Willie Pep - would his fans please justify his placement in their top all time lists

I wouldnt say Pep ducked anyone at all, but neither did he show any inclination in taking on the elite lightweights after being 'handled' by the clutch. He wouldnt have stood a chance in hell of beating the likes of Montgomery, Jack and Williams at Lightweight.

ps: BTW Monzon & Hagler also get penalised for lack of fighting opponents in a higher weight classes. It shows how a fighter reacts when he is not in his comfort zone.

 

Personally, I don't think that a fighter should have it held against him for not taking fights in other weight classes. For those fighters who did it, they deserve extra credit, but I don't think it should detract from a legacy.

 

I don't care if the guy fought his own sister 62 times consecutively. To start your career off 62-0, is damn impressive if you ask me.

 

Agreed

Well thats the thing with the three fighters in question, they all dominated, but refused to take fights at higher weights where they wouldnt be odds on favourites to win

Nah the emoticons in brackets, dont work good)

 

Agreed. Pep was a master. There's no if's and's or but's about it.

 

Hmmmm.....I wonder what Pep's record might have been without that plane crash (or his military service due to WW II).

 

Revolver?

 

Maybe the question should be why isnt Sandy Saddler in there?

 

- Maybe. But, against a top-tier featherweight class in the 40's, Pep was a dominant champion for a lengthy period of time.

- Well, he couldn't do anything against Angott, but he had a difficult syyle. Still, the fact that he defeated a top lightweight contender in Willie Joyce indicates that he might have fared reasonably well against other fighters in the higher weight class. Neither here nor there, really...Pep was always a featherweight, and he generally concentrated upon cleaing out that weight division.

- It probably should be noted that those dives occurred in the twilight of his career, but they have to be taken into consideration. In the vast majority of cases, Pep's fights were on the level...and he won most of them.

- He did, and the fact that he was leading on the cards doesn't help either. Whether Pep threw the fight, or was just getting frustrated with Saddler is a tough call, but, within the context of Pep's entire career, it really serves as a momentary blemish.

Like you, I tend to base my rankings based on what a fighter did at the weight. Pep's resume at featherweight is outstanding...simple as that. If you think ten fighters were better in history, then that's acceptable. But, that says more about the ability of those fighters, and less about Pep's ability.