Top 5 H2H LHWs?

I hope this doesn't start an argument and derail the thread but regarding Tunney and Loughan, I believe they drew the color line which I could be wrong about. As far I know neither faced an black fighters. Can anyone confirm?

 

Maybe I’m biased towards RJJ? Idk he was my Michael Jordan growing up lol he could do no wrong. But in a h2h sense those men accomplished more imo. Spinks was very good in the short time he was around. Tunney to me is top five smartest fighter ever. not many men he wouldn’t figure out

 

Understood. Aside from Hill and Maske, I also like these current crop we have with Beterbiev and Bivol. Those guys both look special.

 

Well, I'm not set on my 5 names but I'm happy with Foster at 2.

I can see him having trouble with Spinks because Spinks was a similar height and excellent skills but Foster had a really long reach and he had the power to make Spinks wary of throwing his own right. Even though Foster had a habit of stopping durable fighters, I think it would go points with Spinks and they might split a series.

But Foster was perfect for the weight. Height and reach with a good jab and devastating power. None of the shortcomings he had at heavyweight were things that light-heavyweights exposed.

Obviously Moore can't rate above Charles but he'd have enough tricks up his sleeve to give most of the other 175 pounders all they could handle. He was a pretty average build for a light heavy but he had great defense, smarts and power and he's one of the few who could outhink Michael Spinks, I reckon. I can see him out pointing Foster if he doesn't get tagged too much coming in. But that would be a tough fight for Moore.

Conn has all the ingredients to be a nightmare H2H matchup with anyone. Fast, cute skills and tough as well, I know his fight with Louis doesn't count here but it does give an indication that he could handle bigger men than himself and that he had great confidence in his own abilities.

Tunney of course gave Greb a hell of a time and showed his own durability too during their 5-fight series. He had all the ingredients to win against the other 4 or 5 names in my list - good boxing skills and decent power but something is holding me back on picking him more decisively. I just haven't figured out what it is yet.

Harold Johnson is a good alternative possibility at 5 as well - I forgot about him.

 

Another guy that is probably outside the top ten but was pretty good was Adonis Stevenson. Not a good person but he could fight.

 

How do you view Bob Fitzsimmons? He fought most of his prime within LHW limit and had some spectacular wins at that weight.

 

H2H it's goto be RJJ and the Patterson who faced Archie Moore - both could of made a 175lb limit for that fight. This is kind of the problem with the division. The best LHWs often move up to HW. Moorer could have been a career LHW but moved up. Holyfield could of made LHW at a push and boxed at LHW in the olympics but went for the biggest prize.

In terms of legacy at the weight, it's goto be Charles and Spinks. I don't think boxing reached it's peak level until the Charles/Moore/Bivins era. But before that Tunney and Greb are the stand outs

Foster is another obvious stand out but his opposition looks weak. People knock RJJs opposition but Foster's look worse and I'd point this to the best fighters of the size moving to HW in an era where smaller boxers could succeed. In fact Foster lost to LHWs at HW himself

At least Greb didn't and Norfolk and Flowers were 2 of his best opponents. I also question how likely it was for a black man in 1920s to get a fair verdict whether from the judges or a newspaper. For that reason I'm sure Flowers must have beat Greb very clearly rather than it being controversial as Greb claimed.

But the fact this happened alongside the sport being in it's infancy is why I don't rate the boxers from this era as high.

 

For his time he was the best of his era and a pioneer. But he wouldn't compete H2H if you put him in a time machine unless he learnt techniques of those that came after him. Which he probably would if given the chance.

 

This man lived and breathed boxing/fighting for almost 40 years. I know that there are differences in styles and equipment, so he'd have to adjust a bit but his talent is undeniable. Fighters didn't become more durable and Fitz destroyed the most durable HWs in the world at that time. His power and mindset were special, can't see him struggling to compete in any era.