The greatest fighter in the original 8 weight classes?

I'm putting together a series of articles based on the greatest fighters of the original 8 weigh classes. But rather than me picking the fighters I believe to be the best, I want the public to vote. Of course, choosing 1 fighter per weight class will be next to impossible. So, you are allowed 3 Honourable Mentions per division ie, Heavyweight All Time Champion, Ali. Honourable Mentions Louis, Tyson and Holmes

So, let me have it.

Flyweight All Time Champion:
Honourable mentions

Bantamweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Featherweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Lightweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Welterweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

Middleweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mentions

LightHeavyweight All Time Champion:
Honourable Mention

Heavyweight All Time Champion:
Honourable mentions

FLYWEIGHT:

Jimmy Wilde
Pancho Villa
Chartchai Chanoi
*Pascual Perez

BANTAMWEIGHT:

Eder Jofre
Ruben Olivares
Carlos Zarate
*Fighting Harada


FEATHERWEIGHT :

WILLIE PEP
Sandy Saddler
Salvador Sanchez
*Eusebio Pedroza

LIGHTWEIGHT :

Roberto Duran
Benny Leonard
Pernell Whitaker
*Shane Mosley

WELTERWEIGHT :

Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Henry Armstrong
*Jose Napoles

MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Carlos Monzon
Marvin Hagler
Harry Greb
*Bernard Hopkins

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:

Roy Jones jr
Bob Foster
Ezzard Charles
*Archie Moore

HEAVYWEIGHT:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
George Foreman
*Larry Holmes

So many honourable mentions i thought i would go top 3 in each division. This is my opinion. Both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio come very close, but neither has been champion in these divisions long enough to qualify.

* fighter who could easily be ranked 2 or 3 IMO.

Other than the first fighter the rest are in no particular order but all my top 4 or 3

FEATHERWEIGHT:

Willie Pep
Salvador Sanchez
Sandy Saddler
Erik Morales
Alexis Arguello
Pancho Villa
Jimmy Wilde




LIGHTWEIGHT :

Roberto Duran
Manny Pacquiao
Pernell Whitaker
Juan Manuel Marquez

WELTERWEIGHT :

Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Henry Armstrong
Floyd Mayweather
Julio Cesar Chavez

MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Sugar Ray Robinson
Carlos Monzon
Marvin Hagler
Bernard Hopkins
Jake La Motta

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:

Roy Jones jr
Archie Moore
Bob Foster
Ezzard Charles


HEAVYWEIGHT:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Rocky Marciano *yes*
Larry Holmes

You guys both know boxing and I like your lists but Pep was not better than Saddler. He was a beautiful boxer and did so many incredible things in the ring but Saddler was too much for him and therefore better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by THE THIRD MAN

FLYWEIGHT:

Jimmy Wilde
Pancho Villa
Chartchai Chanoi
*Pascual Perez

BANTAMWEIGHT:

Eder Jofre
Ruben Olivares
Carlos Zarate
*Fighting Harada


FEATHERWEIGHT :

WILLIE PEP
Sandy Saddler
Salvador Sanchez
*Eusebio Pedroza

LIGHTWEIGHT :

Roberto Duran
Benny Leonard
Pernell Whitaker
*Shane Mosley

WELTERWEIGHT :

Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Henry Armstrong
*Jose Napoles

MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Carlos Monzon
Marvin Hagler
Harry Greb
*Bernard Hopkins

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:

Roy Jones jr
Bob Foster
Ezzard Charles
*Archie Moore

HEAVYWEIGHT:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
George Foreman
*Larry Holmes

So many honourable mentions i thought i would go top 3 in each division. This is my opinion.

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I would go with this but have Ezzard Charles light heavy and Hagler at middleweight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

You guys both know boxing and I like your lists but Pep was not better than Saddler. He was a beautiful boxer and did so many incredible things in the ring but Saddler was too much for him and therefore better.

