The Great Ones

[Michael Matos]

I have a book here written in 1975 by Reg Gutteridge entitled The Great Ones, he highlights 9 fighters.

Ali
Dempsey
Johnson
Ted "Kid" Lewis
Louis
Marciano
Moore
Robinson
Jimmy Wilde

Not debating the pro's and con's of that list but my question is this. If you had to write a book called the Great Ones 1975-2011 and you could write about nine fighters, who would they be? My list goes something like this.

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roberto Duran
George Foreman
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Leonard
Ricardo Lopez
Manny Pacquiao
Michael Spinks
Mike Tyson

[joey83]

This is my 9 in no particular order. Unlucky to miss out are, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones Jr and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.

Mike Tyson
Oscar De La Hoya
Bernard Hopkins
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Ray Leonard
Roberto Duran
Thomas Hearns
Marvin Hagler
George Foreman

[Rebel]

In no particular order.

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roberto Duran
Bernard Hopkins
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Leonard
Juan Manuel Marquez
Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pernell Whittaker

IMO, fighters like Whittaker and Marquez deserve the nod over fighters like Foreman and Spinks. Both were staples on p4p lists for a very long time during their careers. JMM is still a top p4per even as he nears 40 years of age. A 38 year-old career featherweight performing at this level at this stage against great opposition in higher weight classes is unprecedented. JMM is also the oldest lightweight champion in boxing history. Sure, winning the heavyweight title at age 45 is also impressive, but Moorer was no Manny Pacquiao. Not even close.

[El tanke]

In no particular order.

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roberto Duran
Bernard Hopkins
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Leonard
Juan Manuel Marquez
Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pernell Whittaker

IMO, fighters like Whittaker and Marquez deserve the nod over fighters like Foreman and Spinks. Both were staples on p4p lists for a very long time during their careers. JMM is still a top p4per even as he nears 40 years of age. A 38 year-old career featherweight performing at this level at this stage against great opposition in higher weight classes is unprecedented. JMM is also the oldest lightweight champion in boxing history. Sure, winning the heavyweight title at age 45 is also impressive, but Moorer was no Manny Pacquiao. Not even close.

Why did I just know that you were gonna have JMM in the list and then offer a great explanation why? haha

[El tanke]

In no particular order.


Floyd Mayweather jr
Roy Jones jr
Julio Cesar Chavez
Mike Tyson
Manny Pacquiao
Sugar Ray Leonard
Roberto Duran
Evander Holyfield
Pernell Whitaker

[joey83]

Lol jmm has no business being there or even mentioned in the same breath as these guys, are you for real? Why doesnt he fight guerrero and stop ducking him if his so great lol.

[Michael Matos]

Why did I just know that you were gonna have JMM in the list and then offer a great explanation why? haha

Don't tell nobody but it'll be the shortest chapter in the book.

[Redneck]

In no particular order.

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roberto Duran
Bernard Hopkins
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Leonard
Juan Manuel Marquez
Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pernell Whittaker

IMO, fighters like Whittaker and Marquez deserve the nod over fighters like Foreman and Spinks. Both were staples on p4p lists for a very long time during their careers. JMM is still a top p4per even as he nears 40 years of age. A 38 year-old career featherweight performing at this level at this stage against great opposition in higher weight classes is unprecedented. JMM is also the oldest lightweight champion in boxing history. Sure, winning the heavyweight title at age 45 is also impressive, but Moorer was no Manny Pacquiao. Not even close.

You dont mention Mike Tyson with any word. Thats just ignorant man...if you like him or not, he was able to make the world of boxing interesting again and forced even the non-interested people to watch boxing again. Even if you dont like his style and his opponents he should get a place in every top10 for that period of time. Everything else is not reliable.

[Rebel]

You dont mention Mike Tyson with any word. Thats just ignorant man...if you like him or not, he was able to make the world of boxing interesting again and forced even the non-interested people to watch boxing again. Even if you dont like his style and his opponents he should get a place in every top10 for that period of time. Everything else is not reliable.

