All-Time Greatest Boxers (Agree or Disagree):
1.Muhammad Ali 56W-5L-0D
2.Sugar Ray Leonard 36W-3L-1D
3.Floyd “Money” Mayweather 49W-0L-0D
4.Joe Louis 66W-3L-0D
5.Roy Jones Jr 62W-8L-0D
Why they are on my list:
•Muhammad Ali fight with Foreman when everyone else was running scared and the battles with Frazier garnish him the #1 spot. Youngest Heavy Champion ever at-the-time and rebounded to win the title after his suspension. Ali defeated 4x Hall-of-Fame boxers.
•Sugar Ray Leonard suffered only 1x loss during the prime of his carrier and defeated 3x Hall of Famers. Sugar never failed to show up and deliver in his biggest fights (Hearns, Hagler, Duran). The only negative on Sugar is the medical and retirement gaps during the 1980s.
•Floyd Mayweather defeated 6x Hall-of-Famers and defeated 3x other boxers that were undefeated at the time.
•Joe Louis suffered only 1x defeat in his prime and avenged that loss with a 1st round knockout. Louis dominated the Heavy-weight division from 1936-1950 before suffering his 2nd loss (which only came after a 2-year retirement)
•Roy Jones Jr: Ignoring the old Roy Jones Jr of today (that needs to retire); Roy Jones Jr from 1992-2004 Won Titles from Middle Weight thru Heavy Weight (only skipping the Cruiser Weight Division) and was spectacular in the process. He defeated 2 Hall-of-Famers and 9x fighters that were undefeated at the time they fought. Roy had a 10-year span where he never lost a scored round.
Fighters that didn’t make my list:
•Sugar Ray Robinson would probably be #6 on my list. His 19-Losses forced me to knock him down several slots
•Julio Cesar Chavez: Too many of his fights were against weak opposition to pad his record
•Mike Tyson: I loved Mike Tyson and all of his Knockouts but he only defeated 1x Hall-of-Famer. He also lost to some “No-Name” fighters; I know it was late in his career but you can’t lose to people named Kevin McBride and Danny Williams
•Oscar Dela Hoya was in some of the greatest and biggest fights to be made but only won two of them (old Chavez and Gatti). He lost to Hopkins, Mayweather, Trinidad, and Mosley twice (he should have lost to Pernell Whitaker).
I really can't argue with the Top 3 (although my list is different); But your #4 and #5 are questionable. Armstrong lost 3 of his first 4 fights and at least 10 during his prime. He had a nice run from 1936-1940 but I have a hard time considering him an ATG.
I have to admit, I had to do some research on Benny Leonard. First thought was too many Leonard of his fights were unsanctioned or prize fights. The next thing problem I have with his resume is the fact that he fought many of the same opponents 3-6 times which create familiarity and tendencies. His resume is impressive but I can't rate him Top 5.
Do you mean you can't have Armstrong as top 5 ATG or an ATG overall?
With regards to Leonard, sadly he did fight in an era of rampant no contests, newspapers decisions and so on. For part of his career, boxing didn't even have round limits but he was lw champ for the better part of a decade, he would never lose as champ, apart from when moving up to fight for the welterweight title.
this doens't even begin to mention his immense level of skill and resilience, there is very rare footage of Leonard fighting back then, a lot of it is from his come back but when you do manage to find earlier footage, Leonard looks magnificent in full flight. BUt largely the ranking is due to reputation, achievements and what was written about him at the time.
Like I said, I can see SRL or Duran or Charles etc being ranked above him but I can't see too many more. He is most definitely a top 10 ATG, it just depends on where he falls within that top 10.
I've been in the process of changing my top 50 ATGs list overt he last 2 years or so but my top 5 has almost always been consistent:
1. "Sugar" Ray Robinson
Just can't argue with how great SRR really was, welterweight champion, multiple time mw champion and almost the lhw champion of the world. Between 1940 and 1950, Ray had everything a fighter needs, immense power, exceptional speed, quick feet and cat like reflexes. he was a league above almost everyone he faced and in that decade, he faced just about everyone who mattered. The fact that he beat top ranked contenders and HOF champions post-prime just goes to show you how good he really was.
