Rank your list of greatest fighters pond for pound

[Alan McDougall]

Hey people

I know this might have been debated before, but how about us trying to rate and rank the five greatest fighters of all time, pound for pound. If interest is shown we can take it future

Here are my first five

1) Sugar Ray Robinson

2) Willie Pep

3) Mohammed Ali

4) Henry Armstrong

5) Joe Luis

wat ya tink?

Alan

[BIG H]

Well I have the same top 4 as you (not same order) My list changes all the time the more I watch, but I my list looks something like this at the moment

1 Sugar Ray Robinson
2 Willie Pepp
3 Henry Armstrong
4 Muhammad Ali
5 Roberto Duran
6 Pernell Whitaker
7 Benny Leonard
8 Jimmy Wilde
9 Roy Jones Jnr
10 Harry Greb

[Kev]

Never seen anything of Pep and Armstrong but are we putting them in the top four for acomplishments or because we actually think they would beat any other fighters in history in their weight classes?

This is where I struggle with all time p4p lists.

I can see Ali and Armstrong giving people from any era trouble at their weight classes whereas for example I see Joe Luis getting slaughtered by prime Tysons, Lennox Lewis, Foreman, the Klitschko's etc.

Duran would be problematic for any lightweight and junior welter in history.

Willie Pep? I don't know anything about him other than he supposedly won a round once without throwing a punch. As boxing was more primitive back then I doubt in reality his defence was better than say Ivan Calderon now so would he really have ruled his weight class against the best of all time?

I don't know.

That's why my own list features fighters I truly believe could have held their own with anybody from any era.


1. Robinson
2. Ali
3. Leonard
4. Duran
5. Hearns

[BIG H]

Never seen anything of Pep and Armstrong but are we putting them in the top four for acomplishments or because we actually think they would beat any other fighters in history in their weight classes?

This is where I struggle with all time p4p lists.

I can see Ali and Armstrong giving people from any era trouble at their weight classes whereas for example I see Joe Luis getting slaughtered by prime Tysons, Lennox Lewis, Foreman, the Klitschko's etc.

Duran would be problematic for any lightweight and junior welter in history.

Willie Pep? I don't know anything about him other than he supposedly won a round once without throwing a punch. As boxing was more primitive back then I doubt in reality his defence was better than say Ivan Calderon now so would he really have ruled his weight class against the best of all time?

I don't know.

That's why my own list features fighters I truly believe could have held their own with anybody from any era.


1. Robinson
2. Ali
3. Leonard
4. Duran
5. Hearns

Mate, you should watch some footage of Pepp. I have all 3 fights with Saddler on VHS lol. His defence is one of the best I have ever seen, probably only Whitaker matches him!

[Jody Lane]

Well I have the same top 4 as you (not same order) My list changes all the time the more I watch, but I my list looks something like this at the moment

1 Sugar Ray Robinson
2 Willie Pepp
3 Henry Armstrong
4 Muhammad Ali
5 Roberto Duran
6 Pernell Whitaker
7 Benny Leonard
8 Jimmy Wilde
9 Roy Jones Jnr
10 Harry Greb

My top eight would be the same people but in a slightly different order. My last two would be:
9. Archie Moore
10. Carlos Monzon

[Kev]

Never seen anything of Pep and Armstrong but are we putting them in the top four for acomplishments or because we actually think they would beat any other fighters in history in their weight classes?

This is where I struggle with all time p4p lists.

I can see Ali and Armstrong giving people from any era trouble at their weight classes whereas for example I see Joe Luis getting slaughtered by prime Tysons, Lennox Lewis, Foreman, the Klitschko's etc.

Duran would be problematic for any lightweight and junior welter in history.

Willie Pep? I don't know anything about him other than he supposedly won a round once without throwing a punch. As boxing was more primitive back then I doubt in reality his defence was better than say Ivan Calderon now so would he really have ruled his weight class against the best of all time?

I don't know.

That's why my own list features fighters I truly believe could have held their own with anybody from any era.


1. Robinson
2. Ali
3. Leonard
4. Duran
5. Hearns

Mate, you should watch some footage of Pepp. I have all 3 fights with Saddler on VHS lol. His defence is one of the best I have ever seen, probably only Whitaker matches him!

