Ten best Middleweights of the past 50 Years 1972 – 2022 – Who've You got?

[The Old LefHook]

I am no Leonard fan, but I don't see GGG beating Leonard at all. He wouldn't know where Leonard was half the time. If the speed disparity between opponents is great enough, I have noticed the slow guy seldom wins. GGG would always find himself a step behind, unable to land much of anything, Leonard is one of the greatest ring generals. A great ring general knows at all times how much he has to do to win on the scorecards. GGG does not have that talent, as is apparent by close fights he did not even know were that close when the time came to step it up. I thought he won both fights with Canelo. But it is on GGG if he doesn't have instincts to know when has to do a little more. I see it as a one way punching bee.

[Willie Pep 229]

Antefuermo and Fullmer would have been quite a brawl between two maulers without a great punch.

With Hamsho taking on the winner.

[Willow The Wisp]

With Hamsho taking on the winner.

Would have snagged a world title if Marvelous Marvin had never been born. Tough fighter!

[Willie Pep 229]

Would have snagged a world title if Marvelous Marvin had never been born. Tough fighter!

AGREED! Sometime back in the early 90s one of the boxing wags for one of the boxing rags wrote an article "What if Hagler never existed?" - his conclusion was that Hamsho would probably have held the title for three or four years before being unseated.

I wish I could remember who else he thought would have risen to the top of the MWs. It was 30 years ago. Lol

That might be an interesting historical what if trivia game to play - What if Monzon never existed?

Who unseats Benvenuti first? (I think he was ready to go by 1971, although he gave Monzon a run for his money in fight one.) How would the 70s have looked?

Same with Joe Louis. His extraordinary long tenure likely squeezed out several possible champions.

[Willow The Wisp]

AGREED! Sometime back in the early 90s one of the boxing wags for one of the boxing rags wrote an article "What if Hagler never existed?" - his conclusion was that Hamsho would probably have held the title for three or four years before being unseated.

I wish I could remember who else he thought would have risen to the top of the MWs. It was 30 years ago. Lol

That might be an interesting historical what if trivia game to play - What if Monzon never existed?

Who unseats Benvenuti first? (I think he was ready to go by 1971, although he gave Monzon a run for his money in fight one.) How would the 70s have looked?

Same with Joe Louis. His extraordinary long tenure likely squeezed out several possible champions.

I see three good new threads right there. The start of the "What if they were never Born" series. I'm only asking for 20% of the profit.

[dreamroom]

Hagler
Monzon
Hopkins
Golovkin
Hearns
Leonard
Alverez
Toney
Taylor
McCallum

Taylor could've made my list as well.

[The Old LefHook]

My quick picks:

1. Carlos Monzon
2. Marvelous Marvin Hagler
3. Bernard Hopkins
4. Gennadiy Golovkin
5. Sergio Martinez
6. Rodrigo Valdez
7. Saul Canelo Alvarez
8. Thomas Hearns*
9. Sugar Ray Leonard*
10. Roy Jones Jr.*

Honorable Mention selections:




Bad Bennie Briscoe

James Toney*

Mike McCallum*

Chris Eubank*

Gerald McClellan

Steve Collins

Michael Nunn

Kelly Pavlik

Julian Jackson*

Hugo Corro

Arthur Abraham

Vito Antuofermo

Roberto Duran*

Iran Barkley*

Jermain Taylor

Ronald Winky Wright*

Herol Graham

Jean Claude Bouttier

Alan Minter

Mustafa Hamsho

Bobby Boogaloo Watts

John Mugabi

Nigel Benn*

Sumbu Kalambay

Billy Joe Saunders

Jermall Charlo

Kell Brook

Gratien Tonna

Daniel Geale

Felix Sturm

Miguel Cotto*

Felix Trinidad*

Juan Domingo Roldan

Michael Watson

William Joppy

Dwight Davison

Reggie Johnson

Demetrius Andrade

Frank Fletcher

Keith Holmes

Ronnie Harris

Tony Mundine

Tom Bogs

Thomas Tate*

Jaime Munguia

Kevin Finnegan

Emile Griffith

Daniel Jacobs*

Tony Sibson

Sam Soliman

Willie The Worm Monroe

Marco Antonio Rubio

Sugar Ray Seales

Bobby Czyz*

Paul Williams*

David Lemieux

Tony Licata

Eugene Cyclone Hart

Fulgencio Obelmejias

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Howard Eastman

Nessim Max Cohen

• * = Much of their career work done outside of the Middleweight division.

That is quite a list. You only left out the milkman.

[mrbig1]

Monzon Hagler Hopkins would be my top 3.

[DeeMoney]

I'm all for projecting, I really am, but I would say there has to be some sort of minimum amount of sample size to be out there actually at middleweight for someone to be considered. Otherwise, why not argue that Mayweather should be on the list? He never actually fought at middleweight, but he probably would be really good at it.

Canelo, and SRL both only have two wins at MW- against some big names for sure, but not really prime. Coincidentally, thats two more than other names I've read mentioned.

[Ivich]

Leonard
Hearns
Hagler
Monson
Golovkin
Toney
Hopkins
Alvarez
Norris
Pryor

Leonard hasnt the resume at 160 to put him in any top 10 imo.
Norris had one fight there .Pryor none.