What fighter in the hall of fame represents the bare minimum to get in?

Those are 2 different questions. I think you should specify.

 

James Toney and Mike Mccallum …you have to be at least as great as them to be a legitimate hall of famer …anything less and it’s a no from me

 

I’ll be even more specific and say James Toney …because Mccallum never lost to a lesser fighter in his prime

 

I think there are around 265 x male boxers in the HoF.

Assuming your criteria was greatness or achievements, rather than fame, then you're effectively asking who you rank around the 265th greatest boxer of all time.

I havent done or even seen a p4p list that goes as far as #265. I did complete Rummys top 25 in the 13 decades from the 1890's and 2010's though. Assuming each decade was equal in quality (they weren't) and if we forget some boxers appeared in more than 1 decade (which they did), then as a very rough guide, the fighters I ranked as 20th greatest in any given decade would be about 260th on my p4p list.

On the above basis, a guess of my answer to your question is fighters like Billy Papke, Lockport Jimmy Duffy and Tony Zale.

 

Timothy Bradley.

 

Gene Tunney, for reasons of my own.

 

Out of curiosity, what do you have against Tunney? You've already written a few times that you don't think much of him. Do you really think that he wasn't that good... maybe you have some interesting insights or knowledge about it due to great experience. Or is it for personal reasons?

I would be interested in your opinion...just if you'd like to explain.

 

I think Virgil Hill is in there and if he is then he probably barely makes the minimum. His list of quality wins is paper thin but I think he did manage to win around 20 world title fights

 

For openers, my Dad and Uncle hated him with passion. They loved Jack Dempsey and both believed, until the days they died, that Jack should have gotten the win in the second fight. I'm sure some of that rubbed off on me. Also, I don't see much of a Heavyweight resume in Gene's record. He has the 2 wins against the shell of Dempsey, and nothing more of note, IMHO. There are no real insights from me on Gene. I don't necessarily believe, 100%, one way or the other that he should have been counted out in the second fight. But there sure are 2 different ways that could have happened. The 1st way (long count) is often discussed. The 2nd way (referee slowing down after saying "9") not so much. I do make some sort of effort to be impartial with Gene, but I'm usually not so successful in that.

 

Hills a good mention and i look at a fighter like Ray Mancini too. I think it's got to be well above this level.

TBH i think it's a bit of a farce. The criteria isn't transparent enough and the choices not consistent.

It's great boxers are being honored but it's not something i take notice of when talking a fighters credentials.

You see a lot of people putting great merit on fighter X beat 3 HOF'ers and fighter Z beat none.

Bit of a wank for mine.

 

I'm aware of that too. My father's views also influenced me immensely until today.

BTW., that sounds great. A family of boxing fans that witnessed nearly the whole history of modern boxing over generations. That's what makes a classic boxing forum!

[/QUOTE]Also, I don't see much of a Heavyweight resume in Gene's record. He has the 2 wins against the shell of Dempsey, and nothing more of note, IMHO. There are no real insights from me on Gene. I don't necessarily believe, 100%, one way or the other that he should have been counted out in the second fight. But there sure are 2 different ways that could have happened. The 1st way (long count) is often discussed. The 2nd way (referee slowing down after saying "9") not so much. I do make some sort of effort to be impartial with Gene, but I'm usually not so successful in that. [/QUOTE]

Okay, I wanna check that 2nd way count as well.

Well, in sports everyone has his preferences. Gene Tunney's autobiography was one of the first boxing books I read as a kid and it really impressed me... and I almost thought, the skeletons in the closet are slowly coming out now.

 

X2

Virgil Hill fits the bill perfectly, he was the first to pop into my head and yes he is in the HOF.

Totally understandable mr. djanders! My father's favorite fighter was Joe Louis (which is understandable because he was in WW2) and I give old Joe perhaps a hair more credit than he deserves, but he was such a hero to America he could never get enough credit, in my eyes. The huge lift Joe gave to my father's generation is inestimable!

 

The guy who lost to late replacement Steve Cruz, in 110 degree temperature Barry Mcguigan