20 Billion: Top 20 Filmed Fighters of the last 80 years

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Roy Jones, Jr.

Record: 54-8 (KO 40, 62%)
Top Five Wins: Bernard Hopkins Dec 12 (86), James Toney Dec 12 (90), John Ruiz Dec 12 (85), Montell Griffin KO 1 (90), Virgil Hill KO 4 (82); Points: 87
Dominance: Roy looked next to invincible in his prime, but there are accusations that he sometimes took the path of least resistance to the top. Those claims hold some water. Fights with Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Dariusz Michalczewski, a younger Mike McCallum and a rematch with James Toney all would have been appropriate. But really, Roy beat some pretty damn good fighters during his run in the 90’s. But what made Roy great was not just that he won, it was how he won. He could turn a joke of a title defense with a tomato can in his first step up fight into must-watch spectacle, so it was especially impressive when he did the same thing to pound-for-pound stars like James Toney. He showed off his spectacular gifts all the way up at heavyweight, where he beat underrated titlist John Ruiz. There are a few holes in his reign at the top of the pound-for-pound list, but it was still an impressive run for him. Points: 90
Style: Roy was so fast, so agile and so powerful that his opponents were never safe in the ring. He could exploit the slightest weakness with a barrage of lightning fast power punches. When he needed to, he could set up his shots with a jab, but for the most part, he was so fast that he did not even need it. And he was not afraid to show off. Once he knew he had an opponent beaten (and that could happen literally thirty seconds into a fight), he would try to top himself and win in the most impressive way possible. He could double, triple and even quadruple his power punches, especially his left hook. When he raps that he hit Percy Harris with four hooks at one time, he was only slightly exaggerating. Roy’s technical flaws have been exposed in his old age, but when his athleticism was at its peak, he was a truly unique fighter. Points: 98
Consistency: When Roy was his prime, controlling the 90’s, he was 34-1 (KO 27). His only loss was a disqualification when he hit Montell Griffin while his knee was on the canvas. Given an immediate rematch, Jones came out gunning and destroyed Griffin in the first round. He was so loosed and relaxed while he fought and took such stellar care of his body that it is little surprise that he was so dependable. Points: 94
Longevity: Roy’s first serious opponent was a young and fresh Bernard Hopkins in 1993. His run at the elite level ended abruptly in 20023 when Antonio Tarver handed him a shocking second round KO loss. After Jones returned to light heavyweight from his one-fight stint at heavyweight, he was never the same. This was due to a mix of having to weaken himself to make weight, the inexorable progress of time that took away his physical gifts and mounting damage to his chin. But for 10 years, Roy Jones was the hottest ticket in boxing and he really deserved it. Points: 93
Overall Grade: 91.2

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Julio Cesar Chavez, “El Gran Campeon”

Record: 107-6-2 (KO 86, 74.8%)
Top Five Wins: Edwin Rosario KO 11 (86), Jose Luis Ramirez Dec 12 (87), Hector Camacho Dec 12 (88), Meldrick Taylor KO 12 (90), Roger Mayweather KO 2 (85); Points: 87
Dominance: I really only have to say this about Julio Cesar Chavez: 89 fight winning streak. That awe-inspiring total, with quite a few excellent fighters in there, is the longest in boxing history. He put a stranglehold on every division he competed in his prime. He did rack up a lot of those wins on the proverbial “Tijuana Cab Driver,” but won many fights at the highest level. Points: 95
Style: Julio Cesar Chavez is the prototype for all pressure fighters. His granite chin and decent defense let him focus entirely on accurate combination punching. But just calling it accurate combination punching is almost selling him short. Chavez could alternate between body and head in the same six punch combination and land every single one with power. His style has inspired a generation of Mexican fighters after him, but few have done enough to even warrant being mentioned in the same sentence as El Gran Campeon. Points: 90
Consistency: To win 89 fights in a row requires consistency on the ultimate level. There are a million examples throughout boxing history of a superior fighter getting caught on a bad night and being outfought by someone he should have beaten. Not Chavez, whose streak was snapped by the equally great Pernell Whitaker. That was a mix of a bad style matchup, Chavez being slightly past his best and just running into a great fighter on the best night of his life. Points: 99
Longevity: Chavez won his first title in 1984 and lost his first fight (and was clearly past his best) in 1993, a nine year stretch. Points: 90
Overall Grade: 91.3