If we're defining "great" in terms of the most popular, Tyson should be on the list and JMM shouldn't. However, I define "great" in terms of the quality of the fighter and what the fighter accomplished throughout his career. In that regard, JMM has been one helluva fighter. In my view, he is greater than Tyson, Foreman, and Lopez.

[Rebel]

Don't tell nobody but it'll be the shortest chapter in the book.

Lopez's would be even shorter.

[TysonFan]

Not in order.

Hopkins
Mayweather
De La Hoya
Chavez Sr.
Tyson
Pacquiao
Leonard
Duran
Holyfield

[Rebel]

BTW, if I were to include any heavyweights, I'd have Holyfield in there before Tyson, Lewis, and Foreman.

[TIP]

No order

Larry Holmes
Michael Spinks
Marvin Hagler
Ray Leonard
Roberto Duran
Manny Pacquiao
Julio Chavez
Tommy Hearns
Ricardo Lopez

[Redneck]

If we're defining "great" in terms of the most popular, Tyson should be on the list and JMM shouldn't. However, I define "great" in terms of the quality of the fighter and what the fighter accomplished throughout his career. In that regard, JMM has been one helluva fighter. In my view, he is greater than Tyson, Foreman, and Lopez.

I get what you are saying...but its still obviously that you are a Tyson-Hater. Its not the first time i recognized that. Of course he is a strange guy with not much iq....but i think in his active prime he was able to convince much people with his style and his power. So the quality of the fighter "Tyson" and what he accomplished in his career sure is worth to be mentioned in any top10...even in the top10 of the tyson-haters;-)

[El tanke]

I get what you are saying...but its still obviously that you are a Tyson-Hater. Its not the first time i recognized that. Of course he is a strange guy with not much iq....but i think in his active prime he was able to convince much people with his style and his power. So the quality of the fighter "Tyson" and what he accomplished in his career sure is worth to be mentioned in any top10...even in the top10 of the tyson-haters;-)

Tyson wasnt just a popular fighter, he was also a great fighter. Rebel makes it sound as if he was just popular, when in his prime he used to make grown men soil their pants then knock them the fuck out.

Rebel, does it seem strange that NOT ONE MEMBER, other than yourself, has voted for JMM?

[El tanke]

If we're defining "great" in terms of the most popular, Tyson should be on the list and JMM shouldn't. However, I define "great" in terms of the quality of the fighter and what the fighter accomplished throughout his career. In that regard, JMM has been one helluva fighter. In my view, he is greater than Tyson, Foreman, and Lopez.

And greater than Chavez too, right? and why not, maybe you think hes greater than Sugar ray Leonard.

[mex fighter]

SR Leonard
Marvin Hagler
JC Superstar
Finito Lopez
Mike Tyson
Duran
Holyfield
Manny Pac
Alexis Arguello

[El tanke]

?

SR Leonard
Marvin Hagler
JC Superstar
Finito Lopez
Mike Tyson
Duran
Holyfield
Manny Pac
Alexis Arguello

No JMM? you dont know your boxing, do you?

[mex fighter]

the weakest link on my list is finito, and jmm is a poor man's version of him.

[mex fighter]

[barbero]great topic, btw![/barbero]

[El tanke]

c

the weakest link on my list is finito, and jmm is a poor man's version of him.

I can see through you and your hatred for JMM, why do you dislike him so much? You just cant appreciate what JMM does in the ring, all because you are a cholo from east los and probably rank panchito bojado over JMM. all because hes MExican.

