The Best in your Lifetime?

[MisterHardtop]

I've been a member of this site for a few days now and it is obvious that a number of other members have a great knowledge of the sport. This led me to thinking, as so many of you are from various parts of the world and spread across multiple age groups, who are the best fighters you have seen in your life times? Only pick the top 10 or 20 that have actually fought while you have been alive and you have actually seen, whether it be live or on TV.

My own list stretches as far back as 1970.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Ray Leonard
3. Roberto Duran
4. Julio Cesar Chavez Sr
5. George Foreman
6. Marvin Hagler
7. Joe Frazier
8. Carlos Monzon
9. Pernell Whitaker
10. Jose Napoles
11. Tommy Hearns
12. Bernard Hopkins
13. Nino Bienvenuti
14. Bob Foster
15. Larry Holmes
16. Michael Spinks
17. Alexis Arguello
18. Miguel Canto
20. Mike Tyson

Ali for me is the greatest all round fighter I ever saw and is most definitely the most thought provoking athlete I have had the pleasure of meeting. In the ring he was as smooth as silk, there is no one who comes close to a prime Ali and when he got older he worked on his inside game, he started to sit down on his punches more and learned to fight. He was a street fighter with the looks of a movie star. There is clear day light between him and everyone else.

Leonard is a distant second, his all round skill made him the best of the fab four, his ability to fight and box allowed him to beat every great fighter put in front of him at least once. His demise was slow and sad. Duran was ferocity personified, much like Tyson.

I'd like to know how many of you have heard of Miguel Canto, the best "little" fighter I ever saw. He was sadly underrated in his own time and seems to have disappeared from our collective conscience. What do you guys think?

[BUNGALOWS]

First fights I've ever seen as a kid was a classic Sugar Ray Leonard fight on ESPN. First fight I've ever watched live was Tuesday Night Fights, I believe, and it was Roy Jones Jr. and Ray Leonard vs. Camacho.

They will always have a place in my heart, because they were literally the first fighters I've seen on TV.

Also, I grew up as a huge Roy Jones fan, so he's the best I've ever seen during his reign/prime.

[The Big Dunn]

going back to 1980

SRL
floyd
roy
hagler
duran
sweet pea
ricardo lopez
chavez sr
salvador sanchez
hopkins
manny
toney

[MisterHardtop]

First fights I've ever seen as a kid was a classic Sugar Ray Leonard fight on ESPN. First fight I've ever watched live was Tuesday Night Fights, I believe, and it was Roy Jones Jr. and Ray Leonard vs. Camacho.

They will always have a place in my heart, because they were literally the first fighters I've seen on TV.

Also, I grew up as a huge Roy Jones fan, so he's the best I've ever seen during his reign/prime.

I always had a love hate relationship with Jones. I don't think he liked me much either haha But I loved his skill, his natural talent and his athleticism but he picked on a string of men who did not deserve to even be in the same ring as him. There were worthy challengers out there but he never took them, Roy Jones was a Formula 1 car racing in the Formula 3 series.

[gatorDelux]

I've been a member of this site for a few days now and it is obvious that a number of other members have a great knowledge of the sport. This led me to thinking, as so many of you are from various parts of the world and spread across multiple age groups, who are the best fighters you have seen in your life times? Only pick the top 10 or 20 that have actually fought while you have been alive and you have actually seen, whether it be live or on TV.

My own list stretches as far back as 1970.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Ray Leonard
3. Roberto Duran
4. Julio Cesar Chavez Sr
5. George Foreman
6. Marvin Hagler
7. Joe Frazier
8. Carlos Monzon
9. Pernell Whitaker
10. Jose Napoles
11. Tommy Hearns
12. Bernard Hopkins
13. Nino Bienvenuti
14. Bob Foster
15. Larry Holmes
16. Michael Spinks
17. Alexis Arguello
18. Miguel Canto
20. Mike Tyson

Ali for me is the greatest all round fighter I ever saw and is most definitely the most thought provoking athlete I have had the pleasure of meeting. In the ring he was as smooth as silk, there is no one who comes close to a prime Ali and when he got older he worked on his inside game, he started to sit down on his punches more and learned to fight. He was a street fighter with the looks of a movie star. There is clear day light between him and everyone else.

Leonard is a distant second, his all round skill made him the best of the fab four, his ability to fight and box allowed him to beat every great fighter put in front of him at least once. His demise was slow and sad. Duran was ferocity personified, much like Tyson.

I'd like to know how many of you have heard of Miguel Canto, the best "little" fighter I ever saw. He was sadly underrated in his own time and seems to have disappeared from our collective conscience. What do you guys think?

i never get it when leonard is ranked higher than duran p4p

[BUNGALOWS]

I always had a love hate relationship with Jones. I don't think he liked me much either haha But I loved his skill, his natural talent and his athleticism but he picked on a string of men who did not deserve to even be in the same ring as him. There were worthy challengers out there but he never took them, Roy Jones was a Formula 1 car racing in the Formula 3 series.

