The Most Overrated Fighters - By Weightclass

What's happening (for a lot of people) is that many who lacked appreciation for him during his long dominance at 160 (some possibly didn't like his opposition there etc) are now seeing him, at a VERY advanced age and stage kick arse on fighters they rate highly, more highly perhaps than they rated his 160 opposition. Hopkins didn't suddenly become a better fighter, he's not the fighter he was at his peak at 160. These people now think, jesus this really is one fantastic fighter and can now see just how great he was at 160. Lets call it post 160 appreciation for just how good he actually was at 160.

 

Good point mate, but that same person did lose twice to Taylor (and easily to Jones, drew with Mercado). Like I said earlier, we don't rate Basilio at welter because of what he did vs Robinson, so why does it apply for Hopkins? I mean, ok his PFP standings go up quite a bit, that's fair enough but at 160, not for me. At least half his opposition were jokes.

 

Well this is precisely my position. I thought he was finished after the Taylor fights (who didn't) and most would have called it a day. Yet, he does something completely unexpected and moves two full divisions up and kicks Tarver around for fun.
Tarver may not be all that, but he's a good fighter nontheless.

Then after Calzaghe, I didn't see much of a future for Hopkins. Yet again he comes back and defeats a top middleweight. He keeps getting written off and he keeps reinventing himself.

You have to give him major credit for that, regardless of age.

 

Fair enough, his opposition at 160 wasn't great for the most part, but any man that can make 20 defences must be rather special. Joe Louis made only 5 defences more, and his opposition wasn't that hot either, barring the odd exception.
And Hopkins has done quite a bit since his days at 160 as well.

 

HW: Jeffries - fought old men and MWs, struggled with an ancient Fitz, yet some have him top 10

Dempsey - weak era, avoided Wills/Greb, lost against the best man faced, ko'd in 1, some rank him top3

Holmes - weak era, struggled with old Norton

Foreman - isnt his record 4-3 against ranked opposition?

Vitali - worst resume of any HW champ

LHW: Can't think at this moment

Middle: Lamotta - should rank below the MWs Burley, Marshall and Williams from his era
Monzon - great resume, just not that skilled
Fitzsimmons - great for his time, but boxing advanced leaps and bounds

Light Middle: Mugabi - didnt really beat anyone

Welterweight: Henry Armstrong - didnt face Burley, lost to Zivic, didnt face a true great WW, lost against the best WWs he faced, should have lost it when he lost his LW title

Lightweight: Henry Armstrong - lost his title quickly

Super Feather: Arguello - seriously outboxable

Featherweight: Henry Armstrong - 12-13 fights at the 126 limit

 

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:huh

 

I don't follow you reasoning on this one.
It's almost like you're penalising Fitz for the era he fought in. Actually, you are. Almost to a man fighters back then were more primitive than those today, but boxing under Queensbury rules was new back then, so it's to be expected.

To draw an analogy, it's like penalising Juan Manuel Fangio for driving in a more primitve era than Nigel Mansell.

 

What's that got to do with his middlweight reign? Something I've only mentioned about 1000 times. :huh

 

Heavyweight- Mike Tyson; Who did he beat that was a top ten or a great champion. All I remember is him beating up a lot of ghetto bums, and losing in all of his big fights.

Middleweight- Borenard Hopkins; Beat TWO naturally smaller men coming up in weight to make his claim to fame.

Void Gayfeather has to be one of the greatest OVERRATED boxers of the 21st century. He RETIRED rather than face live competition.

Ricardo Lopez may have retire undefeated, but to me, his opponents left a lot to be desired with the exception of Rosendo Alvarez.

Void Gayfeather because he chose to face Baldomir, Judah, Mitchell, Gatti, and a greedy businessman whom he barely beat instead of facing Margarito, Williams, Clottey, Cotto, Tyzsu, and Stevie Johnston.

Hector Camacho.

Oscar De La Hoya has to be one of the most overrated boxers of all-time. Made his claim to fame by perfecting the low-risk;high-reward method. Fought old, past-their-prime fighters or naturally smaller men and ran with the victories. When he started facing boxers that were similar to him in age, size, speed, etc., he started losing or struggled to get a quality win. Feasted on a lot of Tito Trinidad's leftovers.

 

I meant beat, Robinson beat him at a canter and Armstrong wasnt as past prime as people would have you believe

 

Its completely different, skills have evolved and gone to a new level, that may have peaked in the 40-50s, its like rating an ex world record holder in the 100m who ran 10.69 over Bolt who ran 9.69

 

So, Ross was not a great WW then?

 

Not the best of the best no

My main gripe is Duran and Mayweather are better in the weight ranges Armstrong fought at but get rated below him by everyone. Duran would have taken Armstrong apart and Mayweather would have boxed his ears off

 

Yeah, 160 fights in, he must have been fresh as a daisy.