Top 5 lightweights of all times? Who's your number 1?

[soul_survivor]

One of the founding fathers.

so, that wasn't my question

[McGoorty]

1. duran
2. pernell
3. ortiz
4. leonard
5. Gans


My order of ranking could be off, but no doubt those are the 5 guys that are the best..
Im basing my ranking on h2h, how would beat who in a lightweight fight..

benny clearly has the best lightweight resume, with ortiz and duran right behind him

Well pernell ain't even close so there goes that argument.

[McGoorty]

TBH i think it a bit ridiculous having guys like Gans and Leonard so high.

Im no old time basher- i think the sport peaked in the 70s and 80s with some exceptions today such as floyd etc

but its definitely the case that technique was still evolving in the 10s and 20s. 30s and 40s it began to catch up with the modern era.

Then you clearly are overlooking a few things mate, for a start if you fought a 20 round fight with 6 oz gloves with a 1970's technique you were toast, and probably the same goes for vice versa... you MUST take in to account ALL the reasons, I am tired of people thinking old timers were somehow technically hopeless when their very health and lives are on the line why would they not know how to fight ????

[McGoorty]

Impossible to get the total order right but I would have Leonard or Gans at number one, Packey McFarland no one has bothered to even mention, he or Duran at 3... Ortiz is better than Whitaker, I would also bet that Ike smashes Pernell and a few others too I reckon. McFarland never lost officially and his record is amazing,. Battling Nelson under those old conditions beats the crap out of any modern, none could go with him for 30 rounds with 6 oz gloves... NOBODY.... Wolgast at his best would do the same so would Kid La. At the same time, with pillows like Pernell used and 12 rounds I am sure he could run for 12 rounds to score a points victory over Nelson, Lavigne or Wolgast but Packey still beats pernell up under those conditions, benny could fight at any era....... So a tentative list could be..... Gans, leonard, McFarland, Duran and Ortiz... depending of course on the rules.

[MrTambourineMan]

Duran
Leonard
Ortiz
Gans
Williams

[SouthPawHitman]

1-The man with the Hands of Stone