Historically best division

I think I would go with welterweight

 

It's a battle between cruiserweight and straw weight.

 

Lightweight and it's not close.

 

But yes, welterweight is the premier talent division in boxing history.

Followed by lightweight and light heavyweight.

 

Yeah, lhw would probably be my second choice

 

Count my vote for welter.

 

Feather popped into my head immediately.

After that, Middle.

But yes, on cold examination, 147 is probably where it is at.

 

I dont see middle as being anong the top contenders

 

I like 135 best

 

Lightweight and Welterweight.

 

My opinion (which is not that backed up ):

1. Lightweight
2. Middleweight
3. Welterweight
4. Bantamweight

 

I prefer 175 to 147, and both to 118.

Your top two are correct.

 

In the last 30-40 years, I believe it's hard to argue against WW. I think it really is the division where there was a great combination of marquee fighters and great matchups. Historically, I really don't know, I don't consider my knowledge deep enough to argue for one division or another. But in the public eye, the heavyweight division will always be the one that generates the most interest. I understand it's not JOM's initial question but I think boxing popularity is always dependent on the health of its heavyweight division. So if it makes any sense, hw isn't the best boxing wise but I believe it is the most important for the sport as a whole as when its healthy, the whole sport benefits from it.

 

I dont see middleweight's case over WW.

Middleweight would be 4th on my list behind welter, lightweight, light heavy.

 

Whats the best junior division?

I would say 122, even though 130 & 140 are more top heavy.

 

Heavyweights
#50. Greg Page
#49. Michael Moorer
#48. Lamon Brewster
#47. Gerrie Coetzee
#46. Sam McVey
#45. Hasim Rahman
#44. Fred Fulton
#43. Buster Douglas
#42. Gene Tunney
#41. Mike Weaver
#40. Pinklon Thomas
#39. Joe Jeannette
#38. Tommy Loughran
#37. Primo Carnera
#36. Michael Spinks
#35. Jerry Quarry
#34. Jimmy Young
#33. Rex Layne
#32. Eddie Machen
#31. Archie Moore
#30. Alexander Povetkin
#29. Vitali Klitschko
#28. Bob Fitzsimmons
#27. Ingo Johansson
#26. Sam Langford
#25. Tim Witherspoon
#24. Ken Norton
#23. Chris Byrd
#22. Harry Wills
#21. Max Baer
#20. Jack Sharkey
#19. Jersey Joe Walcott
#18. Max Schmeling
#17. Jack Johnson
#16. James J Jeffries
#15. Riddick Bowe
#14. Jack Dempsey
#13. Floyd Patterson
#12. Ezzard Charles
#11. Sonny Liston
#10. Mike Tyson
#09. Rocky Marciano
#08. Joe Frazier
#07. Wladimir Klitschko
#06. Evander Holyfield
#05. George Foreman
#04. Lennox Lewis
#03. Larry Holmes
#02. Joe Louis
#01. Muhammad Ali

Light-Heavyweights
#50. Henry Maske
#49. Anton Christoforidis
#48. Jack Root
#47. Yaqui Lopez
#46. Willie Pastrano
#45. John Conteh
#44. Al Gainer
#43. Joe Knight
#42. Oakland Billy Smith
#41. George Gardner
#40. Bob Olin
#39. Bernard Hopkins
#38. Jose Torres
#37. Chad Dawson
#36. Antonio Tarver
#35. Eddie Mustafa
#34. Virgil Hill
#33. Gus Lesnevich
#32. Mickey Walker
#31. Tiger Jack Fox
#30. Daruisz Michalczewski
#29. Jack Dillion
#28. Marvin Johnson
#27. Battling Levinsky
#26. Kid Norfolk
#25. Mike McTigue
#24. Young Stribling
#23. Jimmy Slattery
#22. Sam Langford
#21. Dwight Qawi
#20. Paul Berlenbach
#19. Joey Maxim
#18. Roy Jones Jr.
#17. Jack Delaney
#16. Tommy Gibbons
#15. Victor Galindez
#14. Lloyd Marshall
#13. Billy Conn
#12. Saad Muhammad
#11. Maxie Rosenbloom
#10. Bob Foster
#09. Harold Johnson
#08. John Henry Lewis
#07. Jimmy Bivins
#06. Gene Tunney
#05. Tommy Loughran
#04. Michael Spinks
#03. Harry Greb
#02. Archie Moore
#01. Ezzard Charles

