The Top 100 Pound for Pound All-Time Greats

I think that Ketchel dominated the best MW era there was. Thomas was a coming man when Ketchel fought that draw with him - he was a dustbowl fighter scaring the locals and Thomas was supposed to straighten him out and move on to better things. Instead, Ketchel flipped him and moved onto better things.

Tommy Ryan's top 8 at the end of 1907 contained four middles - Sullivan (who he intimated was p4p #1 or #2 - it needs to be remembered that Sullivan was then the latest man to best Tommy Burns), Kelly, Papke and Ketchel himself, bringing up the rear.

By the end of 08, Ketchel had thrashed all of those dudes. He cleared out the upper reaches of that division in 12 short months, then nailed down his superiority in the following year.

Thomas, by then a light-heavywieght also tried it on again that year. No joy. Got his face caved in.

No, Ketchel belongs. His best year was as good as just about any outside the utterly insane efforts of Greb, McGovern and Armstrong.

These days I rank him alongside Monzon and Hagler just at middleweight.

 

I rather like that about him.

 

No!

I know how you feel about Zarate and you know most people feel differently to you. I've no interest in bridging that gap, it's not what this thread is for. Maybe someone else will be up for it though.

 

What if you rated him alongside Pacquiao? Could you justify ranking him alongside Pacquiao then?

 

I mean that purely as a middleweight i don't think there is that much between Monzon, Hagler and Kethcel. O'Brien wins are grand. Or how do you mean?

 

The difference would be that there is no Johannson and no massive style advantage where the guy he's taking the title from is concerned. On the other hand, guys with style advantages over him are lurking everywhere.

Indeed. I was hoping to bring him into the conversation but there just wasn't room.

 

Mine too.