Top Ten Respectful Nice Guys (who were actually quite good boxers) Who Have Been Active Since 1975

First topic message reminder :

Now since I've no doubt created the catchiest topic title I thought I should maybe explain the challenge since the above is probably not clear.

A top ten of boxers who were actually nice guys and respectful to other boxers that have had fights since 1975 (hope that clears it up!!).

Inspired by another thread to create something magical. So, let's see if we can get a decent list of boxers who were nice and see how they would actually compare to other top tens based purely on talent.

Never heard anything bad about Calzaghe but feel 'Ordinary Joe' was cruel to boxing fans so he's not allowed in.

Barker seems like a good guy.

I always thought Danny Williams seemed nice.

Audley was a deluded but generally respectful guy.

Hatton seems like a bit of a lad but never heard anything particularly nasty about him.

Bradley comes across as dull but nice.

Marquez again seems like a decent bloke.

Now the problem I have here is that none of these should really be in a top ten but my boxing knowledge is limited compared to a lot of you guys so I would like to open this to you. Lets see if we can come up with a list of fighters that were nice, and then we could perhaps come up with a list of boxers that were nasty as well - limitless appeal to this thread.

Of course if this doesn't seem like fun to the rest of you we could perhaps braid each others hair and sing Rick Astley songs but this is always much more difficult to do over the internet, so it may be better to make some lists and then argue over them.

_____

Contributions so far:
(not in ranking order):

Wlad (Dave667)
Whitaker (huw / 88Chris05)
Arguello (88Chris05)
Sergio Martinez (Scottrff)
Francis Ampofo (Dave667)
Richard Williams (Dave 667)
Dave Tiberi (captain carrantuohi)
Michael Watson (Dave 667)
Gary Mason (bhb001)
Shavers (Rowley)
Winky Wright (Rowley)
Woodhall (Rowley)
Golovkin (mobilemaster8)
Alvarez (mobilemaster8)
Burns (Union Cane)
Ward (J.Benson II)
Groves (Tea_is_for_mugs)
Cotto (Tea_is_for_mugs)
Kessler (Tea_is_for_mugs)

huw wrote:I actually had a thought and believe me on such rare occasions I like to ensure they are shared. Johnny Owen always seemed to be highly thought of.

Right, don't usually do this but here is my personal top ten:

1. Sweetpea
2. Wlad (Dave667 made such a resounding argument for his inclusion it is only my man love for Sweetpea that kept him off the top)3. Michael Watson (Dave667's second choice)
4. Andre Ward
5. Marquez
6. Johnny Owen (being Welsh with my family originally from Merthyr it would be wrong to not have him in there, although almost definately higher than most people would consider putting him but that is the magic of it being my own list)
7. Winky Wright
8. Cotto
9. Kessler
10. Ernie Shavers (too many personal stories to ignore him)

I'm sure there are many others that would on both talent and niceness be more deserving of a top ten place. Problem is although I'm a boxing geek compared to normals (people who don't spend time on a boxing forum) I'm way behind most of you guys when it comes to boxers and could only include boxers I have seen.

Interestingly though I think only Wlad and Sweetpea would make most peoples top 20's of ability alone.

It does seem to warrant a really good quote here to summarise my thoughts on this but since I can't think of any relevant ones I'll instead opt for a Charlie Sheen one 'nice guys finish last but awesome guys finish on the face'.

What resounding argument? I said a lot of people think he's nice. I don't care for him myself, I find it all a bit too manufactured but that surely he'd have to be included. Why do people (and I'm talking about you Huw) insist on linking me with Wlad, I told you my pick was Michael Watson and I'm happy with that.

DAVE667 wrote:What resounding argument? I said a lot of people think he's nice. I don't care for him myself, I find it all a bit too manufactured but that surely he'd have to be included. Why do people (and I'm talking about you Huw) insist on linking me with Wlad, I told you my pick was Michael Watson and I'm happy with that.

In my defence Dave my only other halfway interesting article was about Strictly and if I can ensure that you will bite everytime I link the pair of you then you surely can't blame me for including a link in every post.