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Unfortunately boxing doesn't really work like that. Sometimes, certain fighters just other fighter's number. Ken norton for instance probably beat Ali twice in their 3 encounters, but it doesn't necessarily make him a greater fighter. Same thing with Marquez - Pacquiao. The Mexican has a good case for beating Manny all three times, but Pacquiao is the far greater fighter

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vano-irons

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

You guys both know boxing and I like your lists but Pep was not better than Saddler. He was a beautiful boxer and did so many incredible things in the ring but Saddler was too much for him and therefore better.

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Unfortunately boxing doesn't really work like that. Sometimes, certain fighters just other fighter's number. Ken norton for instance probably beat Ali twice in their 3 encounters, but it doesn't necessarily make him a greater fighter. Same thing with Marquez - Pacquiao. The Mexican has a good case for beating Manny all three times, but Pacquiao is the far greater fighter

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I am not just basing my comment about Saddler on his wins with Pep. He had great technique, he was huge for his weight class, he was very powerful and he was vicious. They are both all time greats.

I am not sure about Manny being far greater than Marquez either although I think Manny will be far more competitive with Mayweather if they ever fight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vano-irons

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

You guys both know boxing and I like your lists but Pep was not better than Saddler. He was a beautiful boxer and did so many incredible things in the ring but Saddler was too much for him and therefore better.

---

Unfortunately boxing doesn't really work like that. Sometimes, certain fighters just other fighter's number. Ken norton for instance probably beat Ali twice in their 3 encounters, but it doesn't necessarily make him a greater fighter. Same thing with Marquez - Pacquiao. The Mexican has a good case for beating Manny all three times, but Pacquiao is the far greater fighter

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I am not just basing my comment about Saddler on his wins with Pep. He had great technique, he was huge for his weight class, he was very powerful and he was vicious. They are both all time greats.

I am not sure about Manny being far greater than Marquez either although I think Manny will be far more competitive with Mayweather if they ever fight.

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you both made valid points sometimes you can beat a fighter and still have the lesser career... but i agree that pacquiao is not that much greater than marquez.

I feel Pacquiao's resume is far greater than Marquez's (who is one of my favourites). MAB, Morales, Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto, Margo. These are all extremely good wins for a prime featherweight.

I have Manny top 30 All Time. Marquez probably gets in the top 100

Pacquiao is that much greater than Marquez based on resumes. JMM while a great fighter but he's more known for his fights with Pacquiao than his own achievements. Pacquiao on the other hand is known more for his acheivements than his fights with JMM.

Pacquiao is the only 4 time lineal champ in history and 1 of 5 teenage lineal champions also in the history of the sport.

Here's what I've got so far....

Heavy

Ali
Louis
Holmes
Foreman
Tyson

(Then any from Lewis, Frazier, Holyfield, Liston, Marciano, Dempsey & Johnson)

Light Heavy

Archie Moore
Billy Conn
Ezzard Charles
Roy Jones Jr
Michael Spinks
Jimmy Bivins
Bob Foster
Harold Johnson
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien
Maxie Rosenbloom
Tiger Jack Fox


Middleweight

1. Marvin Hagler
2. Carlos Monzon
3. Harry Greb
4 Sugar Ray Robinson
5. Mickey Walker
6. Charley Burley
7 Bernard Hopkins
8 Stanley Ketchel
9. Marcel Cerdan
10 Tony Zale

Lightweight

1. Roberto Duran
2. Benny Leonard
3. Tony Canzoneri
4. Joe Gans
5. Ike Williams
6. Alexis Arguello (Greatest Super Feather of all time)
7 Beau Jack
8. Julio Cesar Chavez (All time p4per, but best years at +130
9. Carlos Ortiz
10. Lou Ambers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocougars3

You guys both know boxing and I like your lists but Pep was not better than Saddler. He was a beautiful boxer and did so many incredible things in the ring but Saddler was too much for him and therefore better.

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Some fighters had their nemesis, Saddler was definitely Pep's. Norton gave Ali problems, De Jesus always gave Duran headaches, Harada beat Jofre both times, Herrera beat Olivares twice, Monzon had trouble with Valdez, DLH with Mosley and Pacquaio has trouble with Marquez.