Ring Magazine's Top 80 fighters of 80 Years 1922 - 2002

In 2002, the writers of Ring Magazine published a ranking of the 80 best fighters of the previous 80 years.

What do you think of the list?

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Henry Armstrong
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Joe Louis
5. Roberto Duran
6. Willie Pep
7. Harry Greb
8. Benny Leonard
9. Sugar Ray Leonard
10. Pernell Whitaker
11. Carlos Monzon
12. Rocky Marciano
13. Ezzard Charles
14. Archie Moore
15 Sandy Saddler
16. Jack Dempsey
17. Marvin Hagler
18. Julio Cesar Chavez
19. Eder Jofre
20. Alexis Arguello
21. Barney Ross
22. Evander Holyfield
23. Ike Williams
24. Salvador Sanchez
25. George Foreman
26. Kid Gavilian
27. Larry Holmes
28. Mickey Walker
29. Ruben Olivares
30. Gene Tunney
31. Dick Tiger
32. Fighting Harada
33. Emile Griffith
34. Tony Canzoneri
35. Aaron Pryor
36. Pascual Perez
37. Miguel Canto
38. Manuel Ortiz
39. Charley Burley
40. Carmen Basilio
41. Michael Spinks
42. Joe Frazier
43. Khaosai Galaxy
44. Roy Jones Jr.
45. Tiger Flowers
46. Panama Al Brown
47. Kid Chocolate
48. Joe Brown
49. Tommy Loughran
50. Bernard Hopkins
51. Felix Trinidad
52. Jake LaMotta
53. Lennox Lewis
54. Wilfredo Gomez
55. Bob Foster
56. Jose Napoles
57. Billy Conn
58. Jimmy McLarnin
59. Pancho Villa
60. Carlos Ortiz
61. Bob Montgomery
62. Freddie Miller
63. Benny Lynch
64. Beau Jack
65. Azumah Nelson
66. Eusebio Pedroza
67. Thomas Hearns
68. Wilfred Benitez
69. Antonio Cervantes
70. Ricardo Lopez
71. Sonny Liston
72. Mike Tyson
73. Vicente Saldivar
74. Gene Fullmer
75. Oscar De La Hoya
76. Carlos Zarate
77. Marcel Cerdan
78. Flash Elorde
79. Mike McCallum
80. Harold Johnson



Where do I start ;D

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Originally Posted by BIG H

In 2002, the writers of Ring Magazine published a ranking of the 80 best fighters of the previous 80 years.

What do you think of the list?

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Henry Armstrong
3. Muhammad Ali
4. Joe Louis
5. Roberto Duran
6. Willie Pep
7. Harry Greb
8. Benny Leonard
9. Sugar Ray Leonard
10. Pernell Whitaker
11. Carlos Monzon
12. Rocky Marciano
13. Ezzard Charles
14. Archie Moore
15 Sandy Saddler
16. Jack Dempsey
17. Marvin Hagler
18. Julio Cesar Chavez
19. Eder Jofre
20. Alexis Arguello
21. Barney Ross
22. Evander Holyfield
23. Ike Williams
24. Salvador Sanchez
25. George Foreman
26. Kid Gavilian
27. Larry Holmes
28. Mickey Walker
29. Ruben Olivares
30. Gene Tunney
31. Dick Tiger
32. Fighting Harada
33. Emile Griffith
34. Tony Canzoneri
35. Aaron Pryor
36. Pascual Perez
37. Miguel Canto
38. Manuel Ortiz
39. Charley Burley
40. Carmen Basilio
41. Michael Spinks
42. Joe Frazier
43. Khaosai Galaxy
44. Roy Jones Jr.
45. Tiger Flowers
46. Panama Al Brown
47. Kid Chocolate
48. Joe Brown
49. Tommy Loughran
50. Bernard Hopkins
51. Felix Trinidad
52. Jake LaMotta
53. Lennox Lewis
54. Wilfredo Gomez
55. Bob Foster
56. Jose Napoles
57. Billy Conn
58. Jimmy McLarnin
59. Pancho Villa
60. Carlos Ortiz
61. Bob Montgomery
62. Freddie Miller
63. Benny Lynch
64. Beau Jack
65. Azumah Nelson
66. Eusebio Pedroza
67. Thomas Hearns
68. Wilfred Benitez
69. Antonio Cervantes
70. Ricardo Lopez
71. Sonny Liston
72. Mike Tyson
73. Vicente Saldivar
74. Gene Fullmer
75. Oscar De La Hoya
76. Carlos Zarate
77. Marcel Cerdan
78. Flash Elorde
79. Mike McCallum
80. Harold Johnson



Where do I start ;D

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cc, interesting read, but herns that far down? no jimmy wilde o0 de la hoya only 75? alot of others i question to, but alot of name si never seen fight ^^

Jimmy Wilde is pre 1922 buddy ;)

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Originally Posted by BIG H

Jimmy Wilde is pre 1922 buddy ;)

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see, if you don't read the title in full you end up looking a tw@ lol^^

cheers for the correction:P

;D

Foreman ahead of Holmes? Not. Spinks ahead of Frazier? Not. Emile Griffith at 33? Where did that come from? No James Toney? No Eric Eche?

