Who is the greatest ever Featherweight?

[Galaxy]

Yeah but Mick the title of the thread says greatest ever! Not who you seen! So for me its Pep!
Can I ask why you don't rate those others at this weight?

Def. Galaxy I read the title of the thread.
I can't and wont argue if people want to rate fighters like Pep, Saddler, Bassey, Miller etc. etc. Everyone has their own reasons and ways to compiling a list.
I don't rate them because how can I compare what I see on my screen (as far as names, wins and loses vs. someone whom my eyes have seen fight I see what they can do and what they can't do). I can only read how good these fighters were. As I've said before these articles/reports were written hundreds of years ago by not so acredited writers. I also remember reading a report on SRR fight by 2 different writers during his career in the 1940s and the 2 writers told almost 2 differend fights it was like they both had seen 2 different fights, now mind you this was the 1940 now imagine articles/reports from the 1800's & 1900's? These guys could exaggerate and write just about anything. I don't argue the fact that they werent great fighters like Greb, Loughran, McVea you name them but how do we REALLY know these writters didn't exaggerate?

Which is why I would just rather stick to fighters I've seen fights of and know about. It's just my opinion and how I rate fighters. I can't compare a fighter I've seen vs. A fighter I've read about that to me is impossible and I refuse to go by someone elses words. I'd rather let my own eyes and mind decide.

Armstrong started & fought at feather for 8 years! Most of his wins came at this weight. He was even named fighter of the year in '37 whilst still at feather. He beat guys like Sarron, Wright, Arizmendi. Armstrongs record at feather is just as good if not better than at welter!

I've just always been more impressed with Henrys work as a Welterweight I def. agree that his work at Feather is top caliber but I'm more pleasead with his work at the other weight and I've rated him as such.
Maybe it's time I give Henrys career at Feather a 2nd look.

Miller just look at his numbers & who he fought & beat at feather!

Chocolate was probably a better Jr Lightweight but he was an awesome feather too & at his best he would have hung with any featherweight in history!

Miller I've not seen enough of to have him listed...
I can def. see by his career he was def. a top fighter but numbers and names can only tell you so much...
Chocolate was def. a better Jr. Light his opposition there and record exceeds that of his Feather career.

I respect where your coming from Mick about seeing fighters fight 1st hand. But research can give you a lot of insight! Like I said in my original post Sanchez is the best feather I've seen. But for me it would be a discredit to those other fighters not to recognise their achievements just because I haven't seen them! Especially when considering the greatest ever!

[X]

The best ever that I have seen was Azumah Nelson (Barry McGuigan did the right thing to cross the road every time he saw him coming along). I thought he had everything - technique, speed, power, chin, guts and he was always fit and ready to fight. A real great great fighter. I would rank Eusebio Pedroza just behind him.

I know all about Pep and Armstrong and those guys, but I have stopped short of comparing them to Nelson as I have not seen enough footage of the right quality and length to have a proper opinion. Mind you, Armstrong would be in many people's top 5 fighters of all time, irrespective of weight I guess and Pep, Saddler and those would not be far off.

Some great great featherweights throughout history.

[rjj tszyu]

The best ever that I have seen was Azumah Nelson (Barry McGuigan did the right thing to cross the road every time he saw him coming along). I thought he had everything - technique, speed, power, chin, guts and he was always fit and ready to fight. A real great great fighter. I would rank Eusebio Pedroza just behind him.

I know all about Pep and Armstrong and those guys, but I have stopped short of comparing them to Nelson as I have not seen enough footage of the right quality and length to have a proper opinion. Mind you, Armstrong would be in many people's top 5 fighters of all time, irrespective of weight I guess and Pep, Saddler and those would not be far off.

Some great great featherweights throughout history.

Azumah was great I've got to agree! But better than Sanchez? I don't know!

Sanchez did beat him!

[X]

True ..... but only in something like Nelson's 15th fight (and I think he may have been a late substitute)?

[rjj tszyu]

True ..... but only in something like Nelson's 15th fight (and I think he may have been a late substitute)?

Oh I'm not sure have to check boxrec. I think it was Sanchez's last fight before his death!

[BIG H]

Some other names that spring to mind...

Tony Canzoneri
Chalky Wright
Vicente Saldivar
Wilfredo Gomez
Abe Attell

[rjj tszyu]

Just found this list which doesn't seem too bad to me except for some modern day fighters being left off the list such as JMM, Naz, Barrera and Morales.

Boxing's Best of the Century

[CutMeMick]

Some other names that spring to mind...

Tony Canzoneri
Chalky Wright
Vicente Saldivar
Wilfredo Gomez
Abe Attell

Really, Wilfredo as a Feather?
I think his best work came at Super Bantam.
His only win at Feather was vs. LaPorte...

[ICB]

True ..... but only in something like Nelson's 15th fight (and I think he may have been a late substitute)?

Yes he was your correct but as i have said time and time again, theres no way Azumah Nelson fought like a 15 pro fight novice. He was superb that night and was on par with Salvador Sanchez all the way.

Just like when Tim Witherspoon fought Larry Holmes, with little experience. He no way fought live a novice he looked like an experienced skilled fighter in there, as did Azumah Nelson and he was pretty even with Salvador Sanchez as i said.

Until Salvador Sanchez came out roaring stopping him in the last round, but i also don't feel we see the best of Salvador Sanchez either. So i don't think either man was in the absolute peak.

A rematch would of been special though as would Salvador Sanchez vs Wilfredo Gomez 2. But one of my favorite Azumah Nelson fights has to be his fight with Wilfredo Gomez, that truly was a special fight.

[WelshDevilRob]

Jim Driscoll

[THE THIRD MAN]

Salvador Sanchez is the standout for me, with wins over Azumah Nelson and Wilfredo Gomez. Who knows where he would have gone had he lived, he wouldn't have turned 30 until 1989 so Pernell Whitaker may not have been a Lightweight Champ?

Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler fill 2 and 3 positions on my list.