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 

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: 

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). 

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.