JULY 2007

01 | The Life and Times of  a Boxing Pioneer
By Enrique Encinosa

02 | Poem of the Month
By Colleen Aycock

03 | In the Ring with James J. Corbett : Book Sample
By Adam Pollack

04 | My Candidate for Manager of the Year: Cameron Dunkin
By Adam Pollack


05 | Touching Gloves with Ruben Navarro
By Dan Hanley

06 | Flashback to the 2006 World Boxing Hall of Fame Banquet
By Dan Hanley

07 | Why the Old Soviet Block of Nations is having Success in Boxing
By Rocky Alkazoff

08 | "I'm from Down-Under too" Reflections from    IBHOF 2007
By Orion Foote

09 | Prelims:the Art & Science of Matchmaking [pdf]
By Don Cogswell

10 | Boxing's Lineal Mathematics : Champion Versus Champion
By Cliff Rold


Boxing's Lineal Mathematics: Champion Versus Champion

by CLIFF ROLD

INTRODUCTION 

Over the course of this series, I will examine the battles between the sports elite, the who fought who and how many times.  By limiting the scope to only those men who have held true lineal world championships in the now seventeen weight divisions that dot the landscape, I don’t expect to find a definitive answer to who the greatest of all time were.  I do think light can be shed in a way that has not been done before. 

PART TWO: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

 In the first part of this series, printed in the September issue of Wail!, I reviewed the battles that had taken place between men who once held the heavyweight championship of the world.  Below heavyweight, things get more interesting.  That’s because, below heavyweight, some of the battles we find among the lower weight champions might not have taken place at the weight class in question.  For instance, Sugar Ray Robinson fought Carmen Basilio at middleweight but they both are counted as champions at middleweight AND welterweight.  The purpose of this study is to weigh how champions did against each other (a round robin tournament of champions if you will) so in a case like Robinson-Basilio, the results of their bouts will count in both weight classes.  You will also note later, in divisions like Lightweight, that the list of champions diverts from what you might find in the Cyber Boxing Zone encyclopedia of lineal champions.  These champions will be noted in Italics and are mostly recent Ring Magazine champions whom I believe held legitimate claim to the World Championship (this will not include every Ring-recognized reign in every division since they began reissuing titles in 2002).  The scoring works simply:

·        One point for each fellow lineal champion in the division in question faced at any time in one’s career (not just limited to title fights)

·        One point for a win

·        Minus One point for a loss

·        Half a point for a draw or no contest

·        Two points for a knockout win

·        Minus two points for a knockout loss

·        An * is used to denote a still-active fighter

·        Italics represent a Championship reign I find accurate but not reflected at CBZ

·        Records are compiled by checking BoxRec.com and CBZ and a recorded newspaper decision from either is counted as a win

In examining the light heavyweight division, one thing that jumps out is the lack of continuity in the division, with the title vacant almost thirty of the last one-hundred years.  Its position below the heavyweight division has provided the cash impetus to leave the confines of 175 lbs. whenever one has been able to truly establish a name there.  There have been notable exceptions and those men emerge as strong presences all-time.  The end of one period of vacancy will be sure to inflame some fans, particularly in the United States.   

The debate will rage for years about just who was the light heavyweight champion beginning around 1996.  This list recognizes the start of the correct line of champions as the result of Virgil Hill-Henry Maske for the following reasons:

1)      In 1996, unification of the alphabet titles was still the primary way of separating champions from titlists.

2)      In 1996, Hill was the WBA titlist and Maske the IBF beltholder.  The WBC title was held by Fabrice Tiozzo.

3)      Prior to Hill-Maske, Hill defended the WBA title against Tiozzo successfully.  Tiozzo won his belt after that fight but still concurrent with Hill’s reign.

4)      That result left Hill and Maske as the only viable claimants to the crown at 175 when that fight was signed.  Notably, Roy Jones had yet to enter the division and would have his first fight at 175 the same weekend as Hill-Maske.   

The rest is history…disputed history at that.  I note this vacancy because contemporary fans will wonder about the lack of Jones, Antonio Tarver and Bernard Hopkins on this list as theirs is the more popular if historically inaccurate line of champions at 175.  For the purpose of fairness, if we recognize Jones as the first light heavyweight champion since Michael Spinks rather than Hill, then the points breakdown for that line would be based on their career mark against each other and distributes as:

·        Roy Jones: -2

·        Antonio Tarver: 5

·        Glenn Johnson: 1

·        Bernard Hopkins: 6

As you will see on the total list of champions that would have been enough to see Tarver and Hopkins finish among the top five in the tournament of champions format.  It would also mark Tarver as the first man in history ever to regain the lineal title at 175.  Roy would not get credit for wins against Hill and Julio Gonzalez because only one historical line can be correct.  That is the significance of recognizing Hill-Maske as the birth of the modern light heavyweight line. 

The chart below features the accomplishments and scores of every lineal light heavyweight champion in chronological order, followed by a look at the top 10.