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Roberto Duran, “Manos de Piedra”

Record: 103-16 (KO 70, 58.8%)
Top Five Wins: Carlos Palomino Dec 12 (88), Ernesto Marcel TKO 10 (92), Iran Barkley Dec 12 (93), Ken Buchanan TKO 13 (90), Ray Leonard Dec 15 (99); Points: 92
Dominance: At the absolute peak moment of his career, his win over Ray Leonard, Duran was 72-1. He had proven to be one of the great champions at 135 and had twice avenged his only loss. Before his 20th birthday, he knocked out Ernesto Marcel and Hiroshi Kobayashi, who would go on to win the lineal 130 lb title immediately afterward. He took the lightweight championship from Scottish great Ken Buchanan in 1972. From there, he went on to beat every lightweight contender the 70’s had to offer, including a knockout and a decision over the only man to beat him in the decade. At welterweight, he beat Carlos Palomino and Leonard. He had considerably less success above 147, but still managed to beat Pipino Cuevas and a heavily favored Davey Moore, both by knockout. He fell off the map after his one-sided loss to Marvin Hagler and annihilation at the blazing fists of Thomas Hearns. But the wily old champion had one more great fight left in him as he pulled out a split decision over Hearns’ conqueror, fearsome middleweight Iran Barkley. Points: 92
Style: Roberto Duran was a master boxer masquerading as a brawling slugger. In his years at lightweight, he was a defensively sound pressure fighter with a massive right hand. He carried this style up to welterweight, where he put on one of the greatest performances ever seen in handing Ray Leonard his first loss. But he was outgunned physically at 154 and 160, forcing him to use his considerable boxing skills. Duran knew how to avoid shots from long range, get inside and do damage while rolling blows off of his own chin. His style was often ugly, as he mauled, clinched and fouled regularly. But when a Duran fight turned ugly, when the rulebook as unimportant as the referee, that was when he was at his best. Points: 94
Consistency: Duran had an awful habit of soaring up in weight and then feverishly training it all off. Sometimes, he could not do it quickly enough and left himself weakened for a fight. Also, he had trouble with a mover with faster hands, shown in the infamous “No Mas” fight with Ray Leonard and his shutout loss to “El Radar” Wilfred Benitez. While he was a machine at lightweight, a period of consistency followed by a period of inconsistency is really just inconsistency. Points: 80
Longevity: Roberto Duran made his professional debut in 1968. He fought his last fight in 2001. That is simply awe-inspiring. Hardly anyone competes professionally in any sport for 33 years, let alone one as punishing as boxing. His first step up in competition was against Ernesto Marcel in 1970, who was handed his first and only stoppage loss. He soon captured the lightweight title in a streetfight brawl with Ken Buchanan and was near the top of the sport until 1989, when he turned out his swansong performance against the rampaging middleweight Iran Barkley. That is 19 years. Quite a number. Points: 97
Overall Grade: 91.3

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Ricardo “Finito” Lopez

Record: 51-0-1 (KO 38, 73.1%)
Top Five Wins: Alex Sanchez TKO 5 (84), Hideki Ohashi Dec 12 (78), Kermin Guardia Dec 12 (80), Mongkol Charoen Dec 12 (80), Rosendo Lopez Dec 12 (91); Points: 83
Dominance: Ricardo Lopez was 24-0-1 (KO 19, 76%) in title fights. He ran away and hid with his minimumweight championship, defending it 21 times, knocking out his challenger 15 times. Even competing at the lowest weights, where fighters are lesser known and lacking in a certain mystique of the higher weight fighters, those are impressive numbers. For almost 11 years, Ricardo Lopez was not just fighting at the upper tier of his division. He was the upper tier of his division. People question why he did not move up in weight to fight some of the flyweights and maybe even super flyweights of the era, but it is hard to question his reign of terror at minimum. Finito was exactly that – the end of the discussion at his weight. Points: 95
Style: Lopez was Nacho Beristain’s greatest success. Not only was he born with incredible athletic ability, he was technically perfect. He could throw any punch at any time, by itself or in fluid and beautifully improvised combinations. A solid offensive fighter will practice “hooking off the jab,” when he throws a jab and then a lead hook right behind it. It is hard to generate a lot of power on that hook unless thrown perfectly. Ricardo Lopez would routinely launch double left hooks off of a left uppercut and land each one with bone-rattling power. He could then switch to southpaw and do the same thing with his right hand. He masterfully controlled range and foes were so reluctant to open up in the face of his damaging counterattacks. Even when an opponent could summon up the gumption to attack him, his punches would have little effect on Finito’s chin. Points: 99
Consistency: Finito’s long streak of title defenses is a perfect show of consistency. Not only did he beat most everyone (Rosendo Alvarez escaped with a draw in their first fight and a narrow split decision win in their second), he thoroughly dominated them and usually knocked them out. He was the picture of concentration and reliability. Points: 94
Longevity: Lopez’s first competition at the championship level was in 1989, when he knocked out Ray Hernandez for the WBC Continental American minimumweight title. He fought for his first world title the next year, knocking out Hideyuki Ohashi in the fifth. He never again strayed from that level, retiring in 2001 as the light flyweight champion. A 12 year run is especially impressive for such a small fighter, as the little guys tend to have shorter careers. Points: 96
Overall Grade: 91.4

