Top 3 wins - please vote

So I've looked at the responses and tried to go with the consensus view on each boxer's wins. I stopped at 10, because realistically the other guys weren't going to win (and I couldn't be bothered any more).

Interesting stuff Chelski and good idea for a thread and poll. Went with Leonard, can make a case for a lot of the guys on there but Hearns was a monster at welter and coming back after a two year lay off to turn over an all time great middle in Hagler is staggering, throw in a rematch win over Duran and it takes some beating.

Langford is turning in his grave!!

Leonard for me too.

Leonard baby.

I went for Langford, for no other reason than that I love him.

Nice article and idea mate!

Cheers Rodders

Still don't understand why the Thriller isn't listed as one of Ali's finest moments. Going toe to toe in sweltering conditions with a man whose hatred for you drives him to superhuman efforts and yet you still prevail? Surely it has to be up there.

I agree..............Frazier 2 or 3 is better than Quarry.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I agree..............Frazier 2 or 3 is better than Quarry.

Seen a few faces like that in the Oyster...

i missed the target and went for hearns instead of lenoard

I bet Chris went for Bivins............

DAVE667 wrote:Still don't understand why the Thriller isn't listed as one of Ali's finest moments. Going toe to toe in sweltering conditions with a man whose hatred for you drives him to superhuman efforts and yet you still prevail? Surely it has to be up there.

I only wanted to include one of the Rumble and the Thrilla, because they don't really showcase what Ali was all about. Sure, he had incredible guts, determination, and a will to win. But lots of boxers do. I wanted to include fights where he completely outboxed people and outclassed them.

I appreciate y'all have seen it before, but if you've got a spare 3 1/2 mins watch this and tell me honestly he boxed better in the Thrilla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMhINwBPQCo

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:I bet Chris went for Bivins............

I went for Bivins. I was a hair's breadth from voting SRL.

Pity D4 isn't on here..........Be interested where his vote went??

ChelskiFanski wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Still don't understand why the Thriller isn't listed as one of Ali's finest moments. Going toe to toe in sweltering conditions with a man whose hatred for you drives him to superhuman efforts and yet you still prevail? Surely it has to be up there.

I only wanted to include one of the Rumble and the Thrilla, because they don't really showcase what Ali was all about. Sure, he had incredible guts, determination, and a will to win. But lots of boxers do. I wanted to include fights where he completely outboxed people and outclassed them.

I appreciate y'all have seen it before, but if you've got a spare 3 1/2 mins watch this and tell me honestly he boxed better in the Thrilla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMhINwBPQCo

Just watched it again. Love the finish. Right uppercut, left hook, wave in the ref to stop it.

Tough, this one. Leonard and Bivins, going on the wins listed, are the best picks here, methinks.

Think I may just have to go with Leonard, though. Befuddled a an all-time great fighter in Duran, pulled off the (nearly) impossible against Hagler and, more significantly than any of them, beat Tommy. I say more significantly because, if you took all of the leading Welters in history and pitted them in a tournament to find out who is the best on a purely head to head status, I think Tommy may well have been the one coming out on top in the end. You can't write off the original Sugar Ray, of course, but I'm not sure I see any other Welterweight who could have beaten a 1981 version of Hearns in that kind of form.

Leonard, by a nose.

Bivins is an interesting one Chris, suspect if we were to do a similar thread about the best run of form over say a three or four year period he may find himself coming out on top because as I said on the uncrowned champions thread his form in the war years was nothing short of staggering, Bettina, Christofodolis, Moore and Charles amongst others. Truly staggering.

Voted Charles. In terms of pure talent, Burley and Moore are hard to top, it's the name of a heavyweight champion whom I think is quite underrated that tips it in his favour for me.

Why no option to vote for Wlad K? Haye, Byrd + some other person.

Gone for Bivins, can't think of any way of discrediting his wins which I could do for the others, talent wise Moore, Burley and Charles far exceed Duran, Hagler and Hearns. For Leonard i'd be more tempted to include Benitez over Duran.

I didn't really know too much about Bivins until this piece was started, but wow what a resumee! Cheers gents always an education on here.

for Muhamad Ali, i would rate few of his wins better than quarry, fraizer 2/3, Liston 2 even,