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT: THE NUMBERS 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Jack Root (1903)

1

2-2-1, 1 KOBY

-0.5

George Gardner (1903)

2

2-3-1, 1 KO

3.5

Bob Fitzsimmons (1903-1905)

2

1-1, 1 KOBY

0

Philadelphia Jack O'Brien (1905)

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

Jack Dillon (1914-16)

1

5-2-2

5

Battling Levisnky (1916-20)

3

3-6-2, 1 KOBY

-1

Georges Carpentier (1920-22)

3

1-2-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2.5

Battling Siki (1922-24)

3

1-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Mike McTigue (1923-25)

5

3-5, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

3

Paul Berlenbach (1925-26)

3

3-4, 1 KO, 3 KOBY

-2

Jack Delaney (1926-27)

4

6-1-1, 1 KO

11.5

Tommy Loughran (1927)

3

4-2-1

5.5

Maxie Rosenbloom (1932-34)

3

3-4

2

Bob Olin (1934-35)

3

1-4, 1 KOBY

-2

John Henry Lewis (1935-39)

2

4-2, 1 KO

6

Billy Conn (1939-41)

1

2-0

3

Gus Lesnevich (1941-48)

5

2-5, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Freddie Mills (1948-50)

2

1-2, 2 KOBY

-3

Joey Maxim (1950-52)

4

2-4, 1 KO

4

Archie Moore (1952-62)

3

6-1-1, 1 KO

10.5

Harold Johnson (1962-63)

2

1-5, 1 KOBY

-4

Willie Pastrano (1963-65)

4

3-1-1, 1 KOBY

4.5

Jose Torres (1965-66)

2

1-2, 1 KO

3

Dick Tiger (1966-68)

2

2-1, 1 KOBY

1

Bob Foster (1968-74)

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

Michael Spinks (1983-85)

0

 

0

Virgil Hill (1996-97)*

1

0-1

0

Dariusz Michalzewski (1997-2003)

2

1-1

2

Julio Gonzalez (2003)*

2

1-1

2

Zsolt Erdei (2004-Present)*

1

1-0

2

 

TOP TEN AT LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS CHAMPION VERSUS CHAMPION 

The top ten names that emerge from this list span a century of time, covering the divisions rich history almost from start to finish.  They are… 

10)     George Gardner  

·        The second light heavyweight champion…Faced only two others (Jack Root and Bob Fitzsimmons), winning two and losing three with a knockout of Root in their first bout. – 3.5 points

7)       Bob Foster

·        In a three way tie for seventh, Foster is considered by many the greatest of all light heavyweight champions…Foster suffers from his own dominance…He faced only one fellow light heavyweight champion, Dick Tiger, whom he obliterated by knockout – 4 points

7)   Joey Maxim

·        Notable for his willingness to face black fighters at a time when white fighters could easily avoid them, Maxim was the only man ever to stop Sugar Ray Robinson…Maxim faced four fellow light heavyweight champions (Moore, Pastrano, Lesnevich, Mills) with two wins against four losses and a KO of Mills  – 4 points

7)       Philadelphia Jack O’Brien

·        The strength of the knockout win on this list surfaces here as O’Brien faced only one fellow titlist, Fitzimmons, to capture the title by KO. – 4 points

6)    Willie Pastrano

·        Immensely popular fighter in the 50’s and 60’s suffered from inconsistency throughout his career…Master boxer fought twelve years before capturing crown…Faced four titlists (Johnson, Moore, Maxim, Torres) winning three and losing once by stoppage.– 4.5 points

5)       Jack Dillon

·        A near two-year reign from 1914-1916…Faced only one fellow titlist, Battling Levinsky, an amazing 9 times winning five and drawing twice…Campaigned in his time against the best from welterweight to heavyweight.  – 5 points

4)      Tommy Loughran

·        A true legend in his time or any defeated Hall of Famers from welterweight to heavyweight…captured title in 1927 from Mike McTigue and vacated in 1929 to campaign at heavyweight…Also did battle with Georges Carpentier and Jack Delaney…Never defeated Delaney with whom he lost and drew. – 5.5 points

3)      John Henry Lewis

·        Like most light heavyweights, most famous for a loss at heavyweight…Famously stopped while losing his sight in one round by a Joe Louis who wanted to see him get a solid payday…It would be Lewis’ final fight and he retired still king at 175…Faced two fellow champions (Rosenbloom and Olin) for a record of 4 wins against two losses with a knockout victory of Olin in a 1937 title defense. – 6 points

2)      Archie Moore

·        A light heavyweight actually famous for being a great light heavyweight…the ‘Old Mongoose’ didn’t capture the crown until his late thirties due to the color line and the competitive character of Joey Maxim…Faced three fellow titlists (Maxim, Johnson and Pastrano)  for six wins against a lone loss and draw – 10.5 points

1)   Jack Delaney

·        Won the title from Paul Berlenbach in 1926 but never defended it, choosing as so many before to move to heavyweight with mixed results…Rugged Canadian faced four fellow titlists (Loughran, Rosenbloom, Berlenbach, McTigue) garnering six wins against a lone loss and draw…Defeated each at least once. – 11.5 points 

While few would favor Delaney over Moore, the Canadians extra man faced from this list (four to Moore’s three) is enough to make the difference.  This is not though the end of this reflection.  In 1979, the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions were slightly fractured by the birth of the cruiserweight division.  Its lineage crumbled in 1988 by the departure of World champion Evander Holyfield, no one would claim the divisions true World title again until 2006 (O’Neill Bell) which may explain why so many still ask “What the hell is a cruiserweight?”  It’s a fighter above 175 pounds but below 200 and their champions have been: 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Marvin Camel (1980)