[TIP]

This is an interesting thread. There are a lot of great fighters from 1975 to the present and you can only name nine? I'm not sure what the exact criteria is, great records, impact on boxing, putting on exciting fights, popularity etc... Certainly, at least I would think Duran and Leonard would have to be included probably Hagler and Chavez but then things get debatable. I forgot to include Arguello and what about Miguel Canto (El Maestro). I didn't include Whitaker either and yet was the only one to include Larry Holmes. Some others to consider Aaron Pryor, Antonio Cervantes, Sal Sanchez and Azumuh Nelson. TIP

[Michael Matos]

This is an interesting thread. There are a lot of great fighters from 1975 to the present and you can only name nine? I'm not sure what the exact criteria is, great records, impact on boxing, putting on exciting fights, popularity etc... Certainly, at least I would think Duran and Leonard would have to be included probably Hagler and Chavez but then things get debatable. I forgot to include Arguello and what about Miguel Canto (El Maestro). I didn't include Whitaker either and yet was the only one to include Larry Holmes. Some others to consider Aaron Pryor, Antonio Cervantes, Sal Sanchez and Azumuh Nelson. TIP

The book The Great Ones had nine chapters, one for each fighter so I just threw it out there if you were writing a book who would your nine be. I thought hard about Holmes and Whitaker but I went with Leonard,Duran and Chavez as the class of the field. Foreman for rewinning the heavyweight title in the most of unlikely of stories, Spinks for his victory over Holmes, Tyson for being Jack Dempsey,Sonny Liston and Joe Louis all rolled into one, Paquiao for Flyweight to Welterweight and Jones Jr. and Lopez for showing dominance in a weight class not seen since the heavyweight reign of Joe Louis.

To take it in a lsightly different direction I see that Leonard and Duran are on every list. Are they the two best fighter of the last 36 years?

[Rabid Kimba]

SR Leonard
Marvin Hagler
JC Superstar
Finito Lopez
Mike Tyson
Duran
Holyfield
Manny Pac
Alexis Arguello

No Salvador Sanchez?

You are dead to me.

[Rabid Kimba]

I'm sorry...but if your list does not have Marvin Hagler (and to a lesser extent, Tommy Hearns)...or if your list includes JMM (Barrera and Morales are both greater than him) and Finito Lopez (please, this is a top ten boxing list, not a Hobbit or Munchkinland list, lol)...you should immediately revoke your boxing fan status...print your list...and promptly throw that shit into the garbage can...or burn it in your fireplace if you have one, lol.

Niggaz' please...

[Black Gatti]

I have a book here written in 1975 by Reg Gutteridge entitled The Great Ones, he highlights 9 fighters.

Ali
Dempsey
Johnson
Ted "Kid" Lewis
Louis
Marciano
Moore
Robinson
Jimmy Wilde

Not debating the pro's and con's of that list but my question is this. If you had to write a book called the Great Ones 1975-2011 and you could write about nine fighters, who would they be? My list goes something like this.

Julio Cesar Chavez
Roberto Duran
George Foreman
Roy Jones Jr.
Ray Leonard
Ricardo Lopez
Manny Pacquiao
Michael Spinks
Mike Tyson

Excellent Thread!!

...But curious why would you choose Spinks and Lopez?

[Rabid Kimba]

Excellent Thread!!

...But curious why would you choose Lopez?

Glad you said it...and not me...I'm scared of Matos...

[Punk]

The book should have JMM on the cover and be primarily aboit JMM, with a page here and there devited to lesser, inferior guys like Mike Tyson.

[joey83]

I'm sorry...but if your list does not have Marvin Hagler (and to a lesser extent, Tommy Hearns)...or if your list includes JMM (Barrera and Morales are both greater than him) and Finito Lopez (please, this is a top ten boxing list, not a Hobbit or Munchkinland list, lol)...you should immediately revoke your boxing fan status...print your list...and promptly throw that shit into the garbage can...or burn it in your fireplace if you have one, lol.

Niggaz' please...

Mine has hagler and hearns, i gota say my list looks the best of them all lol

[joey83]

The book should have JMM on the cover and be primarily aboit JMM, with a page here and there devited to lesser, inferior guys like Mike Tyson.

Haha too funny, anyone who thinks tyson was just popular and not great is delusional, he was a beast and could knockout the unknockoutable, at his size to do what he did at heavyweight just his fighting ability is all time great in my books.