All time Britsh top ten

First topic message reminder :

Like the all time great list just post your top ten british fighters of all time, one rule in this though and that's the ineligibility of both Fitzsimmons and McLarnin.

1. Jimmy Wilde
2. Ted 'Kid' Lewis
3. Lennox Lewis
4. Freddie Welsh
5. Jim Driscoll
6. Ken Buchanan
7. Jack 'Kid' Berg
8. Joe Calzaghe
9. Prince Naseem Hamed
10. John Conteh

Fists of Fury wrote:I think you also have to take into account how they would fare against other greats of previous eras when compiling these lists though, in order to help differentiate between placings when you're stuck.

In that case, I really don't see many Heavyweight's of the past having the beating of Lewis, maybe 4 or 5 of them, if that, and that always assists me in happily rating him very highly.

I struggle with how much to incorpoate of this kind of head to head basis myself. Partly because of the evolution and nature of the heavyweight division in comparison to others. Lewis is a gigantic heavyweight in historical terms so if you start putting much smaller heavyweights in with him then how much do you factor size as being a key issue? In no other division would a past great be expected to take on a modern great giving away 30/40 pounds in weight.

With Lewis its difficult to say because if you get knocked out by Rahman and McCall then I would say most of the past greats are in with a chance of winning against him all the same. However he may well start as favourite over the smaller heavyweights in part due to being much larger.

With other divisions its much easier to go back and compare as limits and weights dont change dramatically and the playing field is more level.

Likewise with Calzaghe I dont place a great deal of emphasis on being the greatest or one of the greatest in his division given its much briefer history and the fact it can be used as a stopover division. Few Super Middles have spent the kind of time Calzaghe did in the division and the likes of Ottke could claim to be a top 5 Super Middleweight of all time despite realistically having no hope of ever being considered a great in the Middleweight of Light Heavyweiht divisions. Similarly saying someone like David Haye is a great by virtue of being a top 5 cruiserweight of all time rings awfully hollow to me.

I have no problem placing a fighter that might be only 20th in a historically strong division like Light heavyweight or middleweight ahead of someone who is top 10 in one of the more recent or historically weak divisions.

1.) Jimmy Wilde
2.) Lennox Lewis
3.) Ted kid Lewis
4.) Ken Buchanan
5.) Jim Driscoll
6.) Freddie Welsh
7.) Jack Kid Berg
8.) Prince Naseem Hamed
9.) Joe Calzaghe
10.)Benny Lynch

Now i've always rated jc, though, like many was frustrated with his seeming lack of ambition.

But if we're talking a prime jones, who beat hopkins comfortably, pretty much shut out toney, infact barely dropped a round in about 10 years apart from a few against the stylistic nightmare of montell griffin. Sorry, don' t see jc getting that close to him.

If Jones had retired when he should have... and perhaps showed a bit more ambition himself instead of talking about basketball, we'd be discussing him on our alltime great lists not debating whether he could beat jc... imo.

Put it this way. If you asked us in 2003 when they were both at sensible retirement age whether it was hopkins or jones who'd be making peoples all time great lists, not many would be talking Bernard.

Here you go Ghosty:

1 Jimmy Wilde
2 Ted Kid Lewis
3 Lennox Lewis
4 Freddie Welsh
5 Ken Buchanan
6 Joe Calzaghe
7 Jim Driscoll
8 Jack Berg
9 Owen Moran
10 Naseem Hamed

Only 12 different fighters have got votes so far, other than me choosing Conteh over Moran we all seem to be singing off the same hymm sheet.

Ghosty, going to edit my original post to switch Wilde and Lewis. Hope you don't mind! Cheers.

That's just made it even more one sided at the top now Chris.
Wont let this run for much longer so if you want to vote do so sharpish.