Billy Conn's rank at middleweight

[Willie Pep 229]

I'm not saying it isn't relevant nor a good list. I'm asking for opinions based on Conn's own middleweight resume. As I've pointed out, his resume is certainly better than some others who have made the top 20. But resume isn't the end of of all time great, just a major component. Maybe some of his wins were past their best. Maybe it hurts his standing he never won a championship at that weight. I don't know. But it seems to me his middleweight wins are very much forgotten which surely is a reason for not being ranked.

You're absolutely right. When evaluating these guys we have to be careful we don't put too much weight on whether a guy was champion or not.

Note how you wrote "he never won a championship" -- a little subconscious bias snuck into your post -- you should have said he never won the championship.

It's sad that these old time fighters such as Conn don't get their due because they didn't win multiple belts. Good chance Conn never even got close to getting a shot at the MW title, especially when you look at the list of great fighters waiting in line at MW.

It kind of makes me laugh when I read how a poster today declares these current fighters are great because they won multiple belts. It is not unrealistic to conclude that some of these multi belt holders today would never have made it above contender back then.