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By Cliff Rold - For any new boxing fan, the time is not long before a fellow fan points out a magic number which grows more mythologized with time: eight. As in boxing’s original eight weight classes. The number represents in the mind of many a time when the sport was compressed into fields which couldn’t help but be talented, couldn’t help but draw crowds, because there were so few places on the scale to go. They were divisions marked by single champions ever challenged by a depth of contenders today’s seventeen weight classes rarely know. [details]
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kinda obvious pancho villa and jimmy wylde would be at the top
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Pancho Villa is the greatest Filipino and Asian fighter of all time.... too bad he was poisoned...Comment
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Easy pick at #1 no one has ever come close to doing what Wilde did. Here's a guy that reports say used to weigh in fully clothed with a rain coat on just to make the flyweight limit and yet he still beat everyone infront of him until age, a long layoff and a hungry young fighter ended his historic reign.Comment
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Frankie Genaro was underrated. He beat Pancho Villa 2x, I think. You could really argue a switch in places from # 2 to # 5, but no questions on # 1, however.
Pancho Villa beat an ageing and a ring worn Jimmy Wilde and was beat by McLarnin before succumbing to complication due to a tooth extraction. He really wasn't champion for long. Died too young to prove his greatness. I still think he is a bit overrated.Comment
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Nice article. Jimmy Wilde was the greatest British fighter of all time, IMO.
Villa's career was tragically cut short when he died at only 23 - just think of what he could have achieved otherwise. I hope he is still celebrated in the Philippines.Comment
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I would have put Perez in the top 3 rather than sixth, but overall, good stuff.Comment
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Good stuff right here.Comment
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Great stuff Cliff.
I tried (its an ongoing process) to make my own top 10 boxers for every weight division so can definitely appreciate the time and effort needed to complete such lists. The knowledge you possess to be able to do write-ups like this is first class.
I would maybe have Kingpetch in the top ten, but overall a list I agree with.
Jimmy Wilde must have possessed awesome power; I just wish there was more footage of him in his prime.Comment
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Congratulations on a thoroughly enjoyable and informative article Cliff, keep it coming.Comment
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