name the top five lightweights

[Poet682006]

1. Roberto Duran
2. Benny Leonard
3. Pernell Whitaker
4. Joe Gans
5. Carlos Ortiz

[Anthony342]

Alright, Whitaker getting some love. Man, I really liked watching him fight on HBO when I was in high school.

[Rspen46]

Benny Leonard
Roberto Duran
Joe Gans
Henry Armstrong
Barney Ross

[Rspen46]

I'm not the ultimate expert on Boxing, but I do love it, and have since 1970, but I do know enough to know Pep was not considered a LW.

[QueensburyRules]

- -The real history behind the lightweight division.

Check yer Nancy panties at the gate:

http://www.ibroresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Tough-Specimens-of-the-Lightweight-Order.pdf

[The Old LefHook]

1 Duran
2 Gans
3 Ike Williams
4 Joe Brown
5 Beau Jack

[The D3vil]

I'm no Bread or Dougie or Kellerman, but from what I've seen/heard

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Roberto Duran
3. Benny Leonard
4. Pernell Whitaker
5. Ike Williams

[QueensburyRules]

- -Ibro says Leonard, Duran, and Gans top three.

The rest just a crapshoot, but even their top three could be mixed up with no ill effect.

http://www.ibroresearch.com/2006/09/lightweights/

[Rusty Tromboni]

I'd love to know how many people picking Gans (and to a lesser degree Leonard) have actually seen him fight.


Lightweight is the most stacked division of all. Middleweight and Light Heavyweight are pretty stacked, too. But no division has the depth of Lightweight.

It's tough, though, because some fighters passed through quickly, or didn't really put down their roots right at 133/135 pounds.

I dunno if I am the biggest fan of lists, but right now I like:


1) Duran
2) Armstrong
3) Whitaker
4) Williams
5) Canzoneri

McFarland, Ortiz, Mayweather, Leonard, McLarnin could all replace anyone on that list not named Duran.

[Rusty Tromboni]

I'm no Bread or Dougie or Kellerman, but from what I've seen/heard

1. Henry Armstrong
2. Roberto Duran
3. Benny Leonard
4. Pernell Whitaker
5. Ike Williams

Ranking Armstrong #1 is ballsy. But I appreciate it. Armstrong did his best work around 135 pounds. The Fw and Ww portions of his career are mostly meaningless.