Roy Jones could and probably would beat any MW/SMW/LHW in the history of boxing. That says enough. At least be the favorite in a vast majority of those bouts.

SRR/Ezzard Charles give him the best fights.

I grew up with Roy Jone's career, so I'm sort of a RJJ homer, but over the years, moved onto other fighters, but still, he's my first boxing, fanboy moment.

Also was a HUGE Tyson homer, like everyone else, but then grew out of that phase, as I really started to learn about Ali. Could never pick Tyson over Ali.

[LeG00N]

I started watching boxing in a serious manner in the 2000's

so

Pacquiao
Morales
Marquez
Barrera
Kltischkos
Trinidad
DLH
Poopkins
Fraud


If I named the ones I lived through I'd have to include

Roy Jones
Toney
Whitaker
Chavez sr
Lewis
Holyfield
Tyson
Finito Lopez
Carbajal
Gonzalez

[Boxing Bob]

I've been a member of this site for a few days now and it is obvious that a number of other members have a great knowledge of the sport. This led me to thinking, as so many of you are from various parts of the world and spread across multiple age groups, who are the best fighters you have seen in your life times? Only pick the top 10 or 20 that have actually fought while you have been alive and you have actually seen, whether it be live or on TV.

My own list stretches as far back as 1970.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Ray Leonard
3. Roberto Duran
4. Julio Cesar Chavez Sr
5. George Foreman
6. Marvin Hagler
7. Joe Frazier
8. Carlos Monzon
9. Pernell Whitaker
10. Jose Napoles
11. Tommy Hearns
12. Bernard Hopkins
13. Nino Bienvenuti
14. Bob Foster
15. Larry Holmes
16. Michael Spinks
17. Alexis Arguello
18. Miguel Canto
20. Mike Tyson

Ali for me is the greatest all round fighter I ever saw and is most definitely the most thought provoking athlete I have had the pleasure of meeting. In the ring he was as smooth as silk, there is no one who comes close to a prime Ali and when he got older he worked on his inside game, he started to sit down on his punches more and learned to fight. He was a street fighter with the looks of a movie star. There is clear day light between him and everyone else.

Leonard is a distant second, his all round skill made him the best of the fab four, his ability to fight and box allowed him to beat every great fighter put in front of him at least once. His demise was slow and sad. Duran was ferocity personified, much like Tyson.

I'd like to know how many of you have heard of Miguel Canto, the best "little" fighter I ever saw. He was sadly underrated in his own time and seems to have disappeared from our collective conscience. What do you guys think?

our lifetime is the same, but I'm too lazy to make a list, so I'll critique yours. First, no way in hell is George Foreman the 5th best fighter- he beat very few quality fighters and loss to some that were well below world class, loveable character but not in the top 15 let alone top 5. Especially with Holmes (who accomplished much, much more) in at 15.

I wouldn't have Chavez Sr that high, more like 11-14. Despite what the idiot judges said, he lost badly to Whitaker (9th)

Napoles 16-20, good fighter, just doesn't have the quality wins to be that high

Bienvenuti is here but no RJJ, Wilfredo Gomez, Salvador Sanchez, Lennox Lewis, Khaosi Galaxy, or Ricardo Lopez? No, just no

[therealpugilist]

Was born in '85 started watching boxing casually until about '97 when I saw Roy Jones ko Virgil Hill with a body shot and his natural instincts, athleticism and combination of speed and power I was hooked.

Watching Leonard, Benitez, Hearns, Ali, on ESPN classic got me into the sport. In my lifetime, in his prime, Roy Jones was the best fighter I ever saw....not the greatest, but most definitely the best. Watching Mayweather's career unfold was a treat, the first fight I saw of his was the Genaro Hernandez fight, I knew he was gonna be an all-time great.

[jimboinbigd]

I'm 45 and have been watching fights since the mid 70's. My top twenty is based on skill, resume, and box office appeal and star power and historical impact on the sport, along with entertainment value leading up to the fight and during the fight. With that, here we go...

20. Shane Mosley/Miguel Cotto (tied)

19. Real Deal Holyfield

18. Lennox Lewis

17. Sweet Pea

16. Chavez Sr.

15. B Hop

14. Marvin Hagler

13. The Klit Brothers

12. George Foreman

11. Oscar De La Hoya

10. Manny Pacquiao

9. Roy Jones Jr.

8. Joe Frazier

7. Roberto Duran

6. Thomas Hearns

5. Larry Holmes

4. Mike Tyson

3. SRL

2. Muhammad Ali



and #1 is....


Floyd Mayweather Jr.