1

0-2, 1 KOBY

-3

Carlos DeLeon (1980-82, 83-85, 86-88)

5

4-3, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

6

S.T. Gordon (1982-83)

1

1-1, 1 KO

3

Alonzo Ratliff (1985)

2

1-1

2

Bernard Benton (1986)

2

1-1

2

Evander Holyfield (1988)*

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

Jean Marc Mormeck (2005-06, 07-Present)*

1

1-1, 1 KOBY

-1

O'Neill Bell (2006-07)*

1

1-1, 1 KO

3

As evidenced above, there isn’t a particularly deep or memorable history in this class, but two champions deserve some mention…

2)                Evander Holyfield

·        Considered rightly by most to be the greatest of all time at cruiserweight, he didn’t stick around long…Second place finish goes nicely with third place finish under these measuring standards at heavyweight…defeated easily the only lineal cruiserweight champion he faced, Carlos De Leon on the way to unifying all of the various belts in the division. – 4 points

1)                Carlos De Leon

·        The most steady performer in the first decade of cruiserweight history would hold the title three times…Faced every man on the list from the division’s inception until Holyfield’s departure…Fun fighter with a shaky chin. – 6 points 

What is the common denominator for both these weight classes?  Simply that being a light heavyweight, or cruiserweight, was just never as profitable as being a real heavyweight.  That said, there is enough dramatic history to provide these men with a special place in boxing history.  If you’re ready now, you can click below to unveil the head to head champions of the middleweight class. 

 

PART THREE: THE MIDDLEWEIGHTS 

The cliché description is that middleweights have the speed of the little guys and the knockout flair of the big ones.  As you’ll see, there is a lot of truth in that analysis.  Unfortunately, the rich history of the division through the first sixty years of the twentieth century had been a bit diluted over the last forty with the birth of the super and junior classes to the division. I struggled over whether to include super-middleweights here or with the light heavyweights; after all, their weight limit (168) was encompassed by light heavyweight until the division was established in 1984.  Ultimately, it was the fact that the bulk of the best fighters at 168 have been more associated with middleweight than the class above that placed them here.  In total, twenty slots (though a few more than twenty fighters) from the three classes are rated. 

The chart below features the accomplishments and scores of every lineal super-middleweight champion in chronological order, followed by a look at the top 3 (no need for ten with such a short history). 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Murray Sutherland (1984)

1

0-1, 1 KOBY

-2

Chong Pal-Park (1984-88)

3

1-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Fulgencio Olbemejias (1988-89)

2

1-1, 1 KOBY

0

In-Chul Baek (1989-90)

3

2-1, 2 KO, 1 KOBY

6

Chris Tiozzo (1990-91)

1

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

1

Victor Cordoba (1991-1992)

2

1-2, 1 KO

3

Michael Nunn (1992-94)

3

2-2

3

Steve Little (1994)

2

1-1

2

Frank Liles (1994-99)

3

2-1, 1 KOBY

2

Byron Mitchell (1999-2000)

3

1-2-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2.5

Bruno Girard (2000-2001)

1

1-0-1

2.5

Joe Calzaghe (2006)*

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

 

TOP THREE AT SUPER MIDDLWEIGHT CHAMPION VERSUS CHAMPION 

The top names that emerge aren’t likely to be remembered with the all-time greats with the exception of one, and due to this lists focus on lineal titles a great number of the best fighters in the class (men like Roy Jones, James Toney and Sven Ottke) do not appear here.  That said, it is a weight class beginning to emerge in 2006, and for a period in the 1990’s, as an elite division worth watching.  The top three champs are… 

3)                Michael Nunn & Victor Cordoba

·        Well, actually it’s four and not a bit ironic that these two would share that spot...Nunn won the title from Cordoba in 1992 on a controversial nod and kept it in similar fashion…Cordoba faced two fellow champions (winning the title from Chris Tiozzo) going 1-2 with 1 KO…Nunn faced three titlists total (Cordoba, Little, Liles), going 2-2, and is the only fighter in history to capture the lineal title at 168 and at the classic 160 lb. middleweight class…3 points

2)                Joe Calzaghe

·        Calzaghe is the current World champion of the division…Defended alphabet title (WBO) 19 times and gained recognition as the head of the class in 2006 with a win over American Jeff Lacy…His score is unlikely to rise with all of the former champions of the division retired but he may go down as the best yet in the class…Did face then-former champion Byron Mitchell in as sensational a two-round bout as there can be…4 points

1)               In-Chul Baek

·        South Korean native not a memorable name but had a successful run at 168…Held World title for less than one year…Ultimately faced three other champions (Park, Obelmejias, Tiozzo) going 2-1 with a knockout finish in every one of those three bouts…6 points 

If Super middleweight is short on history, middleweight has more than enough to spare.  A division with so many legitimate Hall of Famers on its champions rolls that it could be its own wing in Canastota, middleweight may also be the source of more fight of the year-type battles than any other class.  Two decades in the last 11 have seen the title splintered among multiple claimants (the 1930’s and 1990’s) but for the most part it has been a class with remarkable consistency to its lineal crown.    