2. Muhammad "The Louisville Lip" Ali
The only fighter who comes close to SRR in terms of all round skill, at his best, from 1964-67 Ali was as unbeatable as any fighter has ever been. The heavyweight homage to Robinson Ali had it all, a great jab, a terrific right hand, reflexes never before seen in a heavyweight and instinctive, perfectly tuned footwork. Ali of the 70s was not quite as good but he added toughness, grit and a never say die attitude to his work, along with the scalps of Foreman, Frazier, Norton, Shavers and co, the greatest resume in the division's history.
3. Willie "Will O' the Wisp" Pep
The single greatest defensive wizard in the sport, he'd make the likes of Whitaker and Mayweather look ordinary. Fleet footed and always exceptionally well conditioned, he danced rings around the featherweight division better than anyone else before or since. After his plane crash, he wasn't quite the same fighter, he was a tad slower, a little less of a dancer but just like Ali, he had to learn to go to war and he did, many, many times.
4. Henry "Homicide Hank" Armstrong
Armstrong was whirring machine of destruction, a man who never seemed to stop punching, no matter if he was fighting featherweights or middleweights. He had a great engine, exceptional power and the ability to adjust to his opponents. At his very best he almost held half the world titles on offer in the sport, a feat that would now seem impossible. He may not have been defensively savvy as Pep or as pretty to watch as Ali but he was equally as effective.
5. Benny Leonard "Ghetto Wizard" Leonard
The greatest lightweight ever? Probably. In his prime...which seemed to go on forever, Leonard seemed to be unbeatable, he has it all, sped of foot and hand as well as the ability to fight off the front and back foot. He retired as an undefeated champion but sadly, like most fighters, he couldn't stay away and returned. If you catch footage of that version of Benny, it's a sad sight, not in the same supreme condition and never again as quick as he had been in his best years. One of the top 5 best fighters ever.
Now, I can easily see Ray Leonard, Charles, Moore or Duran being in people's top 5, so I won't argue with that. But no one post the Fab Four can really be a legitimate argument for top 5 ATG.
I really can't argue with the Top 3 (although my list is different); But your #4 and #5 are questionable. Armstrong lost 3 of his first 4 fights and at least 10 during his prime. He had a nice run from 1936-1940 but I have a hard time considering him an ATG.
I have to admit, I had to do some research on Benny Leonard. First thought was too many Leonard of his fights were unsanctioned or prize fights. The next thing problem I have with his resume is the fact that he fought many of the same opponents 3-6 times which create familiarity and tendencies. His resume is impressive but I can't rate him Top 5.
I've been in the process of changing my top 50 ATGs list overt he last 2 years or so but my top 5 has almost always been consistent:
1. "Sugar" Ray Robinson
Just can't argue with how great SRR really was, welterweight champion, multiple time mw champion and almost the lhw champion of the world. Between 1940 and 1950, Ray had everything a fighter needs, immense power, exceptional speed, quick feet and cat like reflexes. he was a league above almost everyone he faced and in that decade, he faced just about everyone who mattered. The fact that he beat top ranked contenders and HOF champions post-prime just goes to show you how good he really was.
2. Muhammad "The Louisville Lip" Ali
The only fighter who comes close to SRR in terms of all round skill, at his best, from 1964-67 Ali was as unbeatable as any fighter has ever been. The heavyweight homage to Robinson Ali had it all, a great jab, a terrific right hand, reflexes never before seen in a heavyweight and instinctive, perfectly tuned footwork. Ali of the 70s was not quite as good but he added toughness, grit and a never say die attitude to his work, along with the scalps of Foreman, Frazier, Norton, Shavers and co, the greatest resume in the division's history.
3. Willie "Will O' the Wisp" Pep
The single greatest defensive wizard in the sport, he'd make the likes of Whitaker and Mayweather look ordinary. Fleet footed and always exceptionally well conditioned, he danced rings around the featherweight division better than anyone else before or since. After his plane crash, he wasn't quite the same fighter, he was a tad slower, a little less of a dancer but just like Ali, he had to learn to go to war and he did, many, many times.
