My Top 20 All Time

[trfcdan86]

It's like Chinese whisperes when it comes to the greats from old, they get better and better with time, and their greatness becomes more and more exaggerated.

A lot of the time we overlook the greats from today and the last 15-20 years.

[IronDanHamza]

Here goes:

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Henry Armstrong
4. Joe Louis
5. Harry Greb
6. Benny Leonard
7. Jack Johnson
8. Roberto Duran
9. Willie Pep
10. Gene Tunney
11. Micky Walker
12. Sam Langford
13. Julio Cesar Chavez
14. Joe Gans
15. Archie Moore
16. Sugar Ray Leonard
17. Jack Dempsey
18. Kid Chocolate
19. Jimmy Wilde
20. Barbados Joe Walcott

This is a list of the fighters I've seen footage of and/or read about to an extent I feel I can give an accurate account of their greatness. Admittedly, it is very hard to do such a list because there are so many names I want to put it in there. And some would potentially be lower on other people's lists, but each to his own of course.

No Ezzard Charles?

[soul_survivor]

Yet you have Jimmy Wilde in your list? What's your basis for having Wilde in there? Out of curiosity.

A long list of fighters on your list are "old school" fighters from pre 1950.

there are full fight vids of many fighters pre-1950 but yeah, you're right about Wilde, there are a handful of clips available but he was the first flyweight champion, he beat a tonne of top rated contenders etc etc I've read enough about him to feel that he was a great, great fighter. he lost only 5 times in over 145 bouts.

I never said to not rank fighters if you haven't seen them or seen very little BUT I restrict myself to a few, only the ones who are true standouts and whos reputations carry weight throughout history. hence joe gans being there amongst others.

edit: just had a quick scan through my list again, theres only a handful of what i call "unseen" fighters, the vast majority you can find videos of, whole fight clips, in some cases whole careers. the "unseen" fighters I've ranked top 20 are guys whos reputations like i mentioned before, are too big to deny, there were a few others i may have added but it's a top 20 so certain great names had to be culled.

[IronDanHamza]

there are full fight vids of many fighters pre-1950 but yeah, you're right about Wilde, there are a handful of clips available but he was the first flyweight champion, he beat a tonne of top rated contenders etc etc I've read enough about him to feel that he was a great, great fighter. he lost only 5 times in over 145 bouts.

I never said to not rank fighters if you haven't seen them or seen very little BUT I restrict myself to a few, only the ones who are true standouts and whos reputations carry weight throughout history. hence joe gans being there amongst others.

Could you provide those, please?

I know there is footage of fighters pre 1950, there's not many fighters there aren't footage of.

I just think it's funny you're talking about people ranking "old school" fighters for the sake of being old but your list of ridden with "old" fighters.

Your list is good though. Chavez and Hopkins are obvious poor choices but it's a good list overall. Don't really agree with the order though.

[LacedUp]

No Ezzard Charles?

Damn I thought I put him in there. He should be around 15.

I knew I missed out on someone.

[soul_survivor]

Here goes:

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Henry Armstrong
4. Joe Louis
5. Harry Greb
6. Benny Leonard
7. Jack Johnson
8. Roberto Duran
9. Willie Pep
10. Gene Tunney
11. Micky Walker
12. Sam Langford
13. Julio Cesar Chavez
14. Joe Gans
15. Archie Moore
16. Sugar Ray Leonard
17. Jack Dempsey
18. Kid Chocolate
19. Jimmy Wilde
20. Barbados Joe Walcott

This is a list of the fighters I've seen footage of and/or read about to an extent I feel I can give an accurate account of their greatness. Admittedly, it is very hard to do such a list because there are so many names I want to put it in there. And some would potentially be lower on other people's lists, but each to his own of course.

pretty good list, but no charles? that's unusual and the inclusion of jack johnson. but that's what's so hard about narrowing it down to 20, so many great fighters have to be excluded and a lot of the names outside of the top 6 or 7 are very close with each other.

[LacedUp]

pretty good list, but no charles? that's unusual and the inclusion of jack johnson. but that's what's so hard about narrowing it down to 20, so many great fighters have to be excluded and a lot of the names outside of the top 6 or 7 are very close with each other.

Yeah, I should have included Charles, I don't know why I missed out on him. Jack Johnson was not only an unbelievable fighter for his time, a long reigning champ, but was also so important outside of the ring.

Not only was he the pioneer of black heavyweight boxing and black inclusion in sport as a whole, but was an unbelievable figure outside of the ring and the first african american cult hero. Much like Ali's greatness is elevated because of out of the ring accomplishments, so is Jack Johnson and I think he fully deserves a place in the top 10.

But as I said, each to his own.

[LacedUp]

Could you provide those, please?

I know there is footage of fighters pre 1950, there's not many fighters there aren't footage of.

I just think it's funny you're talking about people ranking "old school" fighters for the sake of being old but your list of ridden with "old" fighters.

Your list is good though. Chavez and Hopkins are obvious poor choices but it's a good list overall. Don't really agree with the order though.

Any attempt to post your own list? I'd be interested to see it.

[Jloro]

I like a lot of the names in the list, but I miss a couple as well.

I don't know about Hopkins in top 20- I don't think so.

I know he should be much higher

[IronDanHamza]

Any attempt to post your own list? I'd be interested to see it.

I don't have a specific Top 20. I posted it in the other thread.

Here's my Top 10;

1. Robinson
2. Greb
3. Charles
4. Langford
5. Armstrong
6. B.Leonard
7. Fitzsimmons
8. Duran
9. Moore
10. Pep

Then like I said I don't have an order from the Top 20 because everytime I try it I change my mind and end up giving up but it would include guys like this

No order

Jimmy Mclarnin
Ray Leonard
Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Gene Tunney
Kid Gavilan
Micky Walker

There's 7 who I think I would definitely include in my Top 20.

The last 3 slots are fought for by the likes of;

Barney Ross
Tony Canzoneri
Carlos Monzon
Charley Burley
Joe Walcott

etc

That's off the top of my head so I know I'll have missed some out.