Thread: My Greatest Boxers Of All Time(some Of U Wont Like This)!

Boxing fans have varied opinions as to which fighters were the greatest of all-time. Younger fans prefer the modern fighters. Older fans prefer the old timers. Other fans have mixed and more diversified views.

Those who favor the modern fighters argue that the men have gotten bigger, faster, and stronger over the years. They also point out that techniques have improved with the passing of time.

Those who favor the fighters of the earlier years contend that the men grew up in tougher times and were "hungrier," more rugged, better disciplined, and better conditioned.

I do not believe that all fighters and athletes necessarily get better with the passing years. Athletes do get bigger, faster, and stronger over time. Techniques improve too. But, that does not mean they are better. Different periods of history impart certain attitudes and practices due to the "temper of the times" and the conditions under which the people live. Athletic skills are affected by mental conditioning and discipline as well as physical attributes and techniques. Consequently, performance peaks and ebbs in different periods of history and fighters are better in some periods than they are in others.

It is my definite belief that different periods of history produced better fighters than other periods, but the very best fighters of all-time from any era could fight with each other on a competitive and "near-equal" basis.

In these rankings, I have included a man in several weight classes if I believe him to be among the greatest at that weight. For what it's worth, here is one man's opinion


Heavyweights:

1. Jim Jeffries
2. Jack Johnson
3. Jack Dempsey
4. Joe Louis
5. Muhammad Ali
6. Gene Tunney
7. Jim Corbett
8. Sonny Liston
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Larry Holmes

Cruiserweights:

1. Jack Johnson
2. Jack Dempsey
3. Joe Louis
4. Gene Tunney
5. Jim Corbett
6. Rocky Marciano
7. John L. Sullivan
8. Peter Jackson
9. Bob Fitzsimmons
10. Tom Sharkey

Light Heavyweights:

1. Gene Tunney
2. Bob Fitzsimmons
3. Ezzard Charles
4. Sam Langford
5. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
6. Harry Greb
7. Kid McCoy
8. Michael Spinks
9. Archie Moore
10. Bob Foster

Middleweights:

1. Bob Fitzsimmons
2. Stanley Ketchel
3. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
4. Harry Greb
5. Sugar Ray Robinson
6. Nonpareil Jack Dempsey
7. Kid McCoy
8. Tommy Ryan
9. Roy Jones Jr.
10. Mickey Walker

Welterweights:

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Nonpareil Jack Dempsey
3. Kid McCoy
4. Tommy Ryan
5. Joe Walcott
6. Henry Armstrong
7. Sugar Ray Leonard
8. Mickey Walker
9. Tommy Hearns
10. Jack Britton

Lightweights:


1. Benny Leonard
2. Joe Gans
3. Roberto Duran
4. Henry Armstrong
5. Aaron Pryor
6. Jack McAuliffe
7. Packey McFarland
8. Barney Ross
9. Tony Canzoneri
10* Pernell Whitaker
10* George "Kid" Lavigne



Featherweights:

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Jem Driscoll
3. Terry McGovern
4. Alexis Arguello
5. Willie Pep
6. Abe Attell
7. George Dixon
8. Sandy Saddler
9. Johnny Dundee
10. Kid Chocolate
Bantamweights:

1. Terry McGovern
2. Eder Jofre
3. Jimmy Barry
4. George Dixon
5. Pete Herman
6. Carlos Zarate
7. Ruben Olivares
8. Panama Al Brown
9. Kid Williams
10. Johnny Coulon

Flyweights:


1. Jimmy Barry
2. Jimmy Wilde
3. Pascual Perez
4. Pancho Villa
5. Fidel LaBarba
6. Frankie Genaro
7. Benny Lynch
8. Midget Wolgast
9. Johnny Buff
10. Peter Kane

Pound-For-Pound:

1. Bob Fitzsimmons
2. Sugar Ray Robinson
3. Nonpareil Jack Dempsey
4. Sam Langford
5. Charley Mitchell
6. Henry Armstrong
7. Stanley Ketchel
8. Jack Dempsey
9. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien
10. Harry Greb





shall i duck for cover now??