4. Henry "Homicide Hank" Armstrong
Armstrong was whirring machine of destruction, a man who never seemed to stop punching, no matter if he was fighting featherweights or middleweights. He had a great engine, exceptional power and the ability to adjust to his opponents. At his very best he almost held half the world titles on offer in the sport, a feat that would now seem impossible. He may not have been defensively savvy as Pep or as pretty to watch as Ali but he was equally as effective.
5. Benny Leonard "Ghetto Wizard" Leonard
The greatest lightweight ever? Probably. In his prime...which seemed to go on forever, Leonard seemed to be unbeatable, he has it all, sped of foot and hand as well as the ability to fight off the front and back foot. He retired as an undefeated champion but sadly, like most fighters, he couldn't stay away and returned. If you catch footage of that version of Benny, it's a sad sight, not in the same supreme condition and never again as quick as he had been in his best years. One of the top 5 best fighters ever.
Now, I can easily see Ray Leonard, Charles, Moore or Duran being in people's top 5, so I won't argue with that. But no one post the Fab Four can really be a legitimate argument for top 5 ATG.
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Willie Pep
4. Henry Armstrong
5. Joe Louis
6. Sugar Ray Leonard
7. Archie Moore
8. Roberto Duran
9. Harry Greb
10. Sam Lanford
11. Benny Leonard
12. Jimmy Wilde
13. Joe Gans
14. Carlos Monzon
15. Ezzard Charles
16. Manny Pacquiao
17. Roy Jones
18. Julio Ceasar Chavez SENIOR
19. Floyd Mayweather JUNIOR
20. Pernell Whitaker
21. Bernard Hopkins
22. Gene Tunney
23. Tommy Loughran
24. Carmen Basilio
25. Tony Canzoneri
26. George Foreman
27. Marvelous Marvin Hagler
28. Jack Dempsey
29. Salvador Sanchez
30. Kid Gavilan
These lists are subjective, obviously, but I'm not following the reasoning on RJJ vs SRR. Are we just going to slide RJJ's losses under the rug, but not SRR's? SRR retired in 1952 at 131-3-2. Everything after that is well past prime and him collecting paychecks. He lost to Jake Lamotta, which he avenged 5 times over. Lost to Turpin, which he avenged, and lost to Maxim for the LHW title, a fight he was winning, but had to retire due to heat exhaustion. Which btw was the only time he was stopped in his 200 fight career.
Love me some Roy. Think he is the most talented fighter I have ever personally layed eyes on, but prime vs. prime, he can't hold SRR's resume jockstrap.
Pretty much this. When he came back post retirement he was still fighting great fighters and getting great wins (Bobo Olssen, Gene Fullmer (the best KO i have ever seen), Basilio to name a few). Obviously he picked up more than a few losses from 1955-1965 too but the main body of his work was already done. This second run was the icing on the cake.
I indicated that Robinson would have been 6th on my list (I originally had him 3rd). When I started comparing him to some of the others.....the 16 Losses forced me to knock him down. Roy Jones Jumped in (10-years without LOSING a "SCORED ROUND"....Middle Weight to Heavy Weight Champion)
These lists are subjective, obviously, but I'm not following the reasoning on RJJ vs SRR. Are we just going to slide RJJ's losses under the rug, but not SRR's? SRR retired in 1952 at 131-3-2. Everything after that is well past prime and him collecting paychecks. He lost to Jake Lamotta, which he avenged 5 times over. Lost to Turpin, which he avenged, and lost to Maxim for the LHW title, a fight he was winning, but had to retire due to heat exhaustion. Which btw was the only time he was stopped in his 200 fight career.
Love me some Roy. Think he is the most talented fighter I have ever personally layed eyes on, but prime vs. prime, he can't hold SRR's resume jockstrap.
I indicated that Robinson would have been 6th on my list (I originally had him 3rd). When I started comparing him to some of the others.....the 16 Losses forced me to knock him down. Roy Jones Jumped in (10-years without LOSING a "SCORED ROUND"....Middle Weight to Heavy Weight Champion)
Seriously?