Middleweights
#50. Young Corbett III
#49. Marcel Cerdan
#48. Randy Turpin
#47. Jermain Taylor
#46. Bobo Olson
#45. Marcel Thil
#44. Paul Pender
#43. Jack Chase
#42. Jeff Smith
#41. Gennady Golovkin
#40. Roy Jones Jr
#39. Sumbu Kalambay
#38. Charles McCoy
#37. Mike McCallum
#36. Michael Nunn
#35. James Toney
#34. Billy Papke
#33. Gene Fullmer
#32. Bert Lytell
#31. Jack Dillon
#30. Tony Zale
#29. Fred Apostoli
#28. Charles McCoy
#27. Tiger Flowers
#26. Mickey Walker
#25. Tommy Ryan
#24. Emile Griffith
#23. Jack Dempsey
#22. Ken Overlin
#21. Ezzard Charles
#20. Billy Conn
#19. Joey Giardello
#18. Mike O'Dowd
#17. Lloyd Marshall
#16. Leo Houck
#15. Mike Gibbons
#14. Stanley Ketchel
#13. Frank Klaus
#12. Teddy Yarosz
#11. Holman Williams
#10. Jake LaMotta
#09. Charley Burley
#08. Freddie Steele
#07. Dick Tiger
#06. Bob Fitzsimmons
#05. Bernard Hopkins
#04. Marvin Hagler
#03. Carlos Monzon
#02. Sugar Ray Robinson
#01. Harry Greb

Welterweights
#50. Izzy Jannazzo
#49. Benny Paret
#48. Rube Ferns
#47. Dave Shade
#46. Vernon Forrest
#45. Pipino Cuevas
#44. Jimmy Leto
#43. Joe Dundee
#42. Jack Carroll
#41. Pete Latzo
#40. Young Peter Jackson
#39. Marlon Starling
#38. Young Jack Thompson
#37. Mysterious Billy
#36. Carlos Palomino
#35. Mike Glover
#34. Cocoa Kid
#33. Billy Graham
#32. Shane Mosley
#31. Donald Curry
#30. Holman Williams
#29. Wilfred Benitez
#28. Jackie Fields
#27. Manny Pacquiao
#26. Charley Burley
#25. Pernell Whitaker
#24. Felix Trinidad
#23. Roberto Duran
#22. Lou Broulliard
#21. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
#20. Tommy Hearns
#19. Curtis Cokes
#18. Young Corbett III
#17. Oscar De La Hoya
#16. Carmen Basilio
#15. Fritzie Zivic
#14. Joe Walcott
#13. Jimmy McLarnin
#12. Tommy Ryan
#11. Barney Ross
#10. Ted Kid Lewis
#09. Mickey Walker
#08. Luis Rodriguez
#07. Jose Napoles
#06. Emile Griffith
#05. Kid Gavilan
#04. Henry Armstrong
#03. Jack Britton
#02. Ray Leonard
#01. Sugar Ray Robinson

Lightweights
#50. Harlem Tommy Murphy
#49. Sammy Fuller
#48. Jose Luis Castillo
#47. Jose Luis Ramirez
#46. Edwin Rosario
#45. Guts Ishimatsu
#44. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
#43. Hector Camacho
#42. Esteban DeJesus
#41. Alexis Arguello
#40. Julio Cesar Chavez
#39. Elbows McFadden
#38. Wesley Ramey
#37. Joe Mandot
#36. Billy Petrolle
#35. Dave Holly
#34. Joe Shrugue
#33. Willie Ritchie
#32. Jack Kid Berg
#31. Richie Mitchell
#30. Lockport Jimmy Duffy
#29. Frank Erne
#28. Jack McAuliffe
#27. George Lavigne
#26. Jimmy Carter
#25. Charlie White
#24. Lew Tendler
#23. Ken Buchanan
#22. Rocky Kansas
#21. Barney Ross
#20. Jimmy Britt
#19. Johnny Dundee
#18. Ismael Laguna
#17. Sammy Mandell
#16. Bob Montgomery
#15. Joe Brown
#14. Willie Joyce
#13. Sammy Angott
#12. Beau Jack
#11. Lou Ambers
#10. Pernell Whitaker
#09. Henry Armstrong
#08. Freddie Welsh
#07. Ike Williams
#06. Tony Canzoneri
#05. Packey McFarland
#04. Roberto Duran
#03. Carlos Ortiz
#02. Joe Gans
#01. Benny Leonard

Featherweights
#50. Chris John
#49. Hogan Bassey
#48. Solly Smith
#47. Antonio Esparragoza
#46. Young Kyun Park
#45. Eugene Criqui
#44. Naseem Hamed
#43. Antonio Gomez
#42. Davey Moore
#41. Barry McGuigan
#40. Johnny Famechon
#39. Chalky Wright
#38. Erik Morales
#37. Jose Legra
#36. Kuniaki Shibata
#35. Eder Jofre
#34. Danny Lopez
#33. Howard Winstone
#32. Manny Pacquiao
#31. Sugar Ramos
#30. Juan Manuel Marquez
#29. Marco Antonio Barrera
#28. Fidel LaBarba
#27. Jeff French
#26. Kid Kaplan
#25. Benny Yanger
#24. Kid Chocolate
#23. Azumah Nelson
#22. Alexis Arguello
#21. Young Griffo
#20. Owen Moran
#19. Battling Battalino
#18. Tony Canzoneri
#17. Henry Armstrong
#16. Johnny Dundee
#15. Rodolfo Casanova
#14. Baby Arizmendi
#13. Jim Driscoll
#12. Young Corbett II
#11. Ernesto Marcel
#10. Freddie Miller
#09. Terry McGovern
#08. Eusebio Pedroza
#07. Johnny Kilbane
#06. George Dixon
#05. Salvador Sanchez
#04. Abe Attell
#03. Vicente Salvidar
#02. Sandy Saddler
#01. Willie Pep