im sorry to any RJJ,TYSON,MAYWEATHER etc fanatics



IV GOTTA COME CLEAN PEOPLE,,

ITS MY DADS LIST,HES A KEEN AMATEUR BOXING HISTORIAN,I THOUGHT ID PUT IT OUT THERE TO GAUGE PEOPLES OPINIONS,I KNEW IT WOULD GET PEOPLE TALKING,

SORRY HES A BIT BEHIND THE TIMES

It's a pretty good list in it's own right, but entirely omits almost all modern fighters. I mean you did say the very best of all time could compete with each other in any era. Don't think there have been any other great fighters recently?? I mean to not have Lewis or Holyfield under HW is a stretch imo. I guess it's not too bad if you want to define greatness as simply accomplishments on paper or stature, looking at it that way though the problem is that it is basically impossible for modern fighters to compete against ranked opposition as often as used to be the norm. The way fights are sanctioned and promoted these days just doesn't allow that kind of crazy activity that so many of those guys had, therefore it's not possible to rack up as MANY wins against good fighters these days. Noone will even have 100 fights aside from the most obscure journeyman these days, let alone more. Still, the only two fighters I spotted on any of those lists who have been active in the last fifteen years were Roy Jones and Pernell Whittaker, pretty obvious picks those. The pound for pound list is especially flawed in this sense, imo. It looks as though it was taken from a 1952 issue of Ring Magazines top 10 All time p4p list. It's very hard to even find any footage of the majority of those fighters. I mean guys like Jones Jr, Mayweather, Whittaker, could easily be LIGHTYEARS ahead of say, Charley Mitchell, and Stanley Ketchel in any feasable measure of ability. And I don't doubt they are. I mean would you like to tell me you think Jack Dempsey was a better pound for pound fighter than Roy Jones?

I can appreciate different opinions, but all that tells me is that you are one of the many people who nuthugs the "old time" fighters.

I think the lists are horrible - but fair play for the effort!

Originally Posted by Beanflicker

I can appreciate different opinions, but all that tells me is that you are one of the many people who nuthugs the "old time" fighters.

im sorry, but your right i am

Thing is mate (for example) how many Jim Jeffries fights you seen to make your judgement of him as the greatest ever heavyweight??

Originally Posted by p4pking

It's a pretty good list in it's own right, but entirely omits almost all modern fighters. I mean you did say the very best of all time could compete with each other in any era. Don't think there have been any other great fighters recently?? I mean to not have Lewis or Holyfield under HW is a stretch imo. I guess it's not too bad if you want to define greatness as simply accomplishments on paper or stature, looking at it that way though the problem is that it is basically impossible for modern fighters to compete against ranked opposition as often as used to be the norm. The way fights are sanctioned and promoted these days just doesn't allow that kind of crazy activity that so many of those guys had, therefore it's not possible to rack up as MANY wins against good fighters these days. Noone will even have 100 fights aside from the most obscure journeyman these days, let alone more. Still, the only two fighters I spotted on any of those lists who have been active in the last fifteen years were Roy Jones and Pernell Whittaker, pretty obvious picks those. The pound for pound list is especially flawed in this sense, imo. It looks as though it was taken from a 1952 issue of Ring Magazines top 10 All time p4p list. It's very hard to even find any footage of the majority of those fighters. I mean guys like Jones Jr, Mayweather, Whittaker, could easily be LIGHTYEARS ahead of say, Charley Mitchell, and Stanley Ketchel in any feasable measure of ability. And I don't doubt they are. I mean would you like to tell me you think Jack Dempsey was a better pound for pound fighter than Roy Jones?

there personal oppinions thats all,im more into the oldtimers,i dont exspect many too agree with me or even to have heard of half of them,im not a jones fan really,,hey we cant all follow the herds.

