I try to stick to facts that can be agreed upon. I am talking about win/loss record against quality opposition. I mention record in climbing the weight ladder, not so much because of the weight, but because it means more quality opponents. OK, for this criteria, I can think of none better than Alexis Arguello. Probably Salvador Sanchez would have ruled the roost, had his career not ended suddenly at the age of 23. But that's a what if, so I won't count it. I know what these guys have done, but it would take a long time to assemble the data. But if someone thinks they can show me a better record, I'll take a close look. Here's an interesting video, running over 50 minutes, where someone tries to make a case for Salvador Sanchez being the greatest of all time. This content is protected edit: Hah, Sanchez was even better than I remember. Have you ever seen a guy where such a high percentage of his punches were clean hard head shots? edit2: Just watched it all. Azumah Nelson was good! I say his best opponent even though his recordc was only 13-0. Nelson would have cleaned Wilfredo Gomez clock
Probably Sugar Ray Robinson, he must have been something like 50-2-1 against top 10 rated fighters by the time he lost to Maxim and retired prior to his comeback. If you're talking about overall resume, then it's Harry Greb.
I’m not much of a Fl0m0, BUT… on a strictly mathematical sense, his record is the best out of multi-weight champs who retired undefeated. His win/loss record is, officially, 100% at the top level of 5 weight classes. Doesn’t really get much better than that if you’re looking purely at numbers.
This. Jimmy Wilde probably deserves consideration as well - he was undefeated in 90-plus fights from the start of his career before suffering his first defeat (1 of only 3 losses over his whole career).
Nah, Don't buy the guys with monstrous records, like Robinson, who fought guys like La Motta who were clearly inferior many times. The old time fighters had massive records because the money was not that good. Let's add the word "different" to the phrase "quality opposition" I'm sure Sanchez could have beaten each of his opponents five times ifr he wanted to, or had to.
Greb or Robinson, leaning towards Greb Packey McFarland is another amazing shout. Theoretically hes probably undefeated even though hes had over 100 bouts and fought some of the best of his time
Salvador Sanchez the best of all time? Good grief I’m half a mind to watch the video and see how someone could argue that position lol.
Ray Leonard should get a mention. He beat Thomas Hearns who some consider The greatest Jr. Middleweight in history. He beat Marvin Hagler some consider the greatest Middleweight in history. He beat Roberto Duran who is considered the greatest lightweight in history, and most consider one of the top ten greatest fighters in the history of the sport itself. Add on one of the greatest Defensive specialists in the history of the sport in Wilfredo Benitez And the underrated Ayub Kalule who was undefeated when he faced Leonard, and was a damn good fighter in his own right , who I believe the beating Leonard gave him took the starch out of his sails. Because he never looked as good again . And a number of ranked contenders that look better on film than a lot of the world champs today. While some world champs had much longer careers and much better consistency, None fought the level of competition Ray Leonard fought in such a relatively short period of time. At one point of his career Leonard was 35-1 and 4- 1 against against some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport while they were prime or very close to it. Leonard wasn't Mayweather Jr. Who's best victories came against fighters well past their primes , other than a select few . ( while May Jr.s biggest names came against welterweights/ his best victories came against Jr. Light's, and Canelo is so overrated, and graduated from May Jr.s school of picking and choosing) Leonard at one time possed all the tools a great fighter needs. Superior speed and skills, a granite chin, underrated power, and a will to fight through adversity. The only drawback to Leonard's career was the eye injury and his personal demons because of it...