Bantamweights
#50. Johnny Buff
#49. Alan Rudkin
#48. Alfonso Zamora
#47. Pedlar Palmer
#46. Luis Castillo
#45. Alberto Davilla
#44. Abe Goldstein
#43. Midget Wolgast
#42. Pablo Dano
#41. Tony Olivera
#40. Alphonse Halimi
#39. Rodolfo Martinez
#38. Newsboy Brown
#37. Speedy Dado
#36. Young Tommy
#35. Enrique Pinder
#34. Orlando Canizales
#33. Hozumi Hasegawa
#32. David Kui-Kong Young
#31. Nonito Donaire
#30. Jorge Lujan
#29. Veeraphol Sahaprom
#28. Raul Perez
#27. Miguel Lora
#26. Pancho Villa
#25. Jose Becerra
#24. Jimmy Wilde
#23. Jackie Sharkey
#22. Frankie Burns
#21. Jose Medel
#20. Johnny Coulon
#19. Sixto Escobar
#18. Jeff Chandler
#17. Bud Taylor
#16. Lou Salica
#15. Memphis Pal Moore
#14. Joe Lynch
#13. Carlos Zarate
#12. Rafael Herrera
#11. Lupe Pintor
#10. Chucho Castillo
#09. Lionel Rose
#08. Kid Williams
#07. Terry McGovern
#06. Panama Al Brown
#05. Fighting Harada
#04. Pete Herman
#03. Eder Jofre
#02. Manuel Ortiz
#01. Ruben Olivares

Flyweights
#50. Emile Pladner
#49. Little Pancho
#48. Brian Viloria
#47. Sid Smith
#46. Mark Johnson
#45. Juan Francisco Estrada
#44. Juan Herrera
#43. Erbito Salavarria
#42. Leo Espinosa
#41. Luis Ibarra
#40. Izzy Schwartz
#39. Fighting Harada
#38. Muangchai Kittikasem
#37. Gabriel Bernal
#36. Joe Symonds
#35. Sot Chitalada
#34. Black Bill
#33. Venice Borkhorser
#32. Percy Jones
#31. Chan-Hee Park
#30. Shoji Oguma
#29. Salvatore Burruni
#28. Yuri Arbachakov
#27. Terry Allen
#26. Yoshio Shirai
#25. Roman Gonzalez
#24. Dado Marino
#23. Tancy Lee
#22. Efren Torres
#21. Jackie Paterson
#20. Rinty Monaghan
#19. Pong Wonjongham
#18. Santos Laciar
#17. Fidel LaBarba
#16. Horacio Accavallo
#15. Chartchai Chionoi
#14. Willie Davis
#13. Pone Kingpetch
#12. Betulio Gonzalez
#11. Hiroyuki Ebihara
#10. Peter Kane
#09. Masao Õba
#08. Pancho Villa
#07. Newsboy Brown
#06. Benny Lynch
#05. Pascual Perez
#04. Frankie Genaro
#03. Midget Wolgast
#02. Miguel Canto
#01. Jimmy Wilde

 

The case for middle over welter is that once you get past about fifteen on a welterweight list, it really goes downhill. Compared to middleweight, which still has the same caliber of fighter until the mid thirties. WW is probably a better top heavy division, but it isn't a deeper one.

 

Me neither. I was trying to put together the best fights in middleweight history (on film) and I had plenty more welterweight fights than middleweight fights. Depends on the criteria by which your judging 'best', of course, but I think it's a useful barometer. Also, when you look at the number of great welterweights throughout history who actually fought each other, it's really impressive. I don't think middleweight compares in that regard either.

1. Lightweight and/or Welterweight
2. Light heavyweight
3. Middleweight

 

Fantastic.

 

122 and 130 if we're just talking about the number of great fights... with the edge to 122.

 

122 has an insane number of great fights.

140 has a much better group of fighters IMO. Makes sense though given its wedged between the consensus top two.

 

From my perspective, no matter how many great fighters a division has, I believe the quality of the fights it brought has to be the deciding factor. And anyway, fighters are defined by their fights. That's why I believe, at least in recent history, WW has been the best division in boxing.