Guys that were great in their era only: My list: Juan Diaz, Miguel Cotto, James at heavyweight. Juan: a little dynamo. Physically conditioned to throw 1000 plus punches. Baby power but volume punching. Panicky when upon getting cut. A great young champion. A buzzsaw with no power. Miguel: win some and lost some. Some great wins, many titles, some losses bitter sweet. In the shadow of Tito Trinidad but always willing to go to war Win or lose, great left hook decent right hand. Good speed lots of energy JT: did what no middleweight except Chris Byrd did, rumbled at hw. Not the greatest hw but a decent solid one with a good chin, a smooth style and no fear of any man. The most little mobile hw in a long time. Plus he could crack like a hard punching mw. These 3 guys were great for me. What's your list?
Mikkel Kessler and Ike Quartey come to mind. Both will miss out on the hall of fame but they were truly great fighter's in their era's. Quartey just missed out on his signature win over the golden boy that would have certainly put him in the HOF. Even without that win he had a very nice career and was a feared fighter at 147 and 154. Definitely got robbed against Vernon Forest as well. Kessler was a stylistically pleasing fighter to watch but was also tough as nails. He simply came up short against two hall of farmers in Calzaghe and Ward. A win in one of those fights and he would be in the HOF.
Great call, Quartey didn't seem to fight much again after the Oscar fight? Inactivity more than anything cost him a chance at ATG. Spot on with Kessler too.
Mickey Ward is a 'great' of boxing but he's no ATG, if that makes sense. His counterpart Arturo Gatti is probably the same. In a sense Gatti is an ATG, he's in the HOF but talent wise, him and Ward should be way off. I think it's a debatable one for sure with Gatti. What makes an ATG? Are we speaking purely HOF inducted? I'm already changing my mind about Gatti .
A few guys here might crap their pants and vehemently disagree with me, but, Canelo. Leastways, if "ATG" = Top 100. And, bear in mind, I do enjoy watching the guy box and admire his skills. Maybe I'll have been swayed by the time he's hung them up. Just for balance, some might term him a "contemporary great", but Gennady Golovkin isn't getting the merest sniff of an ATG list.
He had eight title defenses of his WW title prior to fighting Oscar and was undefeated going into the fight. He only had six fights after and lost decisions to Vargas (close fight), Forest (absolute robbed) and Winky. He pretty much lost his passion for the sport after the fight with Oscar. He to this day still thinks he won that fight and is not alone. Lots of close rounds that were tough to score. At his best he's every bit as good as Oscar and Tito.
cAnElO LEaStWAys, iF "aTg" = tOp 100 Anyway, true answers are Miguel Cotto, Winky Wright, Israel Vázquez from 2000s.
Navigator is right, both Canelo and Golovkin fit into this category. Juan Diaz belongs nowhere near it