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Originally Posted by SeanE

Foreman ahead of Holmes? Not. Spinks ahead of Frazier? Not. Emile Griffith at 33? Where did that come from? No James Toney? No Eric Eche?

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Hahaha


Jones should be higher than 47 and perhaps B-Hop higher than 50

toney should be in there somewhere and im hoping that eric esch part was a joke.

Good work BIG H I have this issue in my collection.

I thought Ismael Laguna would have appeared in there somewhere but other than that I thought they done ok, it's always difficult to rank fighters from the past and medern fighters in the same list.

I think the top 5 is accurate.

One thing that stuck out to me is that Jones is at #44 and Trinidad is at #51. Believe me, I'm a huge Trinidad fan, but there's no way he should be only 7 spots behind Jones.
Jones was a far superior fighter.
It's even weirder when you consider that this list came out in 2002, before Jones suffered the 3 losses, and Tito had already been demolished by Hopkins.

Charley Burley is far to low

its not the worst list i've ever seen (See rolling stones 100 greatest guitarists)

Although there a few mistakes/questionable decisions,it's not the worst list I have ever seen and I'm just glad I don't see Oscar in the top 20. I love the guy as a fighter but NO WAY is he in the top 20 fighters that ever lived. He fought the best,he didn't beat the best.

Loving Duran @ 5. Rightfully so taking his place where he belongs....

Holyfield at 22 (ahead of Larry Holmes, a full 22 spots ahead of Roy Jones, and like 50 spots ahead of Tyson) was the most glaringly wrong looking thing to me on a quick skim.

thasa horrible list and i think jones and hopkins shouldbe in top 10 alteast and wat bout tyson

Actaully i think the top 10 is very acceptable. There are some stupid ones such as Tyson at 74, Jones at 44, DeLaHoya seems a tad low.

Gene Tunney at 30 is a joke. Top 10 at the very least, ahead of Harry Greb to. Don't get how he beats Greb 3 of 5 times finishing once with a draw, wins the biggest fight in boxing history versus Dempsey yet I've never seen a list where he is higher then Dempsey or Greb. And had the 10-9 scoring system been in effect for the first bout with Greb he would have won that one to. Tunney for whatever reason wasn't liked throughout his career and that has greatly affected his legacy as a great fighter. He got a bit of a late start on his career and didn't face any real competition until he was 30 fights into his career, but come on...

But theyve rated Grebb at middle Tunney at Heavy I would think Although at his best some would argue L/heavy was Tunneys best weight

Holyfeild at his best was a cruiser

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Originally Posted by Scrap

But theyve rated Grebb at middle Tunney at Heavy I would think Although at his best some would argue L/heavy was Tunneys best weight

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I thought it was just the whole career? Anyways I agree Tunney was at his best at light heavy but his biggest wins were at middle and heavy. Oddly enough.

Amat very true Im just geussing, Id have tunney higher myself.

Probably where Moore is

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Originally Posted by Punisher136

toney should be in there somewhere and im hoping that eric esch part was a joke.

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Really? you don't think Butterbean deserves a place in the HoF? ;D

I just realized 'Finito' Lopez is at #70 thats FWOCKEN INSANE!!!! :o

Fwock that list.

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Originally Posted by CutMeMicK

I just realized 'Finito' Lopez is at #70 thats FWOCKEN INSANE!!!! :o

Fwock that list.

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There are definitely more than a few dodgy selections on there - 'Finito' being the worst ;)

dick tiger at 31 is bit high in my book because if he is at 31 and bob foster is at 55 dont get that

Some would argue that Tiger was a better Middle ThanFoster was a Light/Heavy

2 weight champion aswell - but I think Fosters longjevity as champ would put him higher

The punch he knocked Tiger out with is one of the best I have seen!

Id go along with that H. Probably the trips to heavy didnt do his legacy to much good.

Pretty good list, considering as always that these lists are by nature subjective and totally debatable.

I was glad to see names such as Monzon and Arguello, who don't get mentioned much. Holyfield, IMO, is a little too high at 22. Holmes at 27... (shudder).... I can't stand the guy, but I guess he deserves some merit. Pryor was fantastic. Could've been much greater if he hadn't succumbed to drugs. I agree that "Finito" Lopez should be much higher than 70.

Michael Spinks at 41? Gimme a break!

Name me 4 better Lightheavys than Spinks

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Name me 4 better Lightheavys than Spinks

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It's not so much Spinks, as it is the division he fought in. Face it... how many truly epic fights have there been over the years at light-heavy? Compared to heavyweight and middle, light-heavy pales in comparison. Unfortunate, but true.

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Name me 4 better Lightheavys than Spinks

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ill name one roy jones

Theres been more epics in the L/heavys than most you cant be seriuos Jones against Spinks at l/heavy would you put your house on it as Jones says I think you forget

I guess Casamayor is 81

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Name me 4 better Lightheavys than Spinks

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Tommy Loughran
Billy Conn
Archie Moore
Roy Jones Jr.

Good list Ican only think of 2 Gene Tunney Ezzard Charles

As huge of a fan that I'am of Salvador Sanchez whos #24 on the list, I would swap him with Ruben Olivares whos #29.

Olivaries was the best bantam Ive seen in my lifetime bar non until the white powder fucked him