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Joe Louis, “The Brown Bomber”

Record: 66-3 (KO 52, 74.3%)
Top Five Wins: Billy Conn KO 13 (89), John Henry Lewis KO 1 (79), Max Baer KO 4 (89), Max Schmeling KO 1 (85), Tommy Farr Dec 15 (82); Points: 85
Dominance: Joe Louis may have been the single most dominant champion in history. He has his famous record of 25 consecutive title defenses, which included 21 knockouts. He defeated six heavyweight champions and was 60-1 at the time of his first retirement, his only loss coming to Max Schmeling, a loss he avenged tenfold. Points: 99
Style: Louis was maybe the greatest offensive fighter ever to live. Blessed with speed and power and having honed his skills to perfection, Louis’ knockout record speaks for itself. He could hammer away with power punches or pick his opponent apart with the jab. He could work combinations to the body and head and he could end a fight with one punch. His defense was only above average, and although he was very tough, he could be dropped by a lesser opponent. He also seemed to struggle with movers. But he had that great equalizer, his power, that could put an end to the runner at any moment, as poor Billy Conn learned. Points: 93
Consistency: Such incredible dominance usually goes hand-in-hand with a consistent fighter and Louis is no exception. 25 consecutive title defenses really says it all. Max Schmeling punished him for insolence early in his career, but he learned his lesson and took it out on the rest of the division. Points: 94
Longevity: Louis held the heavyweight title for a record 12 years. Many, many fighters debuted and retired during Louis’ long title reign. Points: 95
Overall Grade: 91.9

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Willie Pep

Record: 229-11-1 (KO 65, 27%)
Top Five Wins: Chalky Wright Dec 15 (89), Manuel Ortiz UD 10 (90), Sal Bartolo KO 12 (82), Sandy Saddler Dec 15 (93), Willie Joyce Dec 10 (86); Points: 88
Dominance: Willie Pep suffered a plane crash in 1947. The wreck almost killed him and left him in hospitalized. But five months later, he was fighting again. Everyone noticed the decline in his performance and he started to pile up losses. This gives a very clear line of demarcation when it comes to “prime” and “past prime.” Before that crash, Willie Pep was 108-1-1, the long blemish on his record a close decision win to lightweight champion Sammy Angott. He was nigh untouchable, silencing contenders and thoroughly beating everyone in the division. Even after his crash, he racked up 24 straight wins, although he lost 3 of 4 to the Sandy Saddler, the best fighter he faced post-accident. But losses or no, Pep thoroughly cleared out the featherweight division. Points: 98
Style: Pep is a true boxing legend, famous for his defensive skills. Footage of Pep in his prime is rare, but from what I can find, he liked to stay back, make his opponent miss and then explode with a flurry of counterpunches. He had very fast hands and was an accurate puncher, letting him score with two or three punches when he made his man miss. He moved steadily back and forth across the ring, rarely giving his foe a stationary target and disrupting their rhythm with a quick, distracting jab. Pep had no power to speak of, but he was so fast and so technically sound that he could overcome his lack of power to put together such a successful career. Points: 93
Consistency: I can just reference Pep’s astounding 132-1-1 peak record (and 108-1-1 pre-accident record) to back up any claims of consistency. By now, it should be obvious that I put a lot of stock in long winning streaks like that, especially when you take all comers like Pep did. Points: 97
Longevity: Pep, the master of the stay-busy fight, racked up 41 fights before he faced his first real professional in 1942, when he easily outpointed former title contender Joey Archibald. His prime was cut short by the airplane crash, but it is a testament to his skills that he was still able to beat good fighters, even giving up size and moving up to lightweight at times. But his last fight with Sandy Saddler, a fouling extravaganza in which he was forced to retire on his stool due to cuts, really took the last of the fight out of him. That was in 1951, and was the last time he would compete for a world title. Points: 87
Overall Grade: 92

