[niko]

Many of todays fans think Hopkins is the cats whiskers,I like BHop but I think there were many middles before him that were much better.Hopkins developed skills over the years.He was cagey,cunning,cautious, defensive and boring.He didn't really seem to have any natural talent.He did always keep himself in great shape.
In the early 1900s you had Stanley Ketchel,90% ko ratio and gave Jack Johnson a great fight.Mid 1900s Harry Greb,around 300
fights.One of the all time greats.
Jumping to the 40-60s The real SUGAR Ray.What about Carlos Monzon undefeated the last 13 years of his career,around 100 fights.How can you forget
marvin Hagler beat everyone he faced except last fight with Leonard which many thought he won. If your not old enough do a little reading and you will see there were many more great middles.

 

[Sonny Liston]

The Middlweight Division is my all time favourite Weight Division in boxing. However... nowadays... it's is second to probably The Super Featherweight Division in terms of the best boxing... in this modern day and age/period of time! However... my top boxers were Middleweights... I will always be a Middleweight fan!!!

 

[niko]

Hey people,nothing to say about the middleweights?
wow!:dunno:

 

[TommyGunn]

ive just come accros the thread and i have to agree with you niko, hagler and monzon as 2 career middles are ranked 2 and 3 by me behind ray robinson. why the hell these guys never fought beats me it would have been the biggest middle fight ever.

 

[niko]

ive just come accros the thread and i have to agree with you niko, hagler and monzon as 2 career middles are ranked 2 and 3 by me behind ray robinson. why the hell these guys never fought beats me it would have been the biggest middle fight ever.

Monzon started his career 10 years before Haggler and was about 12 years older.Monzons last fight was in 77 and two of Haglers losses came in 76 so may be all the above had something to do with them not getting together.
Haglers first try at a title was in 80,a draw with Antuofermo.

 

[Sonny Liston]

Marvin Hagler was so unbeatable at Middleweight... they had to get boxers from other weight divisions to challenge him!!!

For some reason... they gave a Split Decision victory over him when he faced Sugar Ray Leonard. I wasn't too sure what that.

 

[TommyGunn]

Monzon started his career 10 years before Haggler and was about 12 years older.Monzons last fight was in 77 and two of Haglers losses came in 76 so may be all the above had something to do with them not getting together.
Haglers first try at a title was in 80,a draw with Antuofermo.

monzon was only 34 when hagler was reaching his best though.

 

[niko]

monzon was only 34 when hagler was reaching his best though.

That would have been in 1976,Hagler was in his early twenties and lost twice that year.

 

[PhillyFightGame]

I'd say that after the REAL Sugar Ray, it would be Hagler and Hopkins, followed closely by Monzon.
Like Hagler, Hop has never gotten his just due or his respect. The difference between the two IMO, is that Hagler didn't pick and choose his fights. He would fight anyone anywhere, and the level of competition back then was probably greater.

Do you guys remember the young up and coming monster named John "the Beast" Mugabi? The kid was walking through the division and destroying every one he fought. Nobody but Hagler had the sack to fight him...he was just too dangerous a puncher to lose rank to. He had an udeafeated record of something like
25-0 with 25 KO's! Marv took the challenge and Schooled him..I was impressed.

 

[TysonJones]

best middleweight ever - roy jones jr would of handed ray robinson his ass and ill argue for days on this. at 160 pounds that is. and since robinson had trouble with fullmer , i'd say hagler would beat him too. i know ray robinson wasnt in his prime at these times though. But my take on the best middleweight ever is roy jones.

 

[TysonJones]

mugabi/hagler was one hell of a war. Hagler eventually got the ko but it was brutal. Haglers doctor said it was the first time he had seen a man pee blood from all the body shots he took.

 

[PhillyFightGame]

mugabi/hagler was one hell of a war. Hagler eventually got the ko but it was brutal. Haglers doctor said it was the first time he had seen a man pee blood from all the body shots he took.

Yep...was Def a war....A war that nobody else wanted any parts of. Roy in his prime is tough to argue, except for level of competition he fought at middle weight. Other than him fighting an inexperienced Hopkins, most of his credible work was done at higher weight classes.

I respect young Roy's boxing skills and power, but I don't think he fought enough stiff competition as a middle...JMO

 

[TysonJones]

well i cant argue with you becasue you are right but his body couldnt make 160 or 168 any longer but he did fight a very experience 42-0 james toney who was thought to be unbeatable at that time and jones won very convincingly no matter what toney's excuses were.to me the hopkins jones fought was the same hopkins we get today without the dirty tactics.

 

[SugarShane]

WTF!?!? Roy was at his best above middleweight. Ray Robinson would have schooled him.

 

[TysonJones]

you must of not seen roy at middleweight, dude have unearthly power at 160, which is why he could punch so good with lightheavy's. He was faster and hit harder than robinson at 160. He was also faster on his feet and through much cleaner combinations. But ill give robinson this, he was past his prime and his prime was at welterweight

 

[SugarShane]

All I am saying is that Ray Robinson over RJJ.

 

[TysonJones]

ok and i respect that sugar,:laugh: , sounds kinda gay huh lol but all im saying is rjj over srr

 

[SugarShane]

Very Gay!!!! Lol.

 

[PhillyFightGame]

I do agree with Tyson though...his punching power as a middle was unreal. I also did in fact forget about the James Toney fight....but I still say his biggest feats lay in the fact that he was so successful in the higher weights...regardless of opposition...BOTTOM LINE: his whole body of work deserves credit and respect. It's a shame father time caught up with him sooner than later.

 

[Brutus]

Imo Roy Jones jr. is def. not the best middleweight ever!!! Most people woould give it to Robinson but i give to Monzon because he was just unbeatable!... I mean he fought all the best and just did what he did best, kick some ass! But if you can see a tape of young Robinson you see why he is considered the greatest.