Who is the greatest boxer (pound-for-pound) of the 60s?

My first thought was Jofre. I thought he was generally considered the decade's finest.

Given his squeaks against Jones and Cooper and the controversies surrounding both Liston bouts, I am surprised to hear Ali was 'widely considered' the decade's finest, tbh. I would expect some judges to have Emile Griffith ahead of him in the 60s too

 

Emile Griffith.


R.I.P to Ortiz, he's definitely top 10 of the decade.

 

I go with Ali. His close calls with Jones and Cooper came when young Cassius was still developing. He whipped Liston fair and square both times.

 

Floyd Patterson has a better claim than Ali.

 

Jofre for me.

 

Incoming ....

 

I agree that he was developing when he had the close calls but being the greatest fighter of a decade is often about career timing as much as talent. Being at or near peak when the decade starts puts you in pole position compared to someone who's just starting out and won't really hit a peak until mid decade.

I went with Jofre because he didn't have two close calls against lesser opponents. That was probably down in part to the fact that he was fully mature by the time the decade got going. Nonetheless, we shouldn't overlook his almost flawless decade in favour of someone who had a few stinkers because that someone was young and learning the ropes. Those fights are part of Ali''s 60s legacy. Ali essentially had three good years in the 60s. That just doesn't stack up next to Jofre's consistency over six or seven years.

The timing mean that Ali was still young enough to make waves in the 70s. Doing so meant that his overall legacy is secured which means far more than being the standout fighter of a particular decade. That Jofre did likewise despite his advanced age going into the 70s is one of the sport's great achievements and can get overlooked amidst the frenzy of excitement that surrounded Ali throughout the decade.

It's interesting to note that both Ali and Jofre had the last three years of the 60s off and are vying for the decade's top spot. Interesting, too, that both came back in the 70s and defied odds to produce some amazing performances against younger, bigger men. I've got no pearl of wisdom to offer - no f*****g surprise, there, I hear you type - just an observation. Perhaps that means that there is no right or wrong answer. Both were truly exceptional.

 

I typed all that and not a single like. Not a sausage. I also did the post above, one word. Two likes. Honestly you lot.

You've got the attention span of

 

Jofre. Saldivar is high on the list too. Both higher than Ali.

 

I liked it!

 

You did, indeed. You are a pearl among swine, mate.

 

Jofre probably #1. Griffith, Ortiz, Harada all have a decent case over Ali if we are talking strictly in the 60s, but Ali was majestic during his reign. Rodriguez, Saldivar, Tiger all had great decades too. 60s was incredible.

 

How’s that? Patterson was KO’d by Ali in their head to head, plus KO’d twice by Liston and two further defeats.
Ali was unbeaten throughout the decade and yes he had a few close scrapes and controversial wins over Liston, but nowhere on this planet has Patterson got a bigger claim than Ali in the 1960s.

 

Haha! This one deserves 100 likes!