Opinions On This Historians?

[Southpaw Great]

This list was done by Ring Magazine in 2002.
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Th..._Last_80_Years

It was the 80 greatest fighters of the last 80 YEARS. Thus why Langford, Johnson, Wilde etc aint there.

But I just wanted your thougths on Ike Williams being placed #23.

Was this to high or to low? Williams was incredible fighter but was inconsistent........His final record was 126 wins and 24 losses with 5 draws.

In these ratings he was rated above Micky Walker, Gene Tunney, Tony Canzoneri, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, and Michael Spinks.

I find him being rated mainly above Gene Tunney and Mickey Walker quite shocking to be honest.

Thoughts on this?

[Jim Jeffries]

Don't know much about him TBH, but that does seem high.

The more I think about it, I think Tyson is too low. Part of greatness is impact on the sport, something that people like Dempsey and Tyson had in droves. I can't count the number of people I know that were introduced to the sport of boxing because of Tyson. That and his diminutive size, the sheer domination of most of his wins, should have him cracking top 50 of the last 80 years, at least.

[GJC]

I'd certainly put a few above him.
Williams record is a bit lop sided because as you said he was a bit inconsistant.
He also lost a lot of fights at the tail end of his career and was I believe managed by the mob so how on the level all of those losses were you can only speculate.
Looking at that list they have 6 fighters who fought at LW above him and on a prime v prime evaluation that is probably about right.
He was a fantastic fighter but is maybe a bit high on that list

[Southpaw Great]

I'd certainly put a few above him.
Williams record is a bit lop sided because as you said he was a bit inconsistant.
He also lost a lot of fights at the tail end of his career and was I believe managed by the mob so how on the level all of those losses were you can only speculate.
Looking at that list they have 6 fighters who fought at LW above him and on a prime v prime evaluation that is probably about right.
He was a fantastic fighter but is maybe a bit high on that list

Nice post.........

[Southpaw Great]

I hope to get opinions off most of the history section on this one.

[louis54]

higher. but lists are just lists. period. ike willams was a top ten lightweight ever- probably the toughest division in history. fan here no historian for sure

[Southpaw Great]

Bump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mickey malone]

Red = Too high... Blue = Too low

Sugar Ray Robinson
Henry Armstrong
Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Roberto Duran
Willie Pep
Harry Greb
Benny Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Pernell Whitaker
Carlos Monzon
Rocky Marciano
Ezzard Charles
Archie Moore
Sandy Saddler
Jack Dempsey
Marvin Hagler
Julio Cesar Chavez
Eder Jofre
Alexis Arguello
Barney Ross
Evander Holyfield
Ike Williams
Salvador Sanchez
George Foreman
Kid Gavilan
Larry Holmes
Mickey Walker
Ruben Olivares
Gene Tunney
**** Tiger
Fighting Harada
Emile Griffith
Tony Canzoneri
Aaron Pryor
Pascual Perez
Miguel Canto
Manuel Ortiz
Charley Burley
Carmen Basilio
Michael Spinks
Joe Frazier
Khaosai Galaxy
Roy Jones Jr.
Tiger Flowers
Panama Al Brown
Kid Chocolate
Joe Brown
Tommy Loughran
Bernard Hopkins
Felix Trinidad
Jake LaMotta
Lennox Lewis
Wilfredo Gomez
Bob Foster
Jose Napoles
Billy Conn
Jimmy McLarnin
Pancho Villa
Carlos Ortiz
Bob Montgomery
Freddie Miller
Benny Lynch
Beau Jack
Azumah Nelson
Eusebio Pedroza
Thomas Hearns
Wilfred Benitez
Antonio Cervantes
Ricardo Lopez
Sonny Liston
Mike Tyson
Vicente Saldivar
Gene Fullmer
Oscar De La Hoya
Carlos Zarate
Marcel Cerdan
Flash Elorde
Mike McCallum
Harold Johnson

Tbh, I need more time to take all the names on board.. Knowing the Ring Mag, there's probably a quite a few who arn't on there who i think should be and visa-versa, but i've highlighted the one's that stand out at 1st glance..
I don't think Williams is too far out at 23; I rate him as top 5 body puncher of all time, has a great resume and i'd say definitely belongs in the top 30 imo..

[Southpaw Great]

Bump........................................

[Obama]

People who made this list actually saw Ike Williams fight. That's the difference. Looking at his record you're never going to appreciate or understand how good he was.

That said I only rate Ike #5 on my Philadelphia fighters list, behind the following:

Philadelphia Jack O'Brien (Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champ)
Tommy Loughran (Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champ)
Bernard Hopkins (Undisputed Middleweight & Ring Light Heavyweight Champ)
Harold Johnson (Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champ)

So based on that in relation to the rest of the list, I suppose he's too high.