naseem Hamed, TKO12 Kennedy McKinney, TKO10 Paulie Ayala.

Good Losses: L12 Morales, L12 Junior Jones.

Somewhere between his contentious loss to Morales and his dethroning of Naseem Hamed, Barrera transformed himself from a pressure fighter to a skillful boxer. Perhaps that ability was always there and he chose to stand and slug or apply pressure. His trilogy with Morales is a thing of terrible beauty. His resume speaks for itself.


68.

Erik Morales 48-6 (34)

Best Wins: W12 Manny Pacquaio, W12 Marco Antonio Barrera, W12 Carlos Hernandez, W12 Jesus Chavez, W12 Paulie Ayala, W12 In Jin Chi, TKO7 Kevin Kelley, W12 Wayne McCullough, TKO4 Junior Jones, KO11 Daniel Zaragoza.

Good Losses: TKO10 Pacquaio, L12 x 2 Barrera, L12 David Diaz.

Morales is possibly the most exciting fighter of his generation. As legend has it, "El Terrible" was born in a boxing gym. His straight right hand to the body is straight out of a text book. He's been in more wars than the Yanks and every fight he put it all on the line. For mine, Morales is one of the modern fighters who would've flourished fighting in years gone by. His victory over Pacquiao gets him the nod over Barrera for mine and I think it's fitting that they are both placed together on the list.


67.

Joe Walcott 51-18-2 (32)

Best Wins: W15 & KO7 Ezzard Charles, KO3 Harold Johnson, W10 x 2 Joey Maxim, KO3 & W10 Elmer Ray, W10 Jimmy Bivins.

Good Losses: KO13 Rocky Marciano, L15 Charles, KO11 & L15 Joe Louis, L10 Ray, L10 Maxim.

"Jersey Joe" would be infinitely higher up the list if he had kept away from Marciano as he perhaps should have. He was on the wrong end of a razor thin decision to Joe Louis, despite knocking the "Brown Bomber" down twice. Would be a Cruiser by today's standards, after starting his career at Middle. His wins over Ezzard Charles point to the man born "Arnold Cream's" true ability.


66.

Carlos Zarate 66-4 (63)

Best Wins: KO9 Rodolpho Martinez, TKO12 Paul Ferreri, TKO4 Alfonso Zamora, TKO8 Alberto Davila, KO6 Danilo Batista.

Best Losses: L15 Lupe Pintor.

Considered by many as the best Bantamweight of all time. I'm not sure I'd go that far but he is certainly up there. He defended his title (which he won twice) against some outstanding challengers, including Australia's Paul Ferrari. He was blasted out by Wilfredo Gomez after struggling like hell to make the weight. He is ranked #21 by The Ring as an all time puncher.

65.

Lennox Lewis 41-2-1 (32)

Best Wins: TKO6 Vitali Klitschko, KO8 Mike Tyson, KO4 Hasim Rahman, W12 David Tua, W Evander Holyfield, KO1 Andrew Golota, W10 Ray Mercer, TKO6 Tommy Morrison, TKO7 Frank Bruno, W12 Tony Tucker, TKO2 Donovan Ruddock.

Good Losses: D12 Holyfield

Far from my favourite fighter, but undoubtedly one of the smartest of all time. A self professed "pugilist specialist," Lewis was often cautious, using his long jab before detonating his lethal right hand. He had the ability to crush those who had left their best in the dressing room (see Ruddock, Golota, Rahman II). He had two losses that can be described as poor, but he avenged them both.

 

64.

Jose Napoles 81-7 (55)

Best Wins: TKO 9 & W15 Hedgemon Lewis, W15 Emile Griffith, TKO12 & TKO10 Curtis Cokes, W10 Eddie Perkins, W10 Bunny Grant.

Good Losses: TKO 7 Carlos Monzon.

I may have placed him a little high on the list, but he possessed everything except perhaps a great chin. His clear cut win over Griffith is something I rate highly, and he managed to push Monzon early in their bout before being run over.


63.

Azumah Nelson 39-6-2 ( 28 )

Best Wins: TKO6 James Leija, TKO8 Jeff Fenech, W12 Juan La Porte, W12 & TKO12 Mario Martinez, W12 x 2 Marcos Villasana, KO1 Pat Cowdell, KO11 Wilfredo Gomez.

Good Losses: L12 Genaro Hernandez, L12, D12 Leija, L12 Whitaker, TKO15 Salvador Sanchez.

One of the great "rematch" fighters. "The Professor" needs no introduction to Australian fans. His effort in the second Fenech fight was a thing of beauty, no matter how hard it was for the Australian public to swallow at the time. That he never got a rematch with Sanchez is one of the greatest bouts never to occur.


62.

Joe Jeanette 112-22-14 ( 68 ) (Includes newspaper decisions)

Best Wins: W12, W10 & TKO8 Sam Langford, W8 Kid Norfolk, W15 Georges Carpentier, TKO 49 & W10 Sam McVey, DQ2 Jack Johnson.

Good Losses: D10, D6, D12 x 2, L12, KO7, L20, L10, L12, L15 x 2 Langford, L8, KO5, L12, L10 & D10 Harry Wills, D12 & L20 Sam McVey, D10, D6, L6 & L15 Jack Johnson.

What a resume Jeanette possessed! Considered by many historians as the best African-American boxer of the early 20th century. Owns some big wins over Sam Langford and it's hard to doubt the heart and stamina of a guy who wins in the 49th round.


61.

Flash Elorde 88-27-2 (33)

Best Wins: W10 Ismael Laguna, W10 Frank Narvaez, TKO12 & KO15, W12 x 2 Teruo Kosaka, W15 Johnny Bizarro, W15 Auburn Copeland, W10 Sandy Sadler.

Good Losses: TKO14 x 2 Carlos Ortiz, L12 Kosaka, TKO13 Saddler.

Longest reigning Jnr Lightweight champion of all time. Defended his title 10 times over 7 and a bit years. Is recognised as one of the greatest Filipino boxers of all time, along with Pancho Villa and of course Manny Pacquiao.


60.

Miguel Canto 61-9-4 (15)

Best Wins: W15 x 3 Shoji Oguma, W15 x 2 Betulio Gonzalez, W15 x 2 Martin Vargas, W 15 Antonio Avelar, W10 Sung Jun Kim, W10 Gabriel Bernal.

Good Losses: L15 Gonzalez, D15 Chan Hee Park.

Considered by many experts to be the greatest Flyweight of all time. He successfully defended his title 14 times. Probably as good of a defensive fighter as you're ever likely to see, his name is rarely mentioned when it comes to this topic. He knows the meaning of championship rounds, 13 of his defences went 15 rounds, a record that is not likely to be matched any time soon.