Which Fighter has been "The Man" at the most weights

Not much of a thought provoking article, more of a question.

With the recent weight hopping exploits of Manny, I was wondering which fighter has been the most linear championships to his name.

Now Manny has won titles at weights up to 154, but only a fool would recognise him as the linear champ at 135, 140 (dependant on your view of Hatton), 147 and 154.

Similarly with Floyd, he didnt beat the man at 140, or 154 (IMO) so both Manny and Floyd cannot be recognised as the best at those weights.

Which fighter has the most lineal championships to his name?

That an easy question.

Manny Pacquiao

Henry Armstrong?

Of recent times - Manny has been "the man" at super-bantam, feather, super-feather, light welter and welterweight - although some dispute over the last one.

RJJ has SMW, LHW. Should be in the mix for titles at MW and HW as well.

Bhop has MW, LHW.

How in the name of Jesus H Christ has Pacquiao ever been 'the man' at Welterweight?

I'll give Pacquiao Super-Bantamweight, Featherweight, Super-Featherweight and Light-Welterweight, but giving him such a title anywhere else is a strange one.

Trailing in his wake (one for D4, there) are Fitzsimmons, Armstrong, Canzoneri and Ross, who are the only four men to hold undisputed world titles in three divisions.

There's even an argument that although Pacquiao beat 'the man's at 140 he didn't hang around there and assert his dominance, irrespective of how obvious it was.

If its about 'being the man' long term than perhaps its a different question. But Pacquiao defeated the best fighters at LWW and WW. Both by knock out, one in a clubbing 2 round victory and the other included 4 knock downs. The manner of the victiories is quite impressive. OK, Margarito was in a slightly higher weight class, but Manny weighed in at WW and his opponent was probably at his best weight. In the old days it would be a welter against a middleweight.

In terms of longer term champs, Leonard didn't hang around in many of his divisions either, but racked up some big wins along the way. Fitz didn't compete for long periods as champ at HW or LHW. JCC's reign as a 3 weight world champion is worthy of mention (most defences overall), also Alexis Arguello (Olivares, Mancini). Henry Armstrong is obviously a good caniddate.

Technically Cotto was a TKO...

You're right about Pacquiao being clearly the dominant fighter at 140. Fighting the other LWWs wasn't needed, but there would have always been that chance one would have beaten Pacquiao, no matter how slim. As you say, it's the difference between long and short term dominance. Pacquiao stopped off at 140 while passing through, made a statement (a big one), and moved on.

Errrr.

Pacquiao beat Margarito; but he had been beaten by Mosley. Mayweather beat Mosley, so....

And, I don't like Mayweather; but Pacquiao is not the lineal champion at Welter. He hasn't beaten the best fighter at the weight.

Cotto was a lineal champ at WW, i'd rank him as the best in the division at the time.

ArchBritishchris wrote:Cotto was a lineal champ at WW, i'd rank him as the best in the division at the time.

But he wasn't the lineal champion (itself a wee bit of a misnomer) when Pacquiao beat him. Margarito had beaten him eighteen months before, and had then lost to Mosley, who Mayweather went on to beat. So it's clear that Pacquiao, while having a claim to maybe equal a couple of names there, certainly didn't prove himself 'the man' at 147 lb, or at least hasn't so far.

ArchBritishchris wrote:Cotto was a lineal champ at WW, i'd rank him as the best in the division at the time.

How can he be 'a' lineal champ, and not 'the' lineal champ? Besides which as has been already stated, it was Mayweather who beat the guy who beat the guy who beat the guy.

Anyway, if we're being really pedantic then Mayweather was the BEST guy at 147 when Pacquiao beat Cotto. At 145.

Arch is just a more intelligent version of D4.

Tony Canzoneri has a fair claim. Four world titles, three of them lineal, and victories over some of the very best fighters in boxing between the late twenties and mid thirties make his achievements difficult to top.

He started out by winning the NBA ( now WBA ) bantam title in 1927, and since the ' lineal ' title was in suspension at the time his claim to the title was every bit as good as the claims of the belt holders of today, and probably better. Canzoneri proceeded to become lineal champ at feather, light and lightwelter and along the way beat just about everybody there was to beat across the divisions. Bud Taylor, Benny Bass, Johnny Dundee, Al Singer, Sammy Mandell, Jack Kid Berg, Billy Petrolle, Kid Chocolate, Lou Ambers and Jimmy McLarnin are an example of the quality of his opposition.

Great fighter and great record.

Would like to point out the obvious that upon Mayweathers retirement after beating Hatton, there has been no linear champion at Welterweight

Thanks for backing me up with regards to Canzoneri, Windy. As I said earlier in the thread, he, along with Ross, Fitzsimmons and Armstrong, is the only man to be 'undisputed' in the proper sense of the word in three weight classes, and has a claim to be the answer to the article's question when you throw in his exploits at 118 lb.

88Chris05 wrote:As I said earlier in the thread, he, along with Ross, Fitzsimmons and Armstrong, is the only man to be 'undisputed' in the proper sense of the word in three weight classes, and has a claim to be the answer to the article's question when you throw in his exploits at 118 lb.

Bang on, Chris, and the sheer quality of the men he met, most of whom were at the top of their games, is astounding. The more I think about it, the more I reckon his NBA bantam title seals it for him.