Greatest Welterweights of All Time

[JMCbulls]

I'd have something such as:

Robinson
Leonard
Armstrong
Napoles
Walcott
Walker
Griffith
Gavilan
Trinidad
Hearns

i agree but id have hearns at 9, and have ttrinidad out of the top 10, im not sure who i would put at tho

[La_Vibora]

What about my man Charley Burley? Eddie Futch once said that Charley was the best all around fighter that he ever saw, Archie Moore says that he is the best fighter that he ever fought, and Sugar Ray Robinson ducked him for years. In fact, Sugar was once quoted as saying that "he was too pretty to fight Burley" and constantly outpriced himself so that he didn't have to fight him. People talk about Margarito today, but fighters like Tony Zale, Billy Conn(who fought Joe Louis), Sugar Ray, and many of the other elite fighters of that time avoided him like the plague. Burley should definitely get a mention on this list somewhere as he is considered by many to be the greatest fighter ever that never won a title.

[K-DOGG]

Burley does indeed deserve to be mentioned. Eddie Futch, himself, called Burley the best all around fighter he'd ever seen....that's high praise.

[oldgringo]

What about my man Charley Burley? Eddie Futch once said that Charley was the best all around fighter that he ever saw, Archie Moore says that he is the best fighter that he ever fought, and Sugar Ray Robinson ducked him for years. In fact, Sugar was once quoted as saying that "he was too pretty to fight Burley" and constantly outpriced himself so that he didn't have to fight him. People talk about Margarito today, but fighters like Tony Zale, Billy Conn(who fought Joe Louis), Sugar Ray, and many of the other elite fighters of that time avoided him like the plague. Burley should definitely get a mention on this list somewhere as he is considered by many to be the greatest fighter ever that never won a title.

I'd say he's better remembered at middleweight, but then again I don't know as much as I should about his career. He had the rivalries with Holman and Zivic...splitting fights with them throughout his career. I wish there was some tape of this guy.

[oldgringo]

Fritzie Zivic also deserves a mention...maybe even a spot.

[cple]

Zivic was an absolute handful and, at his best, would've been too much for a lot of fighters throughout history. I don't think there is a welterweight or middleweight today that could've hung in there with Zivic; he's too tough, rugged, and dirty. When you look at his resume, you see that he beat some of the greatest fighters to ever grace the sport, but the knock on Zivic is that he was inconsistent. Here's a little factoid: Zivic has the most losses (64) of all the HOF inductees.

[La_Vibora]

I'd say he's better remembered at middleweight, but then again I don't know as much as I should about his career. He had the rivalries with Holman and Zivic...splitting fights with them throughout his career. I wish there was some tape of this guy.

Well he was a natural welterweight, but the problem is that no one at welterweight would give him a shot, which is why he began taking on middleweights, light heavyweights, and even heavyweights. Also, it is said that his 2nd fight against "Oakland" Billy Smith was filmed, I also know of people that have seen it, I am trying to get my hands on a copy myself.


BTW, I agree that Zivic deserves mention.

[La_Vibora]

Zivic was an absolute handful and, at his best, would've been too much for a lot of fighters throughout history. I don't think there is a welterweight or middleweight today that could've hung in there with Zivic; he's too tough, rugged, and dirty. When you look at his resume, you see that he beat some of the greatest fighters to ever grace the sport, but the knock on Zivic is that he was inconsistent. Here's a little factoid: Zivic has the most losses (64) of all the HOF inductees.

Agreed, I can't think of a welterweight out there today that Zivic couldn't beat. In fact, his style is exactly the kind of fighter I would love to see Floyd Mayweather in with, too many times I see fighters in there trying to box with Floyd, I think a bruiser who gets down and dirty like Zivic(sort of like Jose Luis Castillo did in their fight) would have the greatest chance of defeating him.

[hellfire508]

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Henry Armstrong
3. Sugar Ray Leonard
4. Jose Napoles
5. Emile Griffith
6. Thomas Hearns
7. Kid Gavilan
8. Joe Walcott
9. Barney Ross
10. Carmen Basilio

Something like that.

The likes of McLarnin, De La Hoya, Benitez, Whitaker, Curry all just miss out.

[Heckler]

There....forgot to edit it. Sorry 'botu that; but Tito's firm at # 11.

i think oscar is more deserving, more depth than the relatively limited and methodical trinidad.