Who are the top ten Greatest Middleweights ever, in order, and in your opinion?

A fine list McGrain, but I've never bought into the arguments for Robinson being #1 of all time at MW, nor of Hagler's name being spelled with two G's . Ray was past his prime for most of his MW reign and was fairly inconsistent past a certain point. His reign was never as dominant or thorough as guys like Monzon, Hagler, etc. Even if he did manage to beat, at his best, better MW's than either (arguably), he still held losses to most of those same MW's, a few of them lesser fighters than the ones Monzon and Hagler consistently beat.

Also, is your low (relatively) ranking of Greb based on the lack of footage or the fact that he did most of his best work at higher weights against larger opposition, despite he himself being a natural MW?

 

#1. Carlos Monzon
#2. Harry Greb
#3. Ray Robinson
#4. Marvin Hagler
#5. Bernard Hopkins
#6. Charley Burley
#7. Stanley Ketchel
#8. Dick Tiger
#9. Holman Williams
#10. Mickey Walker

I don't rate fighter that had the basis of their careers before 1900, so no Fitz, Ryan, Dempsey, etc. Also, after Burley I think it's basically wide open for finishing out the top 10, I just went with this order for now. There are a couple of fighters that I could see sliding into the bottom of the top 10 and replacing the last 3.

I also generally don't rate Langford by divisions, it's too difficult for me to do, especially when I don't have a set top 10 list.

Greb could be argued over Monzon, but for what they did at 160 I like Monzon for the #1 spot.

 

5 - Bernard Hopkins ???? a headbutting hugging spoiler ? who lost every fight against a decent opponent his own size ?

 

1. Greb
2. Monzon
3. The Nonpareil Jack Dempsey (although he usually weighed in as a welterweight in a number of his MW fights)
4. Hagler
5. Fitzsimmons
6. Sugar Ray Robinson
7. Charley Burley
8. Mickey Walker
9. Stanley Ketchell
10. Bernard Hopkins

Too many honorable mentions to list. This weight class is almost too deep in terms of being able to come up with who should be top 10.

 

1. Robinson
2. Greb
3. Monzon
4. Hagler
5. Tiger
6. Burley
7. Roy Jones
8. Hopkins
9. Fitzsimmons
10. (tie) Tiger Flowers & Mickey Walker

 

Mine is the same, besides one big difference.... I have Monzon ahead of SRR. I think at MW Monzon is the greatest.. SRR was great at MW and I would put him number 2.. but I would have Monzon beating SRR at 160 so I put him above SRR.

 

to add to your Honourable mention list ....Marecl Cerdan had this man not injured his shoulder during his match with Jake LaMatta and died before the rematch , I wonder if Robinson would have won the title ..

 

Doesn't even crack my top 15. For a fighter with no footage, reports of his skill aren't enough to convince, he has to at least have the resume to back up the claims, and his level of opposition was quite poor for someone rated so highly (though probably better than a simple Boxrec check would suggest, as their records are very incomplete, especially with fighters and fights of that era). I just can't see the justification. Even a guy like Marcel Cerdan, whose resume is a tad short and often gets criticized, has a better case than him.

 

:think Fair enough old chap.

Indeed, I just used a snooty British term.