The chart below features the accomplishments and scores of every lineal middleweight champion in chronological order, followed by a look at the top 10.  Take your time in perusing…the depth of names is awe-inspiring. 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Jack Dempsey (1884-1891)

2

0-2, 2 KOBY

-4

Bob Fitzsimmons (1891-1985)

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

Tommy Ryan (1898-1906)

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

Stanley Ketchel (1907-08, 08)

2

3-1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

4.5

Billy Papke (1908)

2

1-4-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

-0.5

Frank Klaus (1913)

3

1-2-2, 2 KOBY

-1

George Chip (1913-14)

3

4-4, 2 KO, 1 KOBY

5

Al McCoy (1914-17)

3

1-6, 1 KO, 2 KOBY

-4

Mike O'Dowd (1917-20)

3

3-2, 2 KO

8

Johnny Wilson (1920-23)

3

2-4, 1KOBY

-1

Harry Greb (1923-26)

6

8-5

9

Tiger Flowers (1926)

3

3-2, 1 KO

6

Mickey Walker (1926-31)

2

1-1

2

Tony Zale (1941-47, 48)

2

2-2, 2 KO, 2 KOBY

2

Rocky Graziano (1947-48)

2

1-3, 1 KO, 3 KOBY

-4

Marcel Cerdan (1948-49)

2

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Jake LaMotta (1949-51)

2

2-4, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

0

Sugar Ray Robinson (1951, 51-52, 55-57, 57, 58-60)

9

13-9-1, 7 KO

27.5

Randy Turpin (1951)

2

1-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

1

Carl Olson (1952-55)

2

1-4, 3 KOBY

-7

Gene Fullmer (1957)

4

5-3-2, 2 KO, 2 KOBY

7

Carmen Basilio (1957-58)

3

1-4, 2 KOBY

-4

Paul Pender (1960-61, 62-63)

4

5-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

7

Terry Downes (1961-62)

4

3-3, 1 KO, 2 KOBY

2

Dick Tiger (1963, 65-66)

5

6-4-1, 2 KO

11.5

Joey Giardello (1963-65)

4

3-3-1

4.5

Emile Griffith (1966-67, 67)

5

3-6, 1 KOBY

0

Nino Benvenuti (1967, 1968-70)

3

2-4, 2 KOBY

-3

Carlos Monzon (1970-1977)

3

6-0, 3 KO

15

Rodrigo Valdez (1977-78)

2

0-4

-2

Hugo Corro (1978-79)

2

2-1

3

Vito Antufermo (1979-80)

3

1-3-1, 2 KOBY

-2.5

Alan Minter (1980)

3

3-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

5

Marvin Hagler (1980-87)

3

2-1-1, 2 KO

8.5

Ray Leonard (1987)

1

1-0

2

Michael Nunn (1989-91)

1

0-1, 1 KOBY

-2

James Toney (1991-93)*

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

Bernard Hopkins (2001-2005)*

1

0-2

-1

Jermain Taylor (2005-Present)*

1

2-0

3

 

TOP TEN AT MIDDLWEIGHT CHAMPION VERSUS CHAMPION 

This is a list in little need of introduction as almost everyone on it is in the Hall of Fame.  I will say that it is likely that only his untimely death at age 24 that kept Stanley Ketchel from the upper echelon here.  So great that the top ten needed eleven fighters… 

10)             tie - George Chip & Alan Minter

·        Easily forgotten names got some good business done ¾ of a century apart…Chip faced three fellow champs (Klaus, McCoy, Greb) eight times with four wins against the same number of losses with two stops and one KO loss…Minter is probably most famous for the riot his fans caused following his stoppage on a cut to Marvin Hagler…Faced three champs (Griffith, Antufermo, Hagler) posting three wins versus a single loss…5 points

9)            Tiger Flowers

·        Untimely death of “The Georgia Deacon” on the operating table keeps him from soaring to greater heights…Legend says he was robbed of title against Mickey Walker…bested Harry Greb two of three…Faced three total (Wilson, Greb, Walker) five times with three wins against two losses…6 points

7)            Paul Pender

·        The man who ended the reign of Sugar Ray Robinson once and for all…Not fondly remembered but posted impressive mark against fellow champions…Faced four (Robinson, Downes, Fullmer, Basilio) seven times winning five against two losses…Captured title twice and retired as middleweight king…7 points

7)            Gene Fullmer

·        A legendary, humble warrior who humorously has said “Robinson couldn’t be the best ever if I beat him”…Along with heavyweight Jack Dempsey, gives Mormon country some bragging rights for toughness…Faced four champions in ten bouts(Robinson, Pender, Basilio, Tiger) winning five against three losses…First fight with Basilio the 1959 Fight of the Year…7 points

6)            Mike O’Dowd

·        A surprise to this writer as I knew little of this former champion…Stopped only once in 108 fights…Faced three championship alum (Wilson, McCoy and Greb) in five fights posting three wins against two losses…Stopped McCoy twice…8 points

5)            Marvelous Marvin Hagler

·        A top five finish? Anything less would be uncivilized…Probably beat better middleweights on his way to the title but had amazing class of welterweights rise to challenge him as champion…Faced three alum over four bouts (Antufermo, Minter, Leonard) with both wins by KO…Draw with Vito and loss to Leonard still draw howls of controversy…8.5 points

