Top 10 ATG Light Heavyweights

Virgil Hill was a good fighter. Nice guy. Good record. and numerous defenses as a fragment title holder... But he never truly established dominance at any point during his tenure as a light heavyweight champion.. There were too many periods where other men were running around with belts, and an unavenged loss to an aging and weight climbing Hearns didn't help his case much either. I might have Hill somewhere between 15-20, but I can't build a case for him taking top 10 spot..

 

If Dempsey couldn't spark Tunney with a 6-punch combo flush to the jaw, then it's unlikely a slower, lighter-hitting puncher like Foster is going to do so. Tunney had the best chin of any LHW.

Anyway, my list:

1. Ezzard Charles
2. Gene Tunney
3. Archie Moore
4. Sam Langford
5. Bob Foster
6. Tommy Loughran
7. Michael Spinks
8. Harry Greb
9. Roy Jones Jr
10. Billy Conn

 

how can anyone leave out a Jack Dillon or Jack Delaney,from the top 10 lightheavyweights
?. Jack Delaney according to Benny Leonard was a GREAT fighter,and LH. He could box and had a laser right hand that flattened Tiger Flowers, THREE times in TWO bouts. Delaney
belongs in the top ten. Someone has to go.

 

Here is a different list. It assumes parity of eras and rates the fighters on how dominant they actually were in relation to the competition they actually fought. A lot of great light heavys miss out on this quota, and a few spots are pretty controversial and could change, but i see the list looking something like this, from as unbiased a view as possible.


1. Bob Fitzsimmons - (1890s and 1900s) The best light heavy in the world for about 20 years. unfortunately, there was no such officially recognised title for most of this time, but there is no doubt that if there was, he was the holder.

2. Ezzard Charles - (1940s) Again, although he never held the world title, he was the best for this decade, plus his winning record against Moore, who went on to dominate the 50s, gives him a pretty dominant reign.

3. Gene Tunney - (20s) Although he himself never gained recognistion as a world champion, his wins over Greb pretty much established himself as the main fighter of the 20s.

4. Roy Jones Jr - (90s and 00s) Most will hate having him this high, but he was almost certainly the best light heavy in the 90s and 00s. Admittedly this is because his reign fell between the two decades and there was no one else able to dominate inn years where he was not at the top. Ironically, like most of the other top light heavys (a trend is developing here), he never actually won the official lineal title.

5. Archie Moore - (50s) - Many say he was the greatest fighter to win never win the heavyweight title, but he was the light heavy champ, and a dominant one too.

6. Michael Spinks - (80s) - Not dominant for as long as some of those above, but was never beaten at the weight and did go on to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

7. Bob Foster (70s) A very dominant light heavy champ, although unlike every fighter above him, he was unable to really compete with the best heavyweights. I am not really sure what if anything, this says about his light heavy reign, though you would think he might struggle with the power of some of those above him.

8. Jack Dillon (10s) an awesome record, but in an era where he didnt really dominate and stand out as much as many of those who ranked above him.

9. John Henry Lewis (30s) Held the official title for most of this decade. I have gone with him, but I am sure that many will point to others who they think were better fighters, during his reign.

10 Willie Pastrano (60s) Probably the closest decades of all to pick with no one dominating. It started and ended with a long serving great champ and in the middle no one could really rise much above the rest. I gave it to Pastrano, but there are arguments for quite a few other. His lack of dominance is the reason the best fighter of the 60s rated so low.

 

Solid picks. In a head to head sense, here's how I like em' at 175 pounds or under:

1 ) Tunney. Very hard to out box. Great stamina and chin, very good mobility, super smart, good height and reach for a light heavy, hit harder to the head or body than he is given credit for.

2 ) Langford. Possibly the best combination of power, durability, and offensive skills at 175 pounds

3 ) Fitzsimmons. Not sure if anyone could withstand his power. Fitzsimmons has misunderstood skills. A cunning warrior.

4 ) Charles. Excellent all around skills, however he did not have a top level chin or power like some of others on the list did.

5 ) Moore
6 ) Spinks
7 ) Foster
8 ) Greb
9 ) Jones
10 ) Bivins