The criteria is that we judge the opponents at the time of the win and not for what they previously had been eg Jackson v Jeffries or for how good they would become eg Langford v Johnson. Also we need, say 8 good wins? Corbett, Fitz, Jeffries, Johnson, Langford, Dempsey, are obvious leaders but Choynsky, Maher, Sharkey, Wills, Greb, the other Sharkey, Schmeling, Loughran, McVey, Jeannette, Carnera also did well.
Jack Johnson takes this by a mile among the lineal champions, even if he is often the looser from the stated criteria. There is the ominous shadow of Sam Lanfford hanging oiver his claim and not just because he didn't rematch him.
On the criteria Johnson beat Burns, Kaufman, Martin, Moran, McVey, Jeannette, Jeffries, Ferguson? Just my 8 picks but I'm sure someone tops that lot. Jeff beat Corbett, Fitz, Ruhlin, Sharkey, Armstrong, Griffin, Munroe and ...eh ...Kennedy. Langford...well McVey, Jeannette, Wills, Jim Johnson, Gunboat, Clarke, Godfrey, Norfolk and about ten more similar! Jack Sharkey beat Schmeling, Godfrey, Stribling, Carnera, Loughran, Wills, Risko and Renault-a pretty impressive lot.
Fitzsimmons beat Corbett, Sharkey, Maher, Choynski, and Ruhlin. Corbett beat Choynski, Kilrain, Sullivan, Mitchell, Kid McCoy. Peter jackson beat Maher, Denver Ed Smith, Captain James Dalton, Frank Slavin, Mick Dooley. Tommy Burns beat Hart, Flynn, O'Brien, Squires and Lang Marvin Hart beat Johnson, Root, Sandy Ferguson, Maher and Jack Twin Sullivan. Schmelling beat Uzcuden, Risko, Louis, Sharkey, Stribling, Neusal Baer beat Risko, Levinsky, Heeney, Schaaf, Carnera, and after Louis came on the scene he beat Farr, Nova and Galento. Dempsey beat Gunboat Smith, Morris, Brennan, Firpo, Carpentier, Miske, Fulton, Pelkey, Gibbons and Willard. This is actually one of the easier lists which reach 8 fighters which surprised me. Wills beat Jeanette, clark, langford, mcvey, uzcuden, Gundboat smith, Denver ed martin, Fulton. Carnera has Stripling, Godfrey, bearcat wright, Sharkey, Levinsky, Schaaf, Uzcuden,
Dont think Wills beat Uzcuden and Ed Martin was WAY PAST HIS BOX-BY-DATE. Hart's win over Maher was a bit hollow too but he is credited with a nd win over o' Brien. And your right. Dempsey does surprisingly good, looking at your list. How about Loughran? Baer, Sharkey, Stribling, Braddock, Hamas, Schaaf, Walker, Uzcuden, maybe Tunney and Greb...