4)                Harry Greb

·        Faced second most fellow middleweight champions (6 – Chip, McCoy, O’Dowd, Wilson, Walker, Flowers) in an impressive 13 bouts and suffers only for lack of knockout punch…Considered by many not just best ever at 160 but best period…Beat every man to hold title from 1913-1931…Died on operating table at age 32 with plenty of fight left in him…9 points

3)            Dick Tiger

·        Perhaps greatest African fighter to ever live and among the physically strongest from any nation…Deadly grinder faced five alum (Downes, Giardello, Fullmer, Griffith, Benvenuti) eleven times with six wins…only Griffith could escape Tiger without a loss and Fullmer’s career ended at his hands…11.5 points

2)                Carlos Monzon

·        Strong argument that his 14 lineal title defenses is still division record over the twenty fractured defenses of Bernard Hopkins…Argentine beast ruled division from 1970-77 and defeated every man who did or would hold the crown from 1966-78…Faced three fellow champions (Griffith, Benvenuti, Valdes) for a perfect 6-0 mark and three knockout wins…15 points

1)                Sugar Ray Robinson

·        No surprise here for five-time middleweight king with a lopsided ledger in favor of perhaps the greatest fighter to ever live…Robinson faced more fellow middleweight champions than any one in history (9 – LaMotta, Graziano, Turpin, Oslon, Fullmer, Basilio, Pender, Downes, Giardello) a remarkable 23 total times with a record of 13-9-1 and 7 KO’S…Draw with Fullmer in third fight still highly disputed…Both bouts with Basilio named Fight of the Year (1957, 58)…27.5 points 

The only thing one can say after looking at that list of champions and what they did against each other is “Wow!”  Of course, that’s not the end of the legacy of the middleweight division.  In 1962, Emile Griffith would be crowned the first champion at 154 pounds (or junior middleweight).  Outside of short runs for Griffith and Nino Benvenuti, the division languished without much respect until the era of Sugar Ray Leonard when it became a way-station for welterweights who had outgrown their class but could still draw top dollar without tempting the rough waters at 160.  Their roll call of champions features enough Hall of Fame names to have carved a distinct and respectable history to consider. 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Emile Griffith (1962)

2

2-2, 1 KO

4

Ralph Dupas (1963)

2

0-4, 3 KOBY

-8

Sandro Mazzhinghi (1963-65, 68)

4

3-2-1, 2 KO, 1 KOBY

7.5

Nino Benvenuti (1965-66)

3

4-2, 1 KO

7

Ki-Soo Kim (1966-68)

3

2-1

4

Freddie Little (1969-70)

3

1-2-1, 1 KO

6.5

Carmelo Bossi (1970-71)

2

1-2, 1 KOBY

-1

Koichi Wajima (1971-74, 75, 76)

5

3-4, 1 KO, 4 KOBY

-2

Oscar Albarado (1974-75)

2

1-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

1

Jae-Do Yuh (1975-76)

1

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

1

Jose Duran (1976)

2

1-1, 1 KO

4

Miguel Castellini (1976-77)

3

2-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

3

Eddie Gazo (1977-78)

4

2-3, 1 KO, 2 KOBY

1

Masashi Kudo (1978-79)

2

1-1

2

Ayub Kalule (1979-81)

5

4-1, 3 KO, 1 KOBY

12

Ray Leonard (1981)

3

2-2-1, 2 KO

7.5

Thomas Hearns (1984-86)*

2

1-1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2.5

Terry Norris (1995-97)

2

1-1, 1 KOBY

1

Keith Mullings (1997-1999)

3

1-2, 1 KOBY

4

Javier Castillejo (1999-2001)*

2

1-1

2

Oscar De La Hoya (2001-2003)*

2

1-2

1

Shane Mosley (2003-2004)*

2

2-2

2

Winky Wright (2004-2005)*

2

3-0

5

 

TOP SEVEN AT JUNIOR MIDDLWEIGHT CHAMPION VERSUS CHAMPION 

Due to its shorter history, I meant to rank only seven men but a four-way tie at that spot leaves ten names here as well. 

7)                tie – Emile Griffith, Jose Duran, Ki-Soo Kim, Keith Mullings

·        Not much separating these four…Griffith the first king of the class…4 points

6)            Ronald “Winky” Wright

·        Last man to hold Junior middle crown made his bones there for near a decade…Often ducked and avoided by big names finally broke through against Shane Mosley twice in 2004…Faced two fellow champs (Mullings, Mosley) three times without a loss before beginning ongoing campaign at 160…5 points 

5)            Freddie Little

·        Short reign but faced three alum (Kim, Bossi, Mazzinghi) a total of four times…Missippi native a model of perseverance who scored five straight wins after dropping title…6.5 points

4)            Nino Benvenuti

·        Olympic Gold Medalist would later add two reigns as king of middleweights…Faced three alum of this championship class (Griffith, Mazzinghi, Kim) picking up four wins and a single KO…7 points

2)            Sandro Mazzinghi

·        Two-time champion in formative years of the weight class…Faced four fellow kings (Dupas, Little, Kim, Benvenuti)…Outclassed by Benvenuti on both occasions but beat each of the other three…7.5 points

2)            Ray Leonard

·        Biggest money draw in Boxing during the 1980’s...Credit here for bouts against Hearns as each held real world title at 154 and the knockout win over Kalule looms large…Faced three total championship alum (Kalule, Hearns, Norris)…1981 bout with Hearns at Welterweight was Fight of the Year…Norris bout formatively ended Leonard era…7.5 points

1)            Ayub Kalule

·        Perhaps a surprise considering KO loss to Leonard but Kalule got a lot of business done at 154…Tied with Koichi Wajima for most fellow 154 lb. champs faced at five (Leonard, Kudo, Castellini, Duran, Albarado) once apiece with three wins by KO…12 points 

Not a bad little history for this lineal championship though the plethora of alphabet titles means that this list can’t tell the whole history of the class.  Still, any list with room for Wright, Leonard, Griffith and Benvenuti has a lot to say for itself though certainly not as much as the history of the welterweight class will say.  Click below to move on to my look at the welterweight champions. 