He fought professionally FOR 25 YEARS (technically 22, he retired for about 3 years) starting back in 1940 until 1965.
He had 200 Fights (173 wins - 19 losses). He had his 1st loss at 40-1, and second loss at 128-2.
He defeated the lightweight belt holder Sammy Angott (in a non-title bout) at Lightweight
He won the welterweight and middleweight belts
He almost won the light heavyweight belt and had a lead on all three scorecards, until to succumb to fatigue/the 103 degree F temperature
If you're really going to look at the number of losses a fighter has, then how about I say SRR had a win rate of 86.5% compared to RJJ 88.6% despite the fact that SRR almost had 3x the number of professional fights.
I know lists like this are subjective, but a top 5 list without SRR automatically loses credibility for me.
I indicated that Robinson would have been 6th on my list (I originally had him 3rd). When I started comparing him to some of the others.....the 16 Losses forced me to knock him down. Roy Jones Jumped in (10-years without LOSING a "SCORED ROUND"....Middle Weight to Heavy Weight Champion)
All-Time Greatest Boxers (Agree or Disagree):
1.Muhammad Ali 56W-5L-0D
2.Sugar Ray Leonard 36W-3L-1D
3.Floyd “Money” Mayweather 49W-0L-0D
4.Joe Louis 66W-3L-0D
5.Roy Jones Jr 62W-8L-0D
Why they are on my list:
•Muhammad Ali fight with Foreman when everyone else was running scared and the battles with Frazier garnish him the #1 spot. Youngest Heavy Champion ever at-the-time and rebounded to win the title after his suspension. Ali defeated 4x Hall-of-Fame boxers.
•Sugar Ray Leonard suffered only 1x loss during the prime of his carrier and defeated 3x Hall of Famers. Sugar never failed to show up and deliver in his biggest fights (Hearns, Hagler, Duran). The only negative on Sugar is the medical and retirement gaps during the 1980s.
•Floyd Mayweather defeated 6x Hall-of-Famers and defeated 3x other boxers that were undefeated at the time.
•Joe Louis suffered only 1x defeat in his prime and avenged that loss with a 1st round knockout. Louis dominated the Heavy-weight division from 1936-1950 before suffering his 2nd loss (which only came after a 2-year retirement)
•Roy Jones Jr: Ignoring the old Roy Jones Jr of today (that needs to retire); Roy Jones Jr from 1992-2004 Won Titles from Middle Weight thru Heavy Weight (only skipping the Cruiser Weight Division) and was spectacular in the process. He defeated 2 Hall-of-Famers and 9x fighters that were undefeated at the time they fought. Roy had a 10-year span where he never lost a scored round.
Fighters that didn’t make my list:
•Sugar Ray Robinson would probably be #6 on my list. His 19-Losses forced me to knock him down several slots
•Julio Cesar Chavez: Too many of his fights were against weak opposition to pad his record
•Mike Tyson: I loved Mike Tyson and all of his Knockouts but he only defeated 1x Hall-of-Famer. He also lost to some “No-Name” fighters; I know it was late in his career but you can’t lose to people named Kevin McBride and Danny Williams
•Oscar Dela Hoya was in some of the greatest and biggest fights to be made but only won two of them (old Chavez and Gatti). He lost to Hopkins, Mayweather, Trinidad, and Mosley twice (he should have lost to Pernell Whitaker).
Flyod shuld bee #1. Study yo boxing better.
I take into consideration when they were in their primes.The number of losses when fighting way past their primes because they needed the money is irrelevant.And losing to guys who couldn't carry your jockstrap just shows you were past it.
Sugar Ray Robinson,Muhammed Ali,Jack Johnson,Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Couldn't find room for Mayweather because he fought sporadically and had phony retirements to avoid fighting guys in their primes.I'd put him anywhere between 11 and 20.Leonard,Hearns,Pryor and Duran woulda beat him straight up.
This is just people's personal opinion and nobody ever changes their mind and they call others stupid who don't agree with them. It really goes nowhere. How many here really know all of history's great fighters well?