For what it's worth I do think he seems a nice guy and his youtube video after the Haye fight where he said nothing but completely ripped Haye for his bad toe would put him in there for me anyway and has made me a fan.

What was it that made you a fan?  

Ray Mancini good fighter,smashing guy and has done a lot for handicapped kids.
Manny Pacquiao got to be in there just gets on with the job without the bad mouthing or disrespecting and nearly always smiling  at pre fight press conferences.
Arguello a total gent and total respect for his opponents.

Pacquiao smiles but cheats on his wife and is probably roiding.

Pac has MULTIPLE children from his CHEATING that he pay to COVER UP while he is LOSING his earnings due to his GAMBLING problems. People sayin Pac is a nice guy dont know sh1t.

YDKSAB wrote:Pac has MULTIPLE children from his CHEATING that he pay to COVER UP while he is LOSING his earnings due to his GAMBLING problems. People sayin Pac is a nice guy dont know sh1t.

Whereas YOU do DO you?

YDKSAB wrote: People sayin Pac is a nice guy dont know sh1t.

Although they probably do not when it is appropriate to use capital letters, so very much swings and roundabouts.

YDKSAB wrote:Pac has MULTIPLE children from his CHEATING that he pay to COVER UP while he is LOSING his earnings due to his GAMBLING problems. People sayin Pac is a nice guy dont know sh1t.

 

Too be fair, we actually don't really know who the good guys really are.
I mean, we just get to see the media perception of these guys. Even some of the people we meet, they might appear to be great guys, but we don't know what goes on when they go home and what kind of people they are really like.

Gerald McClellan?

Didn't he keep rescue dogs or something?

YDKSAB wrote:Pac has MULTIPLE children from his CHEATING that he pay to COVER UP while he is LOSING his earnings due to his GAMBLING problems. People sayin Pac is a nice guy dont know sh1t.

I don't know,you seem to know more about his personal life than me,wife still with him then is she,I have a mate who has a gambling addiction,nobody has a bad word to say about him gambling don't make you a bad person. I cant remember Pacquiao disrespecting any opponent so enlighten me since you know everything about him.

STC wrote:Gerald McClellan?

Didn't he keep rescue dogs or something?

LMAO! Very funny.

I think the point is that by taking into account his personal life, Pacquiao wouldn't appear to be that nice a fella.

The Terror of Tylorstown wrote:I think the point is that by taking into account his personal life, Pacquiao wouldn't appear to be that nice a fella.

I wouldn't know about Pacquiao's personal life,some are talking on here about Hatton being a nice guy, personally I've always liked him, but there was the cocaine snorting,and he doesn't and won't speak to either of his parents, so what makes a nice guy.

Nico the gman wrote:I wouldn't know about Pacquiao's personal life,some are talking on here about Hatton being a nice guy, personally I've always liked him, but there was the cocaine snorting,and he doesn't and won't speak to either of his parents, so what makes a nice guy.

He once bought me a pint if that helps his cause.

Rocky Fielding let me go for a p*ss before him at the portaloos at Craven Park.

Rowley wrote:

Nico the gman wrote:I wouldn't know about Pacquiao's personal life,some are talking on here about Hatton being a nice guy, personally I've always liked him, but there was the cocaine snorting,and he doesn't and won't speak to either of his parents, so what makes a nice guy.

He once bought me a pint if that helps his cause.

You should have him right up there at number 1.

If Ezzard Charles hasn't been mentioned he should be in. Not just one of the all time great elites, but check out his interview post Louis fight. It's pure class. With a painful llooking swollen eye too.


I've got to defend Pacquiao's exclusion. There is NO PROOF he's cheated, just random accusation, started by a punch drunk Mayweather Sr. Hardly impartial. I can say I suspect Kessler, Wlad and Cotto and there's just as much evidence they're juicing. Pacquiao always respects his opponents and has remained humble.

Wlad said he'd give Haye a pizza face but that was an abberation.