Best of the Best

[Spicoli]

This is a toughie when you really think about the very best fighters you "lived live" absent replays and vids etc. I came in at the tail end of the Duran Hearns Leonard Hagler era. Leonard and Duran just fought for a third time and it was remarkably forgettable. Hearns and Ray fought to a hot draw. And Hagler was all done and rediscovered thanks to the Superbout series on ESPN. But so many variables as far as best of the best so fan or not a fan I'll keep it random with best at imo. Roy Jones Jr in full hindsight feels like he was ahead of his time. The multi-sport stuff, various fighters under his wing who would share promotion and cards, the celebrity branching out thing to other medias, music. Jones Jr in the Twatter fan obsessed 24/7 cycle of today would have been absolutely insane. But he was one of the most unique and dominating fighters at the time.

Julio C Chavez...one of the most complete packages late 80's and early 90's and one of the first to 'cross over' while really not speaking a word of English but seemed like many households got to know the name.

Pernell Whitaker and Evander Holyfield. Right out of the Olympics and smacked directly onto our tv screens. Couldn't be more different in ring styles and I watched one in the hope he lost and Holyfield because he was just a badass of the best sort. Silent, humble but an unrelenting all out force. Two of the best I lived live.

Hopkins! The man literally evolved from two eras and reinvented himself completely. Early on with the independent swagger, the sneer and I did it my way. The man rebuffing and calling out an entire system he worked within and fighting like those opponents had insulted his mother. He just wanted to beat you up, and he enjoyed it. And somewhere along the line he became this overly sly and cunning sniper type. Full of guile, confidence and sure sometimes shit but he took being the outsider and mostly anti company man and cemented a hall of fame career. Now however he's an Oscar & company lacky so I don't like him as much. I kid I kid

Finito Lopez...simply a hidden gem for majority of his career and an absolute boxer-puncher phenom. One of the first fighters I learned to watch strictly from the waist down. A friend mentioned how valuable and telling a fighter's feet and movement made everything. So I'd watch his lower half only. The man was like a fire walking trapeze artist in there. Again, many variables but a real total package and pleasure to watch.

Barrera and Marquez no doubt. Two that really define what it was to "build" up a fighter across promotions and platforms into all time top stars. Felix Trinidad too. You rarely if ever see so much charisma and smiling ear to ear from a guy that was such a destructive force.

[TIC]

some good ones mentioned already. i'm going to add chocolatito at flyweight. he was phenomenal

[palmerq]

I loved Barrera he was great fun, he also managed to be a fairly skillful boxer but then flip a switch and turn into a vindictive madman who just wanted to hurt. I don't think I'd rate him as the best of the best though as the thread title says, I'd have PAC man above him and PAC man isn't at the top due to the guy who is first on my list...

Obviously Mayweather, he ended up a fair bit above his natural weight but the git just kept winning and doing it very well bar a couple of close ones, hes just a great fighter and then ore Alvarez wins(even if he wins no more) the better Mayweather looks, even though Alvarez certainly wasn't as good as he would end up Mayweather still owned him.

Now in no particular order, someone else who looks better and better the more success Alvarez has/had and he fought(probably and probably nearly at least once).I'd rank Golovkin right at the top, maybe he didn't always fight the biggest names but the git was a killer and proved how good he was v a close to prime(first fight) and prime Alvarez(2nd fight and even the 3rd fight), Golovkin was 35+ for those fights too and surely no longer in his physical prime. Golovkin has been a great performer over the years.

I always found Lennox Lewis to be a very powerful force and seemed unstoppable, even though I saw him lose but he certainly avenged the Rahman loss in some style. He was so powerful and sure Tyson was done and Holyfield was a bit old but he beat them both.. So I'll tank lewis up there too.

Also I wouldn't rank Hopkins at the very top either, he was great for an old man but that's not enough to make it to the very top in my opinion, rjj beat him(now he was great too for a while), Calzaghe too(he's s got a claim to be at the very top too)

[mikeeod]

This is a toughie when you really think about the very best fighters you "lived live" absent replays and vids etc. I came in at the tail end of the Duran Hearns Leonard Hagler era. Leonard and Duran just fought for a third time and it was remarkably forgettable. Hearns and Ray fought to a hot draw. And Hagler was all done and rediscovered thanks to the Superbout series on ESPN. But so many variables as far as best of the best so fan or not a fan I'll keep it random with best at imo. Roy Jones Jr in full hindsight feels like he was ahead of his time. The multi-sport stuff, various fighters under his wing who would share promotion and cards, the celebrity branching out thing to other medias, music. Jones Jr in the Twatter fan obsessed 24/7 cycle of today would have been absolutely insane. But he was one of the most unique and dominating fighters at the time.

