Ten extraordinary boxing accomplishments

[marbleheadmaui]

Joe Louis 25 title defences.I know all his opponents were not exactly world class but it is still an amazing achevement.

That's a GREAT one! And almost all of Louis' defenses were against ranked guys. He may not have had the competition Ali did, but Louis fought everyone there was to fight.

[porkypara]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

[marbleheadmaui]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

[generalbulldog]

Jack Johnson, 1st black HW champ. Never been repeated again.

Floyd Patterson, youngest HW champ. Record hasn't been broken yet in this day and age.

[marbleheadmaui]

Jack Johnson, 1st black HW champ. Never been repeated again.

Floyd Patterson, youngest HW champ. Record hasn't been broken yet in this day and age.

Thank GOD there are people who understand Tyson wasn't champ until he beat Spinks!

As for Jack Johnson he's one of those guys the more you read and watch the more impressive he becomes. My gripe with those who want him pardoned for his crimes is he did nothing which should require a pardon. Don't honor the charges that way. See them as the injustice they were.

[generalbulldog]

Jack Johnson, 1st black HW champ. Never been repeated again.

Floyd Patterson, youngest HW champ. Record hasn't been broken yet in this day and age.

Thank GOD there are people who understand Tyson wasn't champ until he beat Spinks!

As for Jack Johnson he's one of those guys the more you read and watch the more impressive he becomes. My gripe with those who want him pardoned for his crimes is he did nothing which should require a pardon. Don't honor the charges that way. See them as the injustice they were.

I feel ya. Patterson when he fought Moore for the title abdicated by Marciano due to retirement, was considered to be the real legit and new lineal champ.

Lineal Title>ABC alphabet soup title.

[ross]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

Marciano only fought 5 opponents as a champ I think?

Of modern heavies Tyson beating 3 seperate champs to unify and defend the unified championship 7 times is an acheivment.

Chris Eubanks fight schedule between the Benn rematch and the first Collins fight. 6 fights as defending champ in 94. All 12 rounders around the world.

[marbleheadmaui]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

Marciano only fought 5 opponents as a champ I think?

Of modern heavies Tyson beating 3 seperate champs to unify and defend the unified championship 7 times is an acheivment.

Chris Eubanks fight schedule between the Benn rematch and the first Collins fight. 6 fights as defending champ in 94. All 12 rounders around the world.

The bold is just wrong. Tyson wasn't a champ until he beat Mike Spinks. He was just another strapholder. Championships are won in the ring by taking the title from the man who beat the man who beat them man. They cannot be awarded by some corrupt abc group. Tyson had two defenses as champ.

Wasn't Eubank fun? The sports needs more whacky warriors like him. How about Ike Williams in 1948? he goes 10-0, defends the undisputed lightweight title three times, beats two HOFers and three other ranked contenders. Not too shabby either.

[Dark Lord Al]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

Marciano only fought 5 opponents as a champ I think?

Of modern heavies Tyson beating 3 seperate champs to unify and defend the unified championship 7 times is an acheivment.

Chris Eubanks fight schedule between the Benn rematch and the first Collins fight. 6 fights as defending champ in 94. All 12 rounders around the world.

To put Eubank's name in the top ten boxing accomplishments is an insult , firstly he was WBO champion which was the weakest at the time. He wasnt even close to being the best in his division, and his choice of oponants was questionable at best , lots were just club fighters , and he rarely looked good against any of them.

Personally i think PACMAN'S jump from FLY up to JMW and retaining his speed and power is one of the best accomplishments.

[generalbulldog]

Wilfredo Benitez beating Cervantes for the lineal 140 crown at 17! He was still a boy and not yet a developed man yet. The youngest in history to achieve this feat. In fact I can only name 2 other guys in boxing history that became lineal champs at their division in their teen years. One is Canzoneri and the other Pacquiao. I'm pretty sure there may be 1 or 2 more but I'm not sure.

[marbleheadmaui]

Wilfredo Benitez beating Cervantes for the lineal 140 crown at 17! He was still a boy and not yet a developed man yet. The youngest in history to achieve this feat. In fact I can only name 2 other guys in boxing history that became lineal champs at their division in their teen years. One is Canzoneri and the other Pacquiao. I'm pretty sure there may be 1 or 2 more but I'm not sure.

It's a pretty goddamned short list.
Benitez at 17
Pipino Cuevas at 18
Manny at 18
Tony Canzoneri at 19 (though he got a draw at 18 for the bantam crown IIRC)
Lionel Rose at 19
Ben Villaflor at 19

Those guys all won lineal/undisputed crowns

Hiroki Ioka at 18 won the first 105 title if you want to count him.

I think that's it. 135 years of boxing as we now know it and it's been done only 6-7 times.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

The way Tyson swept through the mid-late 80's was a miracle for heavyweight boxing and one of it's greatest spectacles ever. The mess that Larry Holmes/IBF had helped to create was finally swept up once Spinks was demolished.

A futile effort in the long run but all the more reason to merit it IMO.

[BIG H]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

Marciano only fought 5 opponents as a champ I think?

Of modern heavies Tyson beating 3 seperate champs to unify and defend the unified championship 7 times is an acheivment.

Chris Eubanks fight schedule between the Benn rematch and the first Collins fight. 6 fights as defending champ in 94. All 12 rounders around the world.

To put Eubank's name in the top ten boxing accomplishments is an insult , firstly he was WBO champion which was the weakest at the time. He wasnt even close to being the best in his division, and his choice of oponants was questionable at best , lots were just club fighters , and he rarely looked good against any of them.

Personally i think PACMAN'S jump from FLY up to JMW and retaining his speed and power is one of the best accomplishments.

Al, sometime it's hard to beleive you are British. Apart from VD you are the most critical person on the forum of British fighters. In this instance I agree with you

[porkypara]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

Marciano fought old men and fighters way past there best.Not his fault because thats all that was about at the time.

Calzaghe was involved in many fights where he was the underdog or 50/50 and he managed to avoid defeat.

Almost all great boxers lose at some point so the fact that Marciano and Calzaghe avoided defeat in almost 50 fights each is great IMO.

[Rantcatrat]

I know a lot of people will disagree but I think Calzaghe and Marciano's unbeaten record is also a great achevement.

To go your whole carrer and not slip up once when your fighting world class opponents is great IMO even if you dont think they were great fighters or not.

What's great about Marciano's is he wrecked the division. I don't know what to say abolut Calzaghe's. I mean when there is another unbeaten guy in your division and on your continent that you don't fight? How does one even know if Calzaghe was the best 168 within 300 miles?

Marciano fought old men and fighters way past there best.Not his fault because thats all that was about at the time.

Calzaghe was involved in many fights where he was the underdog or 50/50 and he managed to avoid defeat.

Almost all great boxers lose at some point so the fact that Marciano and Calzaghe avoided defeat in almost 50 fights each is great IMO.

I'm in the middle here. I believe both Calzaghe and Marciano accomplished great things. Actually, I believe their records are comparable in a way. As to Calzaghe, he is arguably the greatest super middleweight to have graced the ring. It doesn't bother me that he didn't fight Sven Ottke because I have no doubt in my mind that he would have taken Ottke to school with a beating worse than he put on Jeff Lacy. Although he did come over here five years too late, he beat the two fighters at or around his weight that people always questioned him about. I respect that because it's better late than never.