It's tough to overcome Charles - unlike most his best wins are all against prime ATGs (outside of Louis of course, but you don't even have to include him). Bob Fitzsimmons: Jack Dempsey Philadelphia Jack O'Brien Jim Corbett Peter Maher
Probably Jimmy McLarnin Beat : Barney Ross Lou Ambers Tony Canzoneri Pancho Villa ...... or Jimmy McLarnin Beat : Sammy Mandell Sid Terris Billy Petrolle Young Corbett III He also beat a comebacking Benny Leonard, novice versions of Fidel LaBarba and Jackie Fields, Bud Taylor and Al Singer, among others.
Langford is an anomaly in every sense of the word. On paper he doesn't seem real. His achievements are legendary.
I think you've put that perfectly. Even more than Greb, it just looks bizarre, once you know the era it's almost beyond belief. He only has Greb for company for me. People absolutely cream over Greb beating up Walker with one eye, but Langford was far more blind in thrashing Tiger Flowers, who matched up very well with Greb and Walker both.
Here’s a few fighters records against other greats currently in my top 100. Ray Robinson: 14-2 against 6 different men, all of whom he defeated. Harry Greb: 13-9-3 against 9 different men, 8 of whom he defeated (the other he drew against in their lone bout). Henry Armstrong: 9-8 against 9 different men, 7 of whom he defeated. Ezzard Charles: 13-4 against 7 different men, 6 of whom he defeated. Jimmy McLarnin: 9-4-2 against 8 different men, 7 of whom he defeated (the other he drew against in their lone bout). And of course... Sam Langford: 3-0-1 against 4 different men, 3 of whom he defeated........hmmm.
I get this and i like looking at lists like that, but it's just another example of why Langford warps this type of thinking like a giant fistic epistemological black hole. Harry Wills would kick the **** out of everyone Ray Robinson beat, very easily. He would monster mash them. Langford warps the pound-for-pound all time great argument because of the way he real-time traversed some stacked divisions. It doesn't matter how great Robinson's opposition was in terms of all-time pound-for-pound rankings because despite that he fought in three of the four divisions Robinson fought in, he also did enough to have a borderline case for all-time great standings at heavyweight. As frankin put it: it doesn't seem real on paper.
When it comes to these questions whether Duran was fat in New Orleans or had Hagler slowed up, Leonard himself has admitted frequently that he wanted to catch them both at the right time. So even Leonard disagrees with you.
Holyfield (All Lineal Heavyweight Champions - Pick your favorite 4): Douglas Foreman Holmes Bowe Tyson Tyson Moorer Rahman
Cletus Seldin, the Hebrew Hammer! LOL He didn't hit Hebrews, he WAS a Hebrew, Herbie Wilens was called "the Hebrew Hitter". This content is protected
For me it's Ray Leonard : Hearns (Prime) Hagler (Lineal MW champ, undefeated 11 years, had cleaned out division) Benitez (Prime) Duran (Close to his peak, went on to win titles at 154 and MW)