Originally Posted by BIG H

Thing is mate (for example) how many Jim Jeffries fights you seen to make your judgement of him as the greatest ever heavyweight??

its research mainly,

Originally Posted by BIG H

Thing is mate (for example) how many Jim Jeffries fights you seen to make your judgement of him as the greatest ever heavyweight??

Exactly, and very good point. I cant understand people ranking guys who they maybe saw 1 or 2 fights of. You can't rank a guy from Newspaper clippings. If you do, Roy Jones would be p4p the greatest of all time.

Originally Posted by Beanflicker

Originally Posted by BIG H

Thing is mate (for example) how many Jim Jeffries fights you seen to make your judgement of him as the greatest ever heavyweight??

Exactly, and very good point. I cant understand people ranking guys who they maybe saw 1 or 2 fights of. You can't rank a guy from Newspaper clippings. If you do, Roy Jones would be p4p the greatest of all time.

As true as this is, neither of you have seen probably more then 3 or 4 between you so you can't discredit it either... Ya know?

You're kind doing what he is... In reverse

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

Originally Posted by Beanflicker

Originally Posted by BIG H

Thing is mate (for example) how many Jim Jeffries fights you seen to make your judgement of him as the greatest ever heavyweight??

Exactly, and very good point. I cant understand people ranking guys who they maybe saw 1 or 2 fights of. You can't rank a guy from Newspaper clippings. If you do, Roy Jones would be p4p the greatest of all time.

As true as this is, neither of you have seen probably more then 3 or 4 between you so you can't discredit it either... Ya know?

You're kind doing what he is... In reverse

you raise a valid point

Originally Posted by 1g5a22

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

Originally Posted by Beanflicker

Exactly, and very good point. I cant understand people ranking guys who they maybe saw 1 or 2 fights of. You can't rank a guy from Newspaper clippings. If you do, Roy Jones would be p4p the greatest of all time.

As true as this is, neither of you have seen probably more then 3 or 4 between you so you can't discredit it either... Ya know?

You're kind doing what he is... In reverse

you raise a valid point

I have Dempsy in my top 10 Heavys of all time and I've seen but 7 of his fights... He's still staying in my top 10.

Actually, BIGH and Beanflicker... Is Jack Johnson in your top heavys? How many of his fights have you seen?

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

Originally Posted by 1g5a22

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

As true as this is, neither of you have seen probably more then 3 or 4 between you so you can't discredit it either... Ya know?

You're kind doing what he is... In reverse

you raise a valid point

I have Dempsy in my top 10 Heavys of all time and I've seen but 7 of his fights... He's still staying in my top 10.

your talking to the wrong man mate,i edited the thread

dempsey is my favourite heavyweight of all time though.

Originally Posted by 1g5a22

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

Originally Posted by 1g5a22

you raise a valid point

I have Dempsy in my top 10 Heavys of all time and I've seen but 7 of his fights... He's still staying in my top 10.

your talking to the wrong man mate,i edited the thread

dempsey is my favourite heavyweight of all time though.

No, that wasn't directed towards you... I'm on your side...

I was saying you can tell alot about style power speed and chin by only seeing 2, 3 or 4 fights so if thats where you place guys thats where you place um...

My point was that most people have Jack Johnson in there top ten...

I garantee most people on here have not seen more then 2 or 3 of his fights TOPS!

So don't worry bout them

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

Originally Posted by 1g5a22

Originally Posted by PRIDE OF BOSTON

I have Dempsy in my top 10 Heavys of all time and I've seen but 7 of his fights... He's still staying in my top 10.

your talking to the wrong man mate,i edited the thread

dempsey is my favourite heavyweight of all time though.

No, that wasn't directed towards you... I'm on your side...

I was saying you can tell alot about style power speed and chin by only seeing 2, 3 or 4 fights so if thats where you place guys thats where you place um...

My point was that most people have Jack Johnson in there top ten...

I garantee most people on here have not seen more then 2 or 3 of his fights TOPS!

So don't worry bout them

a lot of people who put guys like johnson in there lists probably have never watched a fight of his,id rather make my own oppinions like my dad does, each to there own.