Julio C Chavez...one of the most complete packages late 80's and early 90's and one of the first to 'cross over' while really not speaking a word of English but seemed like many households got to know the name.

Pernell Whitaker and Evander Holyfield. Right out of the Olympics and smacked directly onto our tv screens. Couldn't be more different in ring styles and I watched one in the hope he lost and Holyfield because he was just a badass of the best sort. Silent, humble but an unrelenting all out force. Two of the best I lived live.

Hopkins! The man literally evolved from two eras and reinvented himself completely. Early on with the independent swagger, the sneer and I did it my way. The man rebuffing and calling out an entire system he worked within and fighting like those opponents had insulted his mother. He just wanted to beat you up, and he enjoyed it. And somewhere along the line he became this overly sly and cunning sniper type. Full of guile, confidence and sure sometimes shit but he took being the outsider and mostly anti company man and cemented a hall of fame career. Now however he's an Oscar & company lacky so I don't like him as much. I kid I kid

Finito Lopez...simply a hidden gem for majority of his career and an absolute boxer-puncher phenom. One of the first fighters I learned to watch strictly from the waist down. A friend mentioned how valuable and telling a fighter's feet and movement made everything. So I'd watch his lower half only. The man was like a fire walking trapeze artist in there. Again, many variables but a real total package and pleasure to watch.

Barrera and Marquez no doubt. Two that really define what it was to "build" up a fighter across promotions and platforms into all time top stars. Felix Trinidad too. You rarely if ever see so much charisma and smiling ear to ear from a guy that was such a destructive force.

My list would be almost identical. Great post.

[Master]

1. Roy Jones Jnr was unbeatable and the best boxer I have seen pound for pound. He was a joy to watch and had it all when he cleaned up the titles as he went up the weight beating great fighters like James Toney and B Hop.

2. Pernell Whitaker was literally untouchable, and opponents could not hit the slick southpaw clean. He would be ranked as an ATG at lightweight and dominated welterweight when it was not his best weight. The only reason he lost in his prime was robbery and was cheated out of big wins. He was genuinely too good for his own good.

3. Ricardo Lopez was flawless had the ideal balance and power. The only reason he was not well known was his weight and lack of big opposition but the perfect boxer.

4. Julio Ceaser Chavez was an artist in beating, battering and systematically breaking down his opponents. He seemed to enjoy torturing his opponents with his body shots and hooks to the head. Smart skills to not take clean punches to get inside the opponent where he would pulverise the poor opponent who tried to challenge him.

5. Mike Tyson destroyed all that came in his path in 1986 and anyone that did go the distance was left battered and bruised. He started losing his discipline and bad private life ruined his career.

6. Evander Holyfield at cruiserweight was like a machine who did not tire and punch perfect. He had stamina, chin and desire to beat anyone in his path.

7. Gennadiy Golovkin was very heavy handed and smashed down all his opponents at middleweight.
Honourable mentions who were just before my time would be Donald Curry the most efficient boxing style I have ever seen, Thomas Hearns power and excitement but I missed his peak,

Nearly on my list would be Terry Norris sublime footwork and hand speed with power, Joe Calzaghe stamina and boxing skills were brilliant but had a lot of inactivity. James Toney innate boxing skills that defy logic.

Pound for pound fighters like Manny Pac and Oscar De La Hoya were “unbeatable” going through the weights and had the courage to continue until they lost not always by a better opponent just bigger.

[TIC]

ivan was one of the best pure boxers i've seen, congratulations on him making the hall of fame

[Primo Carnera]

One thing that I think more and more about is that if 2 things had a slightly different ending, we would have a hands down undisputed GOAT.
1. He is beating SRL on all the scorecards going into the 14th round. If he could’ve just held on. In the rematch he draws.
2. Against Hagler, At the last minute, because he got pissed off, he completely throws his gameplan out of the window.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you THOMAS “THE HIT MAN” HEARNS !