The Greatest 154-Pound Champions in History

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Brent Matteo Alderson - 1) Tommy Hearns - Tommy Hearns was the WBC 154 pound champion for four years and made four defenses of the title. The two things about his reign that standout are the quality of his opposition and the caliber of his performances. The Hitman won the WBC-154 pound title in 1982 with a fifteen round decision over a close-to-his-prime Wilfred Benitez who entered the bout with a 44-1-1 record. Then after an easy points win over Luis Minchillo, Tommy signed to fight Roberto Duran in a unification fight.

The year before, Duran had resurrected his career when he won the WBA 154 pound title with a knockout victory over the previously undefeated Davey Moore. Then in his next fight Duran took Marvin Hagler the full fifteen round distance in his quest for the Middleweight crown. Even though Manos de Piedra lost to Hagler, the Marvelous one had to win the last few rounds to pull out a close decision victory and the competitiveness of the bout solidified Duran’s position as one of the best 154-pounders in the world. Initially the bout between Duran and Hearns was supposed to be a unification bout since Duran was the WBA champ and Hearns was the WBC titlist, but Duran was stripped of the title for not making his mandatory defense against Mike McCallum. Hearns did the unthinkable and brutally knocked out the Panamanian legend in to two rounds.



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[bdevils]

By Brent Matteo Alderson - 1) Tommy Hearns - Tommy Hearns was the WBC 154 pound champion for four years and made four defenses of the title. The two things about his reign that standout are the quality of his opposition and the caliber of his performances. The Hitman won the WBC-154 pound title in 1982 with a fifteen round decision over a close-to-his-prime Wilfred Benitez who entered the bout with a 44-1-1 record. Then after an easy points win over Luis Minchillo, Tommy signed to fight Roberto Duran in a unification fight.

The year before, Duran had resurrected his career when he won the WBA 154 pound title with a knockout victory over the previously undefeated Davey Moore. Then in his next fight Duran took Marvin Hagler the full fifteen round distance in his quest for the Middleweight crown. Even though Manos de Piedra lost to Hagler, the Marvelous one had to win the last few rounds to pull out a close decision victory and the competitiveness of the bout solidified Duran’s position as one of the best 154-pounders in the world. Initially the bout between Duran and Hearns was supposed to be a unification bout since Duran was the WBA champ and Hearns was the WBC titlist, but Duran was stripped of the title for not making his mandatory defense against Mike McCallum. Hearns did the unthinkable and brutally knocked out the Panamanian legend in to two rounds.



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7) Julian Jackson - How can the Hawk be rated four rungs below Terry Norris, a man he knocked out in two rounds?

Julian should most definately be higher!

[Drdatabox]

Beautiful !

This is a great article, in an area which many tend to overlook. JMWs have become a major division because of the quality boxers who found their way into it. You have inspired me to speed up my reevaluation and rating of McCallum and Norris for Data Boxing.

[Zerwas1]

Terry Norris is a three time light middleweight champion and had more title defenses than Jackson. His accomplishments at middleweight don't count here.

[-Hyperion-]

Winky Wright - Ronald Winky Wright became the undisputed 154 pound champion in March of 2004 when he decisioned Shane Mosley. Wright had already been one of the best fighters in the division for quite some, but because of his style which was based on a tight defense, a quick south paw stance and a propensity for making people look bad he was avoided like the plague. Much like Bernard Hopkins, Wright’s ascension to boxing stardom should have came much earlier in his career, but all the blame shouldn’t be put on the establishment because just as Felix Trinidad proved, if you keep winning they can’t stop you and that’s what Bernard and Winky eventually learned.

Hopkins lost a clear cut decision to Roy Jones and a young and inexperienced Wright lost a close decision to the underrated Julio Cesar Vasquez in his try for the WBA title in 1994. Wright was a skinny 22 year old and still developing physically when Julio Cesar Vasquez handed him his first loss as a professional. The bout was competitive and Wright landed clean combinations and often times controlled the bout with his jab, but make no mistake about, Vasquez decisively beat Wright that night, legitimately knocking him down five times. After the loss to Vasquez Wright reeled of some wins before upsetting a still youthful Bronco McKart for the WBO 154 title in March of 1996.

