Which boxers from history would you bring back in a time machine?

[Butt stuff]

If you could jump back in time and bring back any fighters in their prime to fight the current generation's crop of fighters, who would you bring back?

I'd go for:

James Toney at Supermiddle - Love to see him working in close quarters against Ward

The original Sugar Ray at Welter - So many good poss matchups and it would be interesting to see how he performs with a solid 3 month training camp/nutrionists etc and against a modern defensive boxer like Floyd since many find his talent hard to quantify on this website

Hagler - Him vs GGG = big drama show

Joe Louis - See if his skills and speed can negate Wlad's massive physical advantages

Lamotta - He can fight the winner of Hagler - GGG if someone survives (when they make a time machine I will start the first ever inter-chronological promotions outfit)

Willie Pep - vs Rigo/Lomachenko/Gary Russell/frampton etc, loads of good fights

[Butt stuff]

Ooops. Meant for this to go in boxing history, any mods able to move it?

[soul_survivor]

Good thread, I don't want to go with the obvious names of Ali or Leonard or Duran so I'm gonna pick some, possibly lesser known fighters who were exceptional in their own time.

First off, I'd bring back John Conteh, a very good light heavyweight from Liverpool, England. He wasn't a great fighter but he was skilled, he was strong and he was one of the leading light heavies of his generation. Add to that charisma and marketability (known as the British Ali) and you have a guy who fits into the modern super star mold.

Plus, at 175, we have a pretty good division, Stevenson and Kovalev sharing the crown, Hops is still around, there are guys like Beterbiev on their way up. Pascal is another very good, championship level fighter. Not to mention some decent names like Chilemba and Fonfara. Or, a domestic showdown with Cleverly? Conteh would have made some serious dough.

Looking at the crop of 140 pounders over the last 2-3 years or so, with guys like Khan, Matthysse, Garcia, Judah and co all plying their trade in that division (inclusion of Provonikov recently), I'd love to see what a 2004-2007/8 version of Hatton would do in a division like this. There are some absolute mega fights to be made here. Imagine Khan v Hatton in Manchester or Hatton v Garcia in MSG or Hatton v Provodnikov in a warzone somewhere. These are mouth watering clashes. Use the time travel machine to get Bardley in the mix, BAM!

Now, I'd like to see heavyweight become a good division again (Fury, Wilder and Joshua may add some ****e in the years to come) so how about bringing back guys like Ruddock and Golota and McCall...all these guys could be in entertaining bouts and at least 2 were psychologically deranged, that would make for an explosive mix.

[AarunClark]

Muhammad Ali, i would like to bring back him many time, as he is also a nice person also.

[rsf]

Charley burley
Beau jack
Joe Louis

[JimEarl]

I'd like to bring back Joe Gans at 135 just to see how he'd do against the modern fighters.

Unlimited rounds for a belt. 1900 era rules. 20-25 rounds for other top tier fights. Weigh in early morning of the fight. Fight in the afternoon.

[dan_cov]

Michael Carbajal
Carlos Monzon
Jesus Pimentel
Ruben Olivares
Ike Ibaebuchi

[JimEarl]

First off, I'd bring back John Conteh, a very good light heavyweight from Liverpool, England. He wasn't a great fighter but he was skilled, he was strong and he was one of the leading light heavies of his generation. Add to that charisma and marketability (known as the British Ali) and you have a guy who fits into the modern super star mold.

Plus, at 175, we have a pretty good division, Stevenson and Kovalev sharing the crown, Hops is still around, there are guys like Beterbiev on their way up. Pascal is another very good, championship level fighter. Not to mention some decent names like Chilemba and Fonfara. Or, a domestic showdown with Cleverly? Conteh would have made some serious dough.

Loaded division back then too. Maybe history's best lightheavyweight division. I think I'd like to bring back Yaqui Lopez and put him in with Kovalev just to watch the war. I'd pick Kovalev to win. I might have considered picking Eddie Mustafa Muhammad over Kovalev.....maybe

[PitbullParsons]

Jack Dempsey and Ali then people can see who the greatest really is

[nivek535]

thomas hearns just coz i like him.. the division isnt that interesting for him though he'd probably destroy sweep the 147 division easily