Top 10 Light Heavyweights

[Neuraxis]

Well, why does no one hold the linear title since it was vacated in 1985? Who gets to say that Virgil Hill picks it up in 1996 after more than 10 years? Jones beat Hill quite handily as well, not sure if that was before or after Hill was considered linear. Besides, since the line was cut in 1985 (as it was many times before) then it's unfair to grant it to anyone else as "linear" after that point. Plus Jones beat Hill and Gonzales, Gonzales beat Michelchewski, not in the order listed on the website you showed but I still think if the line broke anywhere within Jones' reign as it did, he should have been where it restarted, all roads ended with Jones from 154 lbs to 175 lbs between 1993-2003.

Hill won his IBF and WBA belts when there was no WBC champion. Jones beat Hill after DM beat Hill. When DM beat Hill he won the WBO belt which he had and Hill's WBA and IBF belts thus becoming the linear champion. I can't believe we are actually discussing this. DM beat Griffin and Griffin beat Jones. Gonzalez beat Johnson and Johnson destroyed Jones. So what's your point?

[Neuraxis]

Whoever compiled that linear page seems to hate RJJ, they left him out of every weight class he cleaned out... they even list James Toney as "vacating" the middleweight title in 1993 then it wasn't re-established until 2001 in Hopkins' name. What a joke. If memory serves me correctly, Roy Jones Jr masterfully outboxed the so-called unbeatable James Toney winning a 12 round unanimous decison to take the title. If that's "vacating" the title then I guess RJJ was just "vacating" the title when he got KTFO by Tarver & Johnson... heh.

So now being objective with facts is the same thing as hating RJJ. Your memory doesn't serve you correctly. RJJ beat Toney for the IBF super middleweight belt.

[NAB]

I'd like to see Calzaghe step up & test himself at 175. Has he ever fought anyone good?

[LuKahnLi]

No current light heavyweight can claim to be the linear light heavyweight champion. The linear champ was broken when Hearns beat Virgil Hill.

[whdempsey]

Like the heavyweight division there seems to be a changing of guard going on in the light heavyweight division. Jones and DM are out and its anyones for taking. There is also a lot of young talented fighters in this division. What is your list of the top 10 light heavyweights.

1) Tarver: earned this spot by being the second person to beat Jones.
2) Erdei: linear champ, easily outpointed Gonzalez winning 10, 10 and 9 rounds as opposed to RJJ winning 11, 11, and 10 rounds against him.
3) Briggs: undefeated Tarver mandatory and he has good power.
4) Green: only loss is a DQ and he gave Toney a run for his money, though Toney wasn't really trying.
5) Gonzalez: first to beat DM.
6) Drews: only loss was to Briggs, and Briggs only managed to win 5, 7, and 9 rounds.
7) Garay: only loss is a close loss to Erdei.
8) Johnson: beat a ruined RJJ.
9) Ulrich: retired Rocchigiani, only loss is to Johnson.
10) Veit: only loss is to Calzaghe.

Erdei's not the linear champion. I've already been throught this with you, but I'll say it again. Virgil Hill was not the linear champion when Dariusz Michalszewski beat him. So quit pretending that's true and deal with it.

Apart from that, I don't really have a problem with this post. Except that two of the fighters listed here are super middles. Green and Veit are both super middleweight fighters.

[whdempsey]

Hill won his IBF and WBA belts when there was no WBC champion. Jones beat Hill after DM beat Hill. When DM beat Hill he won the WBO belt which he had and Hill's WBA and IBF belts thus becoming the linear champion. I can't believe we are actually discussing this. DM beat Griffin and Griffin beat Jones. Gonzalez beat Johnson and Johnson destroyed Jones. So what's your point?

Even if a title is vacant, you have to unify all three in order to gain linear recognition. Unless of course, you want to grant The Ring Magazine's policy a little credence here. And they say Jones was the linear light heavy champ, and now Tarver is, beacause Jones unified all three belts, and then Tarver beat him. That's the way it works.

Furthermore, you have a clear bias toward Eastern European fighters. It's absurd. Whether you're European or not, you have to admit that America is the world's stage. 90% of the most important business within the sport is done in America. That doesn't mean that Eastern fighters like Vitali Klitschko can't be successful. But important fighters generally fight in America. It's just the way it is.

Oh, and this idea you have of listing fighters who beat the men that beat Jones is absurd. First of all, styles make fights. Iran Barkley beat Hearns, and Hearns knocked Duran out in two rounds. Does that mean Barkley beat Duran?

Also, Jones beat everyone you mentioned. Jones beat Montell Griffin, who never really beat Roy. He won a fight on a disqualification. It's not the same thing. And Jones beat Gonzalez worse than Erdei did. And remember, Gonzalez' win over Johnson is extremely controversial.

Grow a little objectivity.

[Prorock]

1) Tarver
2) Johnson
3) Michalczewski (if return)
4) Green
5) Erdei

[Neuraxis]

No current light heavyweight can claim to be the linear light heavyweight champion. The linear champ was broken when Hearns beat Virgil Hill.

Get real man. What in the world are you taling about? I hope that you are drunk right now.

[jabsRstiff]

Get real man. What in the world are you taling about? I hope that you are drunk right now.

Who gives a flying **** about the LINEAR champ ?

"Linear" to what....a sanctioning body title ?

Neuraxis....you only hump that term because it serves your purpose...which is the elevation of Eastern Euro fighters, & the denigration of American ones.

You're transparent.

[Neuraxis]

Erdei's not the linear champion. I've already been throught this with you, but I'll say it again. Virgil Hill was not the linear champion when Dariusz Michalszewski beat him. So quit pretending that's true and deal with it.

Apart from that, I don't really have a problem with this post. Except that two of the fighters listed here are super middles. Green and Veit are both super middleweight fighters.

Yes we already went over this. I showed you why you were wrong and then you never posted on the thread again. Even though I brought it back up to the top for you and you still didn't post on it. I don't know what you are talking about regarding Ring Magazine. If that's their stance then they are obviously wrong. I can't find anyplace anywhere that calls Roy Jones Jr. or Tarver the linear champs. As for Veit and Green, they had both fought their most recent fights at LHW and not SMW, but since then you are right about Veit. He fought on 11/6 at SMW. Griffin was ahead on 1 scorecard and behind by 1 and 2 points on the others. RJJ just couldn't keep his cool. A loss is a loss bro. Johnson lost to Ruiz and Jones lost to Griffin. No one is saying that Erdei is better than RJJ was. Get it straight man. And I must have missed the controversy when Gonzalez beat Johnson.