Who in your opinion is the best....

[The_Demon]

Featherweight ever and why?

[JAB5239]

Featherweight ever and why?

Willie Pep. Incredible longevity and resume and an amazing fighter defensively as well as offensively.

[mickey malone]

Willie Pep. Incredible longevity and resume and an amazing fighter defensively as well as offensively.

It's a 2 horse race in my opinion, between Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler.. Those that argue for Saddler will say that he beat Pep in 3 out of 4 meetings, and those who argue for Pep will put forward a list of common opponents who Pep beat but Saddler lost to..

My personal choice would be Pep, because he out-gunned Saddler in terms of longevity and resume.. He emulated Saddler's accomplishments by what would be classed as a very hard career these days, ie - 6 prime years and 80 fights..
As a coincidence of fate, they were both seriously injured in travelling accidents, Pep in a plane, and Saddler in a car.. Sandy suffered eye damage and had to cut his career short at 30, where as Pep came back to be not as good as he was, but still good enough to win 9 of his last 10 fights and retire at 43 years of age.. Had Saddler been able to come back, who knows?, but he'd moved up to super-featherweight by then, and was generally considered, done at 126..

One other thing that did set them apart was style.. Pep was a pure boxer with every polished skill in the book, where as Saddler was a typical miller, & had an ugly brawling style with the reputation of being a dirty fighter.. It could also be argued that he cheated in at least one of his fights with Pep, no3 in particular, where Pep got clocked with the head and elbows in nearly every round.. These days he'd have probably been DQ'd..
All in all though, Willie Pep accomplished a lot more at the weight than Sandy Saddler or any other fighter - 11 defeats in 232 fights overshaddows 16 in 162, which is a feat on it's own and without doubt, the two best resumes in featherweight boxing..

1. Pep
2. Saddler
3. Armstrong
4. Sanchez
5. Gomez

[JAB5239]

It's a 2 horse race in my opinion, between Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler.. Those that argue for Saddler will say that he beat Pep in 3 out of 4 meetings, and those who argue for Pep will put forward a list of common opponents who Pep beat but Saddler lost to..

My personal choice would be Pep, because he out-gunned Saddler in terms of longevity and resume.. He emulated Saddler's accomplishments by what would be classed as a very hard career these days, ie - 6 prime years and 80 fights..
As a coincidence of fate, they were both seriously injured in travelling accidents, Pep in a plane, and Saddler in a car.. Sandy suffered eye damage and had to cut his career short at 30, where as Pep came back to be not as good as he was, but still good enough to win 9 of his last 10 fights and retire at 43 years of age.. Had Saddler been able to come back, who knows?, but he'd moved up to super-featherweight by then, and was generally considered, done at 126..

One other thing that did set them apart was style.. Pep was a pure boxer with every polished skill in the book, where as Saddler was a typical miller, & had an ugly brawling style with the reputation of being a dirty fighter.. It could also be argued that he cheated in at least one of his fights with Pep, no3 in particular, where Pep got clocked with the head and elbows in nearly every round.. These days he'd have probably been DQ'd..
All in all though, Willie Pep accomplished a lot more at the weight than Sandy Saddler or any other fighter - 11 defeats in 232 fights overshaddows 16 in 162, which is a feat on it's own and without doubt, the two best resumes in featherweight boxing..

1. Pep
2. Saddler
3. Armstrong
4. Sanchez
5. Gomez

Good post as usual Mic. But I do believe I'd have Abe Attell in the top 3, and a strong argument could be made for Kid Chocolate in the top 5.

[mickey malone]

Good post as usual Mic. But I do believe I'd have Abe Attell in the top 3, and a strong argument could be made for Kid Chocolate in the top 5.

Hmmm, didn't do so well against the British lol.. I might have him there had he not been dominated by Jim Driscoll over 10.. It was one of the worst decisions of all time, a No Contest so that Attell could hold on to his title.. He managed to duck Driscoll for the rest of his career, and went on to hold the title for about 7 years i believe.. Not an honest resume, which i feel tarnishes his greatness somewhat..

Choclate often ventured out of the division, but still a great at 126, both he and Artell would be considered for my top 10 if i had one, and arguably Driscoll and a lot of others, so I may do some work on a FW list as it goes..

[I am tyler]

got to be will 'o the wisp

[Miburo]

Pep and Saddler pretty much have the top two spots on lockdown. After that you have Sanchez, etc.

[1SILVA]

It's a 2 horse race in my opinion, between Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler.. Those that argue for Saddler will say that he beat Pep in 3 out of 4 meetings, and those who argue for Pep will put forward a list of common opponents who Pep beat but Saddler lost to..

My personal choice would be Pep, because he out-gunned Saddler in terms of longevity and resume.. He emulated Saddler's accomplishments by what would be classed as a very hard career these days, ie - 6 prime years and 80 fights..
As a coincidence of fate, they were both seriously injured in travelling accidents, Pep in a plane, and Saddler in a car.. Sandy suffered eye damage and had to cut his career short at 30, where as Pep came back to be not as good as he was, but still good enough to win 9 of his last 10 fights and retire at 43 years of age.. Had Saddler been able to come back, who knows?, but he'd moved up to super-featherweight by then, and was generally considered, done at 126..

One other thing that did set them apart was style.. Pep was a pure boxer with every polished skill in the book, where as Saddler was a typical miller, & had an ugly brawling style with the reputation of being a dirty fighter.. It could also be argued that he cheated in at least one of his fights with Pep, no3 in particular, where Pep got clocked with the head and elbows in nearly every round.. These days he'd have probably been DQ'd..
All in all though, Willie Pep accomplished a lot more at the weight than Sandy Saddler or any other fighter - 11 defeats in 232 fights overshaddows 16 in 162, which is a feat on it's own and without doubt, the two best resumes in featherweight boxing..

1. Pep
2. Saddler
3. Armstrong
4. Sanchez
5. Gomez

Love your top 4, and Gomez at 5 is a possibility but his two biggest fights at 126 he was completely dominated by Sanchez and Nelson. I would argue that Pedroza was a better 126 pound champion than Gomez. Chocolate as well.

[Southpaw Great]

Terry McGovern, Abe Attell, and George Dixon should be mentioned

[mickey malone]

Love your top 4, and Gomez at 5 is a possibility but his two biggest fights at 126 he was completely dominated by Sanchez and Nelson. I would argue that Pedroza was a better 126 pound champion than Gomez. Chocolate as well.

Agreed.. Bit of a mistake there, he should be ranked at super-bantam really.. 5th spot's a tough one.. Think i'd go for McGovern or Chocolate..

Johnny Dundee deserves an honourable mention here also..