Featherweight to Heavyweight: The Best Ever

[Thread Stealer]

This is based on the greatest ever at each class, not necessarily who's the most talented.

118: jofre
122: gomez
126: pep
130: mayweather
135: duran
140: chavez
147: robinson
154: hearns
160: greb
168: calzaghe
175: charles
cruiser: holyfield
hw: ali

[Scott9945]

I guess I'm going to have to look into Wilfredo Gomez, because anyone who can dwarf Erik Morales's run at 122 is pretty damn impressive in my book.

Among Gomez's title wins were over all time great bantamweight champion Carlos Zarate who was 47-0. His win over bantamweight champion Lupe Pintor is one of the best fights I've ever seen. Check it out if you ever get the chance.[/I]

[Thread Stealer]

Gomez beat better opposition at 122 than Morales.

[Mr. Ryan]

Strawweight: Ricardo Lopez
Flyweight: Jimmy Wylde
Super Flyweight: Johnny Tapia
Bantamweight: Ruben Olivares
Junior Featherweight: Wilfredo Gomez
Featherweight: Willie Pep
Super Featherweight: Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Azumah Nelson
Lightweight: Roberto Duran
Jr Welterweight: Aaron Pryor
Welterweight: Ray Robinson
Jr Middleweight: Thomas Hearns
Middleweight: I cannot answer this one
Super Middleweight: Joe Calzaghe
Light Heavyweight: Archie Moore
Cruiserweight: Evander Holyfield
Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali

[Fox McCloud]

I have a question... people always say Roberto Duran was a beast at lightweight.

People also say Shane Mosley was a beast at lightweight.

Is this a close race, or is it another Moralez/Gomez comparison? One is great, but the other is miles ahead?

[Thread Stealer]

I have a question... people always say Roberto Duran was a beast at lightweight.

People also say Shane Mosley was a beast at lightweight.

Is this a close race, or is it another Moralez/Gomez comparison? One is great, but the other is miles ahead?

duran beat much better opposition at lightweight.

mosley doesn't really rank all that high at lightweight all-time due to his relatively weak resume.

top lightweights ever are duran, b. leonard, gans, and whitaker.

[Scott9945]

I have a question... people always say Roberto Duran was a beast at lightweight.

People also say Shane Mosley was a beast at lightweight.

Is this a close race, or is it another Moralez/Gomez comparison? One is great, but the other is miles ahead?

I've always liked Shane, and never was a big Duran fan. But yeah, Duran is miles ahead. The only lightweight I've seen that can compare would be Whitaker.

[Mr. Ryan]

I have a question... people always say Roberto Duran was a beast at lightweight.

People also say Shane Mosley was a beast at lightweight.

Is this a close race, or is it another Moralez/Gomez comparison? One is great, but the other is miles ahead?

Mosley didn't clean out the division. Mosley would've been seen as an ATG at 135 if he fought Johnston. Duran beat some serious competition, even if their merits don't carry over to the modern era. People forget how serious Buchanan and Esteban DeJesus were.

Duran was like Chavez at 135 pounds, simply too strong and too undeniable a force to deal with as a lightweight. I always appreciated Benny Leonard's style, the ****** Wizard was ultra classy in the ring.

[oldgringo]

I guess I'm going to have to look into Wilfredo Gomez, because anyone who can dwarf Erik Morales's run at 122 is pretty damn impressive in my book.

I actually posed this question and topic in the history forum quite awhile ago.

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102778&highlight=erik+morales

I really wouldn't say that Gomez "dwarfed" Morales' campaign at 122, as Morales beat excellent competition and made an incredible mark at that weight.

Gomez beat better opposition at 122 than Morales.

I honestly think that he just had a longer reign there. Morales was struggling to make weight by the time he moved up. The competition he faced at that weight while he was there was undeniable. Barrera, Jones, McCullough, Sanchez, Zaragoza...a strong list of opposition. Had he been able to comfortably make that weight longer and had he not been so ambitious, he could have ruled that division for years.