 

PART FOUR: THE WELTERWEIGHTS 

This list surprised me as names I wasn’t that familiar with drowned out some that I assumed when beginning this research would be right near the top.  You’ll see what I mean.  That said, this is a weight class almost without peer, a spot that has provided big money, big memories and big names for over a century.  No list of the greatest fighters that ever lived fails to look closely at the men who wore the crown at 147 pounds and with good reason.   

In this analysis of champions versus champions, there are two weight classes to consider.  With measurable prominence, a junior welterweight class first emerged in 1922 and has defined a raw history for itself.  In this fourth chapter, I will look at the top ten all-time at welterweight along with the top five at junior welterweight (140 lbs.).   

The modern welterweight championship begins around the waist of Paddy Duffy in 1888 and resides today with Floyd Mayweather.  There have been innumerable fights amongst the men who held that crown in the 118 years this list covers and their contests produced the following results. 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Paddy Duffy (1888-90)

0

0

0

Billy Smith (1892-94, 98-00)

4

2-8-5, 4 KOBY

-7.5

Tommy Ryan (1894-98)

1

3-0-4, 1 KO

10

Matty Matthews (1900, 00-01)

4

4-7-1, 2 KO, 3 KOBY

-0.5

Eddie Connolly (1900)

3

1-4-1, 3 KOBY

-5.5

Rube Ferns (1900, 01)

4

6-3, 4 KO, 1 KOBY

13

Joe Walcott (1901-04, 04-06)

4

4-3-2, 3 KO, 1 KOBY

10

Dixie Kid (1904)

2

1-0-1

3.5

Honey Mellody (1906-07)

4

4-1, 2 KO

11

Mike Sullivan (1907-08)

2

2-0

4

Waldemar Holberg (1914)

1

0-1

0

Tom McCormick (1914)

2

1-1

1

Matt Wells (1914-15)

3

1-2, 1 KOBY

0

Mike Glover (1915)

3

3-4

2

Jack Britton (1915, 16-17, 19-22)

3

12-8-5, 1 KO

11.5

Ted Lewis (1915-16, 17-19)

3

10-8-5, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

7.5

Mickey Walker (1922-26)

5

2-5, 1 KOBY

0

Petey Latzo (1926-27)

2

1-2

1

Joe Dundee (1927-29)

4

2-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

4

Jackie Fields (1929-30, 32-33)

5

4-4, 1 KOBY

3

Jack Thompson (1931)

5

2-7-1, 1 KO

2.5

Lou Brouillard (1931-32)

5

5-1

9

Young Corbett III (1933)

5

6-2-1, 1 KOBY

7.5

Jimmy McLarnin (1933-34, 34-35)

5

5-2, 2 KO

12

Barney Ross (1934, 35-38)

2

2-2

2

Henry Armstrong (1938-40)

3

2-3, 1 KOBY

0

Fritzie Zivic (1940-41)

3

3-4, 1KO, 1 KOBY

2

Freddie Cochrane (1941-46)

2

1-2, 1 KOBY

3

Marty Servo (1946)

2

1-2, 1 KO

3

Sugar Ray Robinson (1946-50)

5

8-1, 1 KO

14

Kid Gavilan (1951-54)

4

1-4

1

Johnny Saxton (1954-55, 56)

4

3-3, 3 KOBY

-2

Tony DeMarco (1955)

5

3-4, 2 KO, 3 KOBY

2

Carmen Basilio (1955-56, 56-57)

4

5-3, 4 KO

14

Virgil Akins (1958)

4

2-5, 2 KO

5

Don Jordan (1958-60)

3

2-2

3

Benny Paret (1960-61, 61-62)

2

1-4, 2 KOBY

-5

Emile Griffith (1961, 62-63, 63-66)

3

5-2, 2 KO

10

Luis Rodriguez (1963)

4

6-5, 1 KOBY

3

Curtis Cokes (1966-69)

2

2-3, 1 KO, 2 KOBY

-1

Jose Napoles (1969-70, 71-75)

4

4-2, 3 KO, 2 KOBY

8

Billy Backus (1970-71)

1

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

1

John Stracey (1975-76)

2

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Carlos Palomino (1976-79)

3

1-2, 1 KO

4

Wilfred Benitez (1979)

3

2-1, 1 KOBY

2

Ray Leonard (1979-80, 80-82)

2

3-1, 2 KO

8

Roberto Duran (1980)

3

2-2, 1 KOBY

1

Donald Curry (1985-86)