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“Sweet Pea” Pernell Whitaker

Record: 40-4-1 (KO 17, 37%)
Top Five Wins: Azumah Nelson UD 12 (92), Buddy McGirt UD 12 (88), Greg Haugen UD 12 (85), Jose Luis Ramirez II UD 12 (86), Julio Cesar Chavez MD 12* (93); Points: 89
*This is one of the few non-victories that I will count as a win. When making a list like this, it is usually better to stick with the decision unless it was particularly egregious. This was.
Dominance: Whitaker had a strong resume of champions, with a strong record of 21-3-1 in title fights (which probably should read 23-2). The lone losses were in the last two title fights of his career against strong up and comers named Oscar de la Hoya and Felix Trinidad. But Whitaker did not just dominate the divisions he fought in, he dominated the actual fights. Nobody’s stock ever went up after a Whitaker fight, win, lose or draw. Points: 95
Style: Whitaker was truly a masterful boxer. He was not gifted with a big punch, but more than made up for it with speed, technique, a solid chin and excellent ring smart. He was so adept at controlling range and moving his head that it was very difficult to have a big round against him, while his fast hands and high workrate helped him have big rounds in his favor. Nobody clowned the great Chavez like Whitaker did, not even toward the end of his career. He never clearly lost a fight until he was smashed by Felix Trinidad at the absolute end of his career. Points: 96
Consistency: I maintain that Whitaker was undefeated until the Oscar de la Hoya fight. Whether or not he won that one is up in the air, but his draw and decision loss to Julio Cesar Chavez and Jose Luis Ramirez respectively are two of the most unbelievable scoring blunders I have seen. It was not until the loss to Felix Trinidad, after Sweet Pea had already been suspended and had a decision ruled a no-contest due to ******* use, that Whitaker was beaten decisively. He came into most every fight and put on a boxing exhibition. Points: 95
Longevity: Whitaker fought his first elite competition in 1987, a unanimous decision against hard punching Roger Mayweather. He fought his last fight really recognizably as Sweet Pea against De la Hoya in 1997. After that, his building ******* habit sent his career down the drain quickly, After thathe had a win turn into a no contest after a failed test, suffered a punishing loss at the hands of rising star Tito Trinidad and his first stoppage loss after he broke his clavicle. Points: 91
Overall Grade: 92.5

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Carlos Monzon

Record: 87-3-9 (KO 59, 59%)
Top Five Wins: Emile Griffith TKO 14 (90), Jean Claude Boutier TKO 13 (87), Jose Napoles TKO 7 (88), Nino Benvenuti TKO 12 (89), Rodrigo Valdez UD 15 (87); Points: 88
Dominance: Along with Joe Louis, Carlos Monzon is one of the most dominant champions ever to live. He lost three times while still competing at essentially the minor league level in Argentina, still a pugilistic baby, and then got on a roll. He won the middleweight title from Nino Benvenuti in 1970 and then proceeded to defend his title 15 times in 19 fights, including 14 knockouts. He completely eclipsed the rest of the middleweight division for the rest of his career. Points: 99
Style: Monzon’s style was not a pretty one. He did not have fast hands, he was tall, awkward and gangly in the ring. But he had crushing power, a stiff jab, a good body attack, solid defense and an uncrackable chin. It was sometimes rough to watch, but Monzon’s effectiveness is extremely hard to deny. Points: 93
Consistency: This is Monzon’s signature. He was like a machine in the ring, always composed and always looking to destroy his opponents. His early losses are easily explained away to inexperience and factor almost nothing in his all-time rating. Once he hit his stride, Monzon was one of the most consistent boxers ever to lace them up. Points: 96
Longevity: Monzon’s decision to retire on top shave some slight points from him here, but he fought and dominated until he was 36 years old. Could he have carried on and beaten a few more contenders? Maybe. But there is no doubt that he could carry his effectiveness into his twilight years. Points: 91
Overall Grade: 92.6

