Quote Originally Posted by Fenster View Post
These all-time great lists are impossible.

When trying to justify one fighters great attributes over anothers, the Roy-Hopkins argument alone shows how it's impossible to avoid hypocritical inconsistencies. Even though Roy BEAT Hopkins, he is still not regarded a better fighter by many.

The problem with boxing, compared with other sports, is most fighters only meet ONCE. It's rare to have rematches let alone a number of fights to establish the dominant fighter (with older exceptions like Robinson-LaMotta). And because of this almost every match has an excuse attached to it.

Too old
Too young
Too small
Past his best
Weight drained
Robbed

Excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses.
My favourite way of looking at it is to think who would win a fight between 2 fighters in their prime and discount longjecity, achivements etc. But as you say it rarely ever happens that 2 fighters meet in their primes. Morales and Barrera did and if ever there was an argument that 2 fighters were equal that is the one. I'm sure Joe Louis is considered 'Greater' than Riddick Bowe, but Bowe would've smoked his boots