Boxing. Post Your Top 5 Pound For Pound.

[Von Smallhausen]

I like boxing and the 70s and 80s were the days that I enjoy the most although some of the fights I like and fighters I admire were before I was born.

Post your top 5 pound for pound fighters and say why.

1) Muhammad Ali. I simply idolise the man and he had it all. He had charisma, attitude, unfallible faith in his abilities, talent to back his mouth up, physique, speed, stamina and the ability to move like someone 4 stones lighter. His contribution to boxing and sport in general is unsurpassed for me. Below are highlights from his 1966 fight with Cleveland Williams .... he was just ****ing awesome.http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oD99VbFzqAg

2) Marvin Hagler. Mean and menacing the young Hagler was told by Joe Frazier that he had three things against him in that he was a southpaw, good and black. This may have spurred him on to rule the middleweight division as he did. Fantastic fighter. The clip is his fight with Thomas Hearns, they hated each other and it shows.http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYHSHd1xfpY

3) Mike Tyson. He is in my top 5 simply because of the impact he made and his explosive power was awesome. If his private life and Don King hadn't been a distraction it is a fair bet he would have been magnificent. This is his 1988 fight with Larry Holmes. Watch Holmes when he gets dropped (5:45) .... he hasn't been hit that hard in his life. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XwwMW6EjvvA

4) Sugar Ray Robinson. Sweet as ..... the video clip shows it all. Ali said he was the best pound for pound fighter of them all. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=3fK2Cc...elated&search=

5) Joe Louis. He was champion for 12 years and defended his title 25 times and for that alone he deserves his place in fight history. In 27 title fights he knocked out 23 of them with his devastating punch power. It's such a shame he ended his days penniless as a greeter in a Las Vegas hotel.http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lnTDtqiYzww

[Admiral Huddy]

Can't argue with you number one choice their mate.. CC is my hero too and a legend before my time or before I could appreciate his greatness. I loved boxing before the days of the over commericialsim and expansion to multiple titles. Boxing died for me when it was only available on Sky and they killed it.

My choices woud be:

Ali -v- Joe Frazier part 3
http://www.float-like-a-butterfly.de/fra3e.htm

I remember the hype of this fight to this day. I can't remember if it was just a re-run I was watching or a live broadcast but I can remember this going to the wire. I remember this bout because it really did bring boxing home for me and I wanted to be a boxer afterwards. A quote from that link -

Ali is supposed to have told Angelo Dundee yet during the fight that this was "the closest to dying" he had ever been.

Frank Bruno vs Mike Tyson

Not the best boxing match ever but franks 2nd go at the title showed two things. 1. How much of a distroyer Tyson really was. He was relentless and showed Bruno no mercy. All the hype on how this was going to be Tysons biggest threat.. yet he brushed him aside. I've never been a fan of either.. Bruno has always given the impression that he's too soft and should be sticking to panto... and Mike Tyson for alloius aproach to the sport.. Yet this brought toether two fighters from very different backgrounds.

Barry McGuigan v Eusebio Pedroza

I was lucky enough to get to be at this fight which was held on QPRs ground iirc. It's one of only 3 pro fights I attended. The others being Tyson v Bugner and Watson v Eubank (both at white hart lane). What I remember about this fight was Barry's sheer determination.

[Justsomebloke]

Mike Tyson is my Number one.
I feel like i grew up with him & his boxing. To me he was Pure Class & the Ultimate fighter. Completely Brutal, stand up & have it style & i like that.

Rocky Marciano.
Another stand up & have it Man style fighter. None of this poncey dancing around crap just Lets have it.
Here are some of his best quotes :
By Rocky

"In the ring, I never really knew fear."

"I believe, in my prime, I could have fought with anybody alive."

"What would be better than walking down any street in any city and knowing you’re a champion?"

About Rocky

"When I was 14 years old and listening to the radio and I heard the announcer, '…and still champion of the whole world, Rocky Marciano….' I knew I wanted to be champion someday. He was a big influence in the start of my career."
-- Muhammad Ali

"I liked that title. I didn’t want to lose it to anybody, but if I had to lose it, I’m glad I lost it to you. You’re a good fighter and gonna be a great champ."
-- Jersey Joe Walcott

"Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Rocky Marciano is second only to Louis. Where do I rate Ali? Somewhere below me. I beat him, and if I could beat him, no doubt Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano could have beaten him."
-- Joe Frazier

Joe Louis as above i believe he was the Greatest Champion ever but my own preferences make me put him 3rd.

4th
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Loved the way he stood up to fight & nearly cried when he turned his back on the Dancing queen Sugar Gay Leonard. I understood though as i hate it myself when people won't stand & fight me. Shout there mouths of big style then dance around like a Morris dancer

5th would be Jake La Motta. First man to beat Sugar ray Robinson 30 knock outs, old school fighter that clings to me because the film was so good.

[Davey_Pitch]

Originally Posted by Admiral Huddy

Frank Bruno vs Mike Tyson

Not the best boxing match ever but franks 2nd go at the title showed two things. 1. How much of a distroyer Tyson really was. He was relentless and showed Bruno no mercy. All the hype on how this was going to be Tysons biggest threat.. yet he brushed him aside. I've never been a fan of either.. Bruno has always given the impression that he's too soft and should be sticking to panto... and Mike Tyson for alloius aproach to the sport.. Yet this brought toether two fighters from very different backgrounds.

I do agree that Mike showed a great destructive side in this fight, but it also exposed his chin somewhat. Bruno was the first man to ever properly hit and hurt Tyson, and to this day I think that if Frank hadn't frozen (probably crapped himself worrying about what was about to happen to him), he could have put Tyson on his arse. For all his lack of skills, Bruno had one hell of a punch and certainly would have hurt him even more had he pressed forward.

I'll have more of a think about my top 5, but my number 1 is the same as Von's, Ali was by far the best fighter I've ever seen.

[Admiral Huddy]

The problem with Bruno if I recall (maybe wrong) was that even though he had a great punch, he never used his right much.. Almost a defensive boxer wating for oppertunity rather than all out assualt which of course Tyson was and many of todays boxers.

[Justsomebloke]

^^ Trouble with Bruno in my opinion was he was a Nice guy. He had the tools for the job but to big a heart to use them.

[Admiral Huddy]

Originally Posted by malc30

^^ Trouble with Bruno in my opinion was he was a Nice guy. He had the tools for the job but to big a heart to use them.

yep as per my point ealier.. You see Bruno and you think Panto..

Oh yes you do

[Davey_Pitch]

Originally Posted by malc30

^^ Trouble with Bruno in my opinion was he was a Nice guy. He had the tools for the job but to big a heart to use them.

Absolutely, he had no killer instinct. If he did, he may well have beaten Tyson (notice how good Frank's chin was, Tyson never put him down), and he may well have beaten Lennox Lewis as he was the better man for 6 rounds until Lewis caught him properly, then went in and finished the job (Lewis is someone who did have that instinct, as shown in the 92 second demolition job of Andrew Golota).