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“Marvelous” Marvin Hagler

Record: 62-3-2 (KO 52, 77.6%)
Top Five Wins: Alan Minter TKO 3 (88), Mustafa Hamsho TKO 11 (86), Roberto Duran Dec 15 (84), Thomas Hearns KO 4 (94), Vito Antuofirmo TKO 4 (89); Points: 89
Dominance: Marvelous Marvin completely cleaned out the middleweight division. He took out every single contender to his throne until his razor sharp loss to Ray Leonard. Hagler took great pride in being the champion and of his twelve title challengers, only two, Roberto Duran and Leonard, left the ring on their feet. He put a full nelson on the Middleweight division until he retired, a truly dominant champ. Points: 97
Style: A true boxer-puncher, Hagler had the skills, the power and the chin (and what a chin it was) to stand up to any opponent. A clever boxing southpaw who could turn around and fight orthodox at any moment, Hagler was hard to predict and dangerous to engage. He stood only 5’9”, short for a middleweight, but he proved that it really is the size of the fight in the dog. There are middleweights who could give him problems and he has shown trouble with movers, but he was a very well-rounded fighter with a vast offensive arsenal. Points: 95
Consistency: Hagler lost twice early in his career, but when he finally got the title, he did not let go. His knockout record in title fights showed his consistency, but he also showed against Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray that he was uncomfortable applying pressure for a full fight. His loss to Leonard was so close that it is hard to even hold it against him, and he and a significant percentage of boxing people contend to this day that he won that fight. Points: 94
Longevity: He contended for his first title against Vito Antuofermo in 1979 and was given an extremely dubious draw. He came back strong against Alan Minter in ’81, then put the title under lock and key until it was taken from him from Leonard in ‘87. He retired immediately after the fight with some wear still on his tires at only 33, but he was so disgusted by an institution that he felt had robbed him that he lost his will to fight. But being at the top of the sport for eight years is certainly a good run. Points: 89
Overall Grade: 92.6

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Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest”

Record: 56-5 (KO 37, 60.7%)
Top Five Wins: George Foreman KO 8 (96), Joe Frazier Dec 12 (93), Joe Frazier TKO 14 (90), Leon Spinks Dec 15 (90),Sonny Liston TKO 7 (94); Points: 93
Dominance: Ali was on his way to one of the greatest title runs in history when he beat Sonny Liston to claim the heavyweight throne. The fighters were there and kept filing into the division. Then came the draft dodging incident that resulted in his license being stripped. But even with those three missing years, Muhammad Ali beat literally every contender (many of them in their primes) in one of the strongest era in heavyweight history. He avenged all his meaningful defeats. But had he not lost those three years, he might have retained his title throughout his entire run. Points: 95
Style: Ali won just by being better than his opponents. He was faster, tougher and smarter than everyone and he made sure they knew it. Ernie Terrell was a pretty good heavyweight champion and Ali, furious at Terrell for referring to him by his birth name “Clay,” toyed with, tortured and annihilated him. He danced circles around Sonny Liston. What everyone remembers is the speed, but possibly even more impressive was his incredible grit and will to win. Everyone expected a man so fast and flamboyant to be a little soft. So when his gifts started to decline and he had to beat his opponents in pitched battles, many of them grueling wars of attrition, it shocked the world. When he left the ring against Frazier in Manilla, he had to be carried to his dressing room. He was close to death. And yet in the last round, he had one of the best rounds of career, battering Frazier across every inch of the ring. Ali was a great, great fighter. He was technically unsound, did not possess great power and could be hit by a good fast left hook, but people will remember what a magnificent fighter he was for years to come. Points: 93
Consistency: Ali only has two “legit” losses in his career, to Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. The other three came so far removed from his prime that they can hardly even be considered. When you face off against the likes of Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Joe Frazier and make a career out of going to war with men much more powerful than yourself, losing only two fights and avenging both twice over is extremely impressive. Points: 94
Longevity: Ali is exactly the sort of fighter who should have declined early, being so dependent on his natural gifts, but he defied father time admirably. Ali started picking up big fights in 1962 when he defeated an ancient Archie Moore, then beat Henry Cooper next year. Then, in 1964, he really stepped up, fighting Sonny Liston. He was at the top of the sport until 1978 when he lost to Michael Spinks (and beat him in an immediate rematch.) Even with the three year gap, that is quite a long time to be fighting the way he was. Points: 92
Overall Grade: 93.4