Who's the first guy to achieve "greatness" in each division?

Ryan at welterweight, Loughran at l/heavy, oh and Sullivan at heavy, no doubt.

 

Hw: Sullivan
Lhw: Philly Jack O'Brien
Mw: Dempsey
Ww: Tommy Ryan
Lw: Jack McAuliffe
Fw: Ike Weir
Bw: Jimmy Barry
Flw: Wilde

 

Not to toot my own horn, but I penned an article on the "Belfast Spider" which will explain a lot: http://www.ibroresearch.com/?p=3320

Weir was the first recognized world champ at featherweight. He was the dominant FW of his time and he outclassed almost all of the top FWs of his day: Tommy White, Torpedo Billy Murphy, Tommy ******, Tommy Danforth, George Siddons, Jack Havlin, Johnny Murphy, Kentucky Rosebud, etc. His sole prime loss to Torpedo Billy Murphy- later emphatically avenged- was largely considered to be a thrown fight.

It's a shame that he and George Dixon never tangled.

Barry was never defeated as a pro, which was a pretty difficult feat considering the times: http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/barry-j.htm

 

SMW: I also think Jones did not enough to have achieved Greatness there. One big and one decent win in 6 fights is not enough I think. So I guess it´s Ottke or Calzaghe, depends on how you judge Ottke´s career. Quite thin this division.
LMW: Can´t put a name there but I don´t think Hearns was the first one.
SFW: Kid Chocolate

 

Did you see the fight against Johnson? No way was that one as close as 7-5. Brewer was close the first time. Not the second. The Mitchell fight wasn´t that close actually. But yeah, of course cheated. All of it.