2

2-1, 1 KOBY

1

Lloyd Honeyghan (1986-87, 88-89)

4

3-2, 2 KO, 1 KOBY

7

Jorge Vaca (1987-88)

4

2-3, 1 KO, 3 KOBY

-1

Marlon Starling (1989-90)

4

2-3, 1 KO

5

Maurice Blocker (1990-91)

4

1-3, 2 KOBY

-2

Simon Brown (1991)

4

2-2, 2 KO

8

Buddy McGirt (1991-93)

2

1-2

1

Pernell Whitaker (1993-97)

3

2-2

3

Oscar De La Hoya (1997-99)*

5

2-4, 1 KO 

5

Felix Trinidad (1999)

4

4-0, 2 KO

12

Shane Mosley (2000-2002)*

2

2-2

2

Vernon Forrest (2002-2003)*

3

3-2, 1 KOBY

2

Ricardo Mayorga (2003)*

4

2-3, 1 KO, 2 KOBY

1

Cory Spinks (2003-2005)*

3

3-1, 1KO, 1 KOBY

5

Zab Judah (2005-2006)*

2

1-2, 1 KO

3

Carlos Baldomir (2006)*

3

1-2

2

Floyd Mayweather (2006-Present)*

3

3-0

6

 

TOP TEN AT WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION VERSUS CHAMPION 

Reading through a list of the welterweight champions brings any Boxing fan a flood of memories no matter when they were born.  From Armstrong to Robinson to Leonard, the word greatness just never seems enough.  Surprisingly, neither Armstrong nor Leonard makes the top ten here.  Armstrong holds the record for title defenses in the class (18) but scored a zero on this scale having faced three fellow champions but posting only two wins against three losses, no knockout wins and a stoppage loss to Zivic.  Leonard scored better at eight points, two points shy of a tie for tenth and one point shy of a tie for the next slot with Jose Napoles.  The top ten is as follows, beginning and ending with ties: 

10)          tie – Tommy Ryan, Joe Walcott, Emile Griffith

·        Three remarkable Hall of Famers share the number ten spot…Had the term been popular in his day, Ryan may well have been considered the pound-for-pound king; faced only one other champ (Smith) seven times with three wins and 4 draws…Walcott stood only 5’1 but was a giant; faced four (Smith, Ferns, Dixie and Mellody) going 4-3-2 with 3 KO’s…Griffith fought in one of the great early 1960’s, capturing the crown three times; faced three (Napoles, Rodriguez, Paret) winning five and scoring two KO’s including the fatal stoppage of Paret in their third bout…10 points

7)            Honey Mellody

·        From three Hall of Fame names to a man who may not join them but held his own with the best…Largely forgotten champion who lost near a third of his fights did remarkably well against his fellow champions…Faced four (Matthews, Sullivan, Walcott, Connolly) going 4-1 with two KO’s…11 points

6)            Jack Britton

·        Three-time champ will always be remembered for amazing twenty fight series with Ted Lewis…Hall of Fame welter faced 3 alum of the championship class (Walker, Glover, Lewis) twenty-five times with twelve wins and at least one against each man…Scored only one KO in those bouts (of Lewis of course)…11.5 points

4)            Felix Trinidad

·        Certain future Hall of Famer tied for fourth…Younger fans may be scratching their heads at some of the early names on this list but they’ll know this one…Undefeated in 36 bouts at welterweight, he held the IBF title for near six years and 13 defenses before defeating Oscar De la Hoya in 1999 for the crown in his last fight at welter…Faced four fellow champs (Blocker, Whitaker, De la Hoya, Mayorga) for four wins, two by knockout…Considered among Puerto Rico’s greatest offerings to the game…12 points

4)            Jimmy McLarnin

·        Two time champ best remembered for three fight series with great Barney Ross…Started career facing top flyweights...Won crown with shocking first round KO of Corbett and lost crown in first defense of each reign…Faced five champions (Corbett III, Ross, Thompson, Brouillard, Fields) defeating them all with two KO’s…12 points

3)            Rube Ferns

·        One of only two men listed in the top ten not enshrined at Canastota…Ferns shortly reigned twice at the turn of the century…Faced four fellow titlists (Matthews, Smith, Connolly, Walcott) a total of nine times with six wins…Scored four knockouts versus one knockout loss…13 points

1)            Carmen Basilio

·        Arguably the greatest action fighter in the history of Boxing, fought in five consecutive Fight of the Year winners…Fitting that he finished tied with Robinson as their personal rivalry series remains forever tied…Faced four fellow champs (Robinson, DeMarco, Saxton, Gavilan) with five wins and three KO’s…Only Gavilan could escape Basilio without a loss…14 points

1)            Sugar Ray Robinson

·        Considered by most the greatest welterweight in history…he never lost at 147 pounds in over 100 bouts at the weight… Won welter crown after being avoided for some span of years in a bout to fill the then-vacant crown against Tommy Bell…Tied with McLarnin and six others for most fellow welter kings faced (5 –  Armstrong, Zivic, Servo, Gavilan, Basilio) nine times but scored only one KO…Only loss to a fellow welter king was at Middleweight against Basilio…Not enough superlatives for the Sugar man…14 points 

In both divisions where he has appeared, Robinson finishes first (though tied here).  Could it be more fitting?  The thing I really like about these lists is the balance we find reflected between the old and new eras of the game.  The thing I love about this class is just how tough it was to crack the top ten and how many undeniably great fighters fell short.  Great business has been done at welterweight. 

