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

According to @Liston73 it must be primo Carnera. He loves the guy.

 

Because Floyd was basically a lightheavyweight who held the same title as Ali at the beginning of the decade.

Somebody on this forum also mentioned that Ali considered Patterson the most skilled of his opponents, which is a pound for pound kind of question.

 

The question was who was P4P the greatest boxer of the 60s though. Patterson’s 1960s form was inconsistent at best. I can’t see how him being a LHW champ turned HW champ at the start of the decade gives him a greater claim than Ali as P4P greatest of the 1960s, especially when he lost a third of his matches during the decade. I think he lost 5 out of 15 or so fights and also lost his World title and all his subsequent challenges.
Ali won all 29 of his fights and beat all challengers for his belt including Patterson. There really is no comparison.

Now if we’re talking the P4P 1950s greatest, then Patterson is most definitely in that conversation.

 

So, two things:

First, I'd say that the guys who beat bigger opponents (like Mickey Walker and James Toney did) would get pound for pound points. Patterson was a little guy who was able to tangle with heavyweights throughout the 60s, and remained ranked.

Second, I agree that Patterson's case becomes a lot stronger when you bring in his 50s career. I interpreted this thread as allowing us to interpret 60s fighters' resumes in light of their earlier 50s performances, since otherwise it unfairly benefits guys who happen to have chronologically convenient start and end dates. But even without Patterson's 50s career, he did a lot better against heavyweights throughout the 60s than, say, Bob Foster did.

 

The thread appears to be about P4P performances exclusively during the 1960s.

I think if we’re talking about P4P throughout their entire careers, Floyd is in the mix. If you’re talking about performances in the 1950s, Floyd is in the mix. And If you’re talking about most successful LHW’s who subsequently fought at Heavyweight, Floyd is in the mix.
But for this particular 1960s post, Floyd isn’t in the mix.

Excellent boxer though, very skilled.…that’s not in question.

 

As you get more familiar with the board, Vic, you'll see that @cross_trainer has some great leftfield thoughts. He's seldom conventional but brilliantly thought-provoking. His threads are always bending heads but he's such a refreshing change from some of the more mundane threads.

I'm sure his tongue was firmly in his cheek but it's not quite as outrageous a thought when you think Floyd was little more than a light heavyweight and, outside of two of the best h2h heavyweight champs ever, he performed very well in the decade. Better than another light heavyweight who had an excellent 60s, Bob Foster, did against heavyweights.

I agree with you but Cross' suggestion got me thinking. He's ever so good at it.

 

Yes…he definitely got me thinking. A few more exchanges and he’d have had me saying Floyd was a better HW than RJJ.
Now that’s me with MY tongue firmly in my cheek haha!

 

Despite his own "squeaks" against Luis Rodriguez?

 

Just to clarify, I don’t think RJJ was a better heavyweight than Floyd! Unless of course John Ruiz was really the Messiah!

 

I don’t know. It’s been a bit but if I had to guess it’d go something like Griffith, Harada, Jofre. Though all three could be swapped around and it wouldn’t be a big deal IMO. Have you all seen Jimmy Famacheon (spelling?) vs Harada 2? In colour, lot like the Rose fight it looks really neat. Also, Pep DID believe the first fight was a robbery something I personally never read, to quote “I’m sorry, I made a mistake” Viva La Harada.

 

Well, yes. There's no shame in a squeak vs Rodriguez who's possibly in the top 10 himself, lb for lb, of the decade.

 

Jofre or Harada.

 

No love for Dick Tiger?

 

Not a contender for #1, but clearly in the top 10.

 

Erhhh... guys;

Do you realize in 1967 Ali's boxing career was suspended for refusing to be drafted ? Ali lost 3+ years of his prime time because this.

Much respect to Joffre and Griffith but IMO had Ali been active during 67-69 his resume would be light years ahead anybody else and there would be no dicussion on how is the biggest PbP...