I've never seen him, what weight was he, what decade did he fight?

[BIG H]

Never seen anything of Pep and Armstrong but are we putting them in the top four for acomplishments or because we actually think they would beat any other fighters in history in their weight classes?

This is where I struggle with all time p4p lists.

I can see Ali and Armstrong giving people from any era trouble at their weight classes whereas for example I see Joe Luis getting slaughtered by prime Tysons, Lennox Lewis, Foreman, the Klitschko's etc.

Duran would be problematic for any lightweight and junior welter in history.

Willie Pep? I don't know anything about him other than he supposedly won a round once without throwing a punch. As boxing was more primitive back then I doubt in reality his defence was better than say Ivan Calderon now so would he really have ruled his weight class against the best of all time?

I don't know.

That's why my own list features fighters I truly believe could have held their own with anybody from any era.


1. Robinson
2. Ali
3. Leonard
4. Duran
5. Hearns

Mate, you should watch some footage of Pepp. I have all 3 fights with Saddler on VHS lol. His defence is one of the best I have ever seen, probably only Whitaker matches him!

I've never seen him, what weight was he, what decade did he fight?

He was a feather weight (GOAT) in the 40s and 50s

[Alan McDougall]

Guys

Your suggestions all seem valid, this an ongoing eternal debate but can anyone think of a better way to spend an afternoon at a barbecue arguing heatedly about it, great fun, with a box of beers of course

Willy Pep for the guys that know little about him was a boxer of superhuman like skill, he once took a bet that he could win a round against a world class opponent "without throwing a punch"

He did it easily check it out if you like!

Sugar Ray, Mohammad Ali, and Henry Armstrong all belong in the list, the the rest are debatable, but great posts by all you guys

Would Joe Louis have been strong enough to avoid the unimaginable power of Mike Tyson?, I doubt it. Joe was almost knocked out by Billy Con a clever light heavy weight, who if compared to Mike Tyson was a butterfly puncher

But remember if Joe connected they all went the same way, onto the canvas that is

Take Care

Alan

[bigstinkybug]

hows Harry Grebb on anyone's list?

[cambay411]

As far as P4P goes I will take Roy Jones Jr.

I would go with Ali second because I see him giving any fighter trouble in a P4P match.

[CutMeMick]

As I have said throughout the years and will continue to say that I personally don't rate and list really old school fighters from the past with modern. It really is hard to really tell how great fighters like Greb, McVey, Loughran, Barbados Joe Walcott and Langford to name a few really were. Also if I feel I have not seen enough fights or footage of a fighter I also simply say I have not seen and know enough to rate him. There is no shame in not being able to rate a fighter. I rather say it than blindly put him on my list because others rate him highly. With that being said here are 2 lists the first list is of fighters I have seen enough of and know enough of to rate. The second list is of fighters I've seen very little of if at all and have read about.

10. Monzon
9. SRL
8. Moore
7. Louis
6. Pep
5. Duran
4. Ezzard
3. Ali
2. Armstrong
1. SRR


10. Canzoneri
9. McGovern
8. Dixon
7. Ross
6. Walker
5. Benny
4. Gans
3. Fitzsimmons
2. Greb
1. Langford

[bzkfn]

Wow I can't quite believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't make any of your lists. How he can't make any top 10 all time p4p lists and Roberto Duran can is beyond me. Duran was a true warrior and a superb fighter, but in no way could I have him top 10 all time.

[Beanflicker]

1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Roy Jones Jr
3. Sugar Ray Robinson
4. Pernell Whitaker
5. Ray Leonard

[Beanflicker]

Wow I can't quite believe Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't make any of your lists. How he can't make any top 10 all time p4p lists and Roberto Duran can is beyond me. Duran was a true warrior and a superb fighter, but in no way could I have him top 10 all time.

Floyd's greatness isn't going to be appreciated until many years after he's gone. You'll find people here who don't think Floyd is in the top 50 of all time, let alone top 10.

But yeah, I agree with Duran too. Great fighter, but I think people give him a pass on a lot of the bad moments he had. Quitting because he had a tummy ache, getting starched by Tommy Hearns, dropping decisions to superior skilled fighters, ect.