Winky made three defenses of the title before losing a razor thin decision to Harry Simon.
His next big break came in December of 1999 when he challenged Fernando Vargas for the IBF 154 pound title. In a close competitive fight Winky was at the losing end of a close decision, but his performance in the bout made the boxing world take note and Winky eventually won the IBF belt when Trinidad moved up to Middleweight and made four defenses before beating Shane Mosley for the undisputed 154 pound title. He defended that title against Mosley then moved up to Middleweight. All in all Wright won 11 title bouts at the weight (If you count the WBO title), successfully unified the title and beat a very good fighter in Shane Mosley and fought a high caliber of opponent in non title fights which included solid wins over guys like Andrew Council and Keith Mullings. Also Wright fought at 154 pounds for almost his entire career.

Still besides the win over Mosley, Wright really didn’t beat any great fighters at the weight and often times looked ordinary in out boxing average contenders like Angel Hernandez and JC Candelo. Even if you think Wright won the Vargas fight, the bout was close, real close, and Vargas’s corner told him he had to win the last round and he went out and did it. So basically I have Wright rated fourth because his performances weren’t as impressive as those of the three fighters rated above him and the quality of his opposition wasn’t as good. I respect Wright and believe that he is so solid defensively that he probably could have been competitive with any fighter in history at or around the 154 pound limit. And in their hypothetical primes he might be able to beat one of the guys rated above him in one on one match up. I’ll tell you one thing; I don’t think he would have a chance against the Hitman because nobody outboxes Tommy Hearns. Leonard couldn’t do it, hell, even Virgil Hill couldn’t do it and he was a big Light Heavyweight.

1- Vasquez didnt win decisvely...if he won, he won 112-111......as the only rounds he won were 2,7,9 and 12 .....however i you could give one of rounds 2,7 or 9 10-9 instead of 10-8, as wright pretty much dominated rounds 2,7 and 9 aside of the knockdowns..........not to mention the 50 warnings vasquez received for rabbit punching without any deductions....

2-That fight wasnt razor thin, it was a close clear cut victory for wright that the juges saw the other way....winky fought in a hostile crowd in the challengers hometown...

3-Winky beat Vargas, again close but clearly.


Winky should be #2 in my eyes, people just like to be politically correct in this boxing bussiness......

stilll good article....just pointing out what i think....

[Kball15]

Wright should be higher IMO as well, but still an excellent article.

You often forget how many great fighters passed through 154, in usually great fights. But, FORUNETLY for us, its just a pass through division on your way to middleweight or down to welterweight.

Which is good for us, cause Welterweight and Middleweight are much more exciting divisions.

[UnDeniable]

I Agree Wright should be higher he has been robbed many times i rate him very Highly as a Junior Middle

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

1- Vasquez didnt win decisvely...if he won, he won 112-111......as the only rounds he won were 2,7,9 and 12 .....however i you could give one of rounds 2,7 or 9 10-9 instead of 10-8, as wright pretty much dominated rounds 2,7 and 9 aside of the knockdowns..........not to mention the 50 warnings vasquez received for rabbit punching without any deductions....

2-That fight wasnt razor thin, it was a close clear cut victory for wright that the juges saw the other way....winky fought in a hostile crowd in the challengers hometown...

3-Winky beat Vargas, again close but clearly.


Winky should be #2 in my eyes, people just like to be politically correct in this boxing bussiness......

stilll good article....just pointing out what i think....

I thought the knockdowns were legit. It's hard for me to buy Wright's excuse of wearing slippery shoes.

[borikua]

That was Tito's best weight class imo, he should've stayed there longer...

[ferocity]

That was Tito's best weight class imo, he should've stayed there longer...

He was waiting for Delahoya to give him a shot, i remember a ppv he headlined where he was supposed to fight Norris on that card instead Norris fought Rosenblat and Trinidad stayed at welterweight for Delahoya.