What boxer do you think fought the toughest oppositio?

[holmcall]

Ali never backed away from an opponent either and it cost him dearly (He fought Holmes, Norton (thrice), Frazier (thrice), Foreman, Spinks (twice), Liston (twice--depending on how you look at that second farce), Bugner (twice), Chuvalo (twice), Patterson, Moore, Quarry (twice), Shavers, lyle, etc, etc.

Holmes battled Cooney, Spinks (twice), Shavers (twice), Norton, Weaver (twice), Witherspoon and Tyson. “The Real Deal” fought just about everyone including Qawi (twice), Byrd, Toney, Moorer (twice), Tyson (twice), Holmes, Bowe (thrice), Ruiz (thrice), Lewis (twice), Rahman, and Foreman. Talk about tough

There were (or are) others who would fight anyone put in front of them. There were guys like Beau Jack, Pastrano, Dupas, Aldo Minelli, Chico Vejar, Holly Mims, Yama Bahama, Kenny Lane, Tony Licata, Vito Antuofermo, Tommy Tibbs (who participated in 139 bouts), and Johnny Cesario.

And still more like Guts Ishimatsu, Frank Minton, Jorge Paez, James Martinez, Ray “Sucre” Oliveira, Ben Tackie and Julio Cesar Gonzalez.

Dick Tiger was pretty solid as well. Get this; he met Champions Emile Griffith, Nino Benvenuti, Jose Torres, Bob Foster, Joey Giardello, Gene Fullmer and Terry Downes. He also fought some impressive contenders like Andy Kendall, Frankie DePaula, Roger Rouse, Jose Gonzalez, Rubin Carter, Joey Archer, Don Fullmer, Florentino Fernandez, Spider Webb, Henry Hank, Gene Armstrong, Yolande Pompey, Randy Sandy, Holly Mims, Wilf Greaves and Rory Calhoun.

Jose "El Huitlacoche" Medel, Juan Laporte, and Livingstone “Pit Bull” Bramble took on all comers as did the late Joey Giardello. There are many, many others.

But my pick is he great “Cincinnati Cobra,” Ezzard Mack Charles.

Toward his career end, he lost seven of his last nine bouts, but still fought top opposition including Harry “Kid” Matthews (88-7-6), Donnie Fleeman (24-2), and Pat McMurtry (20-0-1). Like many greats who hang on too long, he faded into obscurity, especially after his last draining fight against Marciano. And from 1955 until his retirement in 1959, he fought twenty four times, winning only ten which, of course, diluted his legacy insofar as his record was concerned, but nothing can ever dilute the following encapsulation:

Rocky Marciano (twice) - IBHF/WBHF
Joe Louis - IBHF.WBHF
Jersey Joe Walcott (four times) IBHF/WBHF
Archie Moore (thrice) IBHF/WBHF
Rex Layne (thrice)
Joe Maxim (five times) IBHF/WBHF
Jimmy Bivins (four times) IBHF/WBHF
Charley Burley (twice) IBHF/WBHF
Lloyd Marshall (thrice) WBHF
Gus Lesnevich WBHF
Ken Overlin (twice)
Elmer Ray (twice)
Harold Johnson IBHF/WBHF
Bob Satterfield
Tommy Jackson (twice)
Freddie Beshore
Joe Baski

Final record 90-25-1 with 950 rounds fought.


Who would you go with?

[CutMeMick]

Emile himself fought top opposition and one of my fav. fighters...
Monzon, Paret, Moyer, Fernandez, Rodriguez, Ortega, Dupas, Carter, Curvis, Gonzalez, Fullmer, Tiger, Archer, Nino, Napoles, Boggs, Muniz, Lopez, Bouttier and on and on...

Thing is most fighters from back in the days have top resumes compared to todays fighters. Longevity of a career for starters contributes to that.

Of todays fighters Oscar De La Hoya, Evander and James Toney have some of the best resumes. B-Hops is also good.

[Dark Lord Al]

Id have to go with Joe Calzaghe , spent his entire career in a top division , fighting nothing but superstars. Well done to Joe and his promoter Frank Warren,

[Spicoli]

Nice stuff....

Not a big fan but "Sweet pea" Whitaker logged a nice level of opposition Mayweather/Haugen/Rameriez x2/Pendleton/Nazario/Azumah Nelson/J.C.Chavez/McGirt x2/Paez/Trinidad/DelaHoya/J.C. Vasquez/W.Rivera x2.....even his 2nd tiers were pretty capable, Brazier/Cardona/Hurtado/J. Montes/A.Jones/Pineda/

[Preme]

Take away the "name" and judge on pure threat i would say oscar's is one of the best...

but again, it comes down to a lot of whom was around at the time and who had the balls to actualy step up and take the fight.

[ICB]

Marion Wilson

[Spicoli]

Marion Wilson

Haa....MO. Right up there with McCall as far as titanium chin

[LEGION]

I'd think Jerry Quarry could be on this list. Fought:

Ali twice

Ken Norton

Frazier twice

Lyle

Shavers

Chuvalo

Floyd Patterson twice

Mathis

[RozzySean]

I like the pick of Ezzard Charles for the old school.

Like Mick said, you can't compare modern fighters to old school fighter, just because they fought so much more and didn't have PPV to pad there pockets. They had to go and make quality matches and do it whenever possible.

Of modern boxers, since it doesn't matter whether they one or lost, I call it a toss up between Trinidad, De La Hoya. I give an honorable mention to Lennox Lewis, cuz he completely cleared out the division, just the division wasn't as good.

Tito - Camacho, a prime, undefeated Yory Boy, Pineda, ODLH, Pernell, Vargas, Winky Joppy, Hopkins, Mayorga, and Roy Jones Jr.

Oscar - Ruelas, Hernandez, Leija, Chavez, Pernell, Camacho, Quartey, Mosley, Vargas, Hopkins, Sturm, Mayorga, Mayweather.

Actually, it's not a tossup. It's Oscar by landslide, especially when you consider how many of the Oscar's opponents were in their prime or close (Leija, Quartey, Mosely, Vargas, Hopkins, Sturm, and Mayweather). Oscar also fought a much better version of Whitaker. Oscar fought Yory Boy and Gatti, too, but they are barely worth mentioning compared to the other names.

[Thread Stealer]

Sam Langford

[holmcall]

Yes, Quarry for sure.

[holmcall]

Id have to go with Joe Calzaghe , spent his entire career in a top division , fighting nothing but superstars. Well done to Joe and his promoter Frank Warren,

Hahahahahahahahah hahahhahahahahah

[Hulk]

"The Champ" Sean O'Grady.

[holmcall]

Ouch!

[SweetPea]

Of todays fighters Oscar De La Hoya, Evander and James Toney have some of the best resumes. B-Hops is also good.

Oscar has the best list of opponents of any fighter of the past 20 years.

After his next fight, he will have faced 4 guys (Whitaker, Hopkins, Mayweather, Pacquiao) who had a legit argument for being considered #1 PFP at the time they fought Oscar. How many other guys can claim they fought 4 PFP guys? (and that's not counting Mosley, who was right near the top after he beat Oscar in their first fight...Trinidad too)