The same can be said at 140 lbs. or junior welterweight.  It is a division with its own rich history and one that recently produced arguably the best fight of the 1980’s (Aaron Pryor- Alexis Arguello) and 1990’s (Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor); don’t be surprised if Arturo Gatti-Mickey Ward wins fight of this decade to make it three in a row for the division.  Sure to surprise some fans, Chavez, perhaps the most dominant champion of this class and arguably the best Mexican fighter ever finished with the lowest score in champion versus champion comparison.  The division basically died from the mid-1930s to the late 1950s but has never looked back since.  The total list is as follows: 

Champion

Fellow Champions Fought

Record

Final Score

Pinky Mitchell (1922-1926)

1

0-1

0

Mushy Callahan (1926-30)

2

1-2, 1 KOBY

0

Jackie Berg (1930-31)

3

4-2, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

5

Tony Canzoneri (1931-32, 33)

4

3-5, 1 KO

4

Johnny Jaddick (1932-33)

2

2-1

3

Battling Shaw (1933)

2

1-1

2

Barney Ross (1933-35)

1

2-0

3

Tippy Larkin (1946)

1

0-1

0

Carlos Ortiz (1959-60)

2

1-2-1

1.5

Duilio Loi (1960-62, 62-63)

2

3-2-1

3.5

Eddie Perkins (1962, 63-65)

3

1-3-1

1.5

Carlos Hernandez (1965-66)

3

1-3

1

Sandro Lopopolo (1966-67)

3

1-2, 1 KOBY

0

Paul Fuji (1967-68)

2

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Nicolino Locche (1968-72)

6

5-2-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

9.5

Alfonso Frazier (1972)

3

1-3, 3 KOBY

-5

Antonio Cervantes (1972-76)

4

3-3, 3 KO, 1 KOBY

8

Wilfred Benitez (1976-79)

1

1-0

2

Aaron Pryor (1983-86)

2

2-0, 2 KO

8

Julio Cesar Chavez (1990-94, 94-96)

3

1-4, 3 KOBY

-6

Frankie Randall (1994)

1

1-1

1

Oscar De La Hoya (1996-97)*

1

2-0, 2 KO

7

Kostya Tszyu (2001-2005)*

2

1-1, 1 KO, 1 KOBY

2

Ricky Hatton (2005-Present)*

1

1-0, 1 KO

4

 

TOP FIVE AT JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION VERSUS CHAMPION 

Again we get a good spread of talent across the ages with the top five here.  Four of the five are in the Hall of Fame; the other will certainly join them. 

5)            Jackie Berg

·        Berg a true all-time great and the first truly great champion at 140…First man to defeat Kid Chocolate pro or amateur…Classic three fight series with Tony Canzoneri, the man who finished one point behind him on the list of champions, though Berg lost two of the three…Faced three total champs (Callahan, Canzoneri, Larkin) a total of six times winning four of those bouts…5 points

4)            Oscar De la Hoya

·        Unlikely to see score rise or fall, this was likely the best weight for the “Golden Boy”…Two bouts against Chavez (one at 147 lbs.); both ended by knockout…Only two fights total in the division…7 points

2)            Aaron Pryor

·        Considered by many the greatest ever at 140…Only rose to weight because of merciless ducking at 135…Drug abuse shortened career and harmed legacy…Always to be remembered for bouts with Arguello…Fought and knocked out two fellow kings (Cervantes, Frazier)…It’s “Hawk Time”…8 points

2)            Antonio Cervantes

·        Tied with the man who ended his championship experience at 140…Cervantes was as slick as they came…Never managed to get lightweight great Roberto Duran in the ring but did defeat Duran rival Esteban DeJesus…Faced four fellow champs a total of six times (Loche, Frazier, Benitez, Pryor) scoring three wins and knockouts…8 points

1)            Nicolino Locche

·        Nicknamed “The Untouchable,” this Argentine defensive genius lost only four times in 135 fights but had 14 draws…Stopped only once in Cervantes rematch after decision win in first bout…Faced six fellow champions (Ortiz, Lopopolo, Perkins, Cervantes, Frazier, Fuji) a total of eight times with five wins to show for it…Finally added to the Hall of Fame in 2003…Name belongs with Willie Pep and Pernell Whitaker in race for greatest defensive fighter of twentieth century…9.5 points 

That leaves us at about the halfway mark for Boxing’s seventeen weight classes.  In the next issue of Wail! you’ll find the results for every remaining weight division from light to straw-weight but that is not the end.  A series in four submissions, the final chapter will lay every champion, from every weight class, onto the same list, with the same formula, to see who emerges as the top twenty-five champions (pound-for-pound if you will).  As I’m sure is noticeable, there are a lot of numbers to crunch here.  If anyone spots an error in calculation, feel free to email me at roldboxing@hotmail.com and that error will be corrected by the final act.  As an addendum and indication of this, I erred in compiling the numbers fro Lennox Lewis whose record against heavyweight champions should have read 11.5 points (I had failed to credit him with three knockout wins instead only listing two).  See you in the next issue of Wail! 

Note: Cliff Rold is a regular columnist at BoxingScene.com

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