Boxing is one of those sports that can divide and conquer in equal measure. Once a fan passes that threshold from a casual observer to the hardcore fan, things begin to get interesting. Over the years, thousands of hours of barroom conversations and workplace debates between boxing enthusiasts will have covered the obvious questions, like “who was the greatest of all time?” or “Ali or Tyson: who wins in their prime?”
While the less knowledgeable fans engage in discussions over Mayweather’s chances against Deontay Wilder (I genuinely overheard this recently), the true boxing fans tend to rack their brains over more serious matters. For example, last summer while on vacation, I had the pleasure of breaking down the greatest jab in boxing history with an Italian boxing enthusiast who knew the sport inside out.
True, knowledgeable boxing fans often seem compelled to study the history of the sport. They look for solutions to the unanswerable questions, watching hour after hour of footage on YouTube trying to crack the codes that seem destined to never be beaten. When you get two or more boxing fans in a room, they love nothing more than a great debate, encouraging interest in topics that the other has never questioned. It is part of what is great about being a fan of the undisputed champion of combat sports.
Of course, one of the most common debates among fans is the most underrated fighters in the history of the Sweet Science. With name after name to choose from – all for a multitude of reasons – this debate is bound to carry on between boxing heads for as long as the sport is relevant.
Below, I will take a look at five men I believe to be the most underrated fighters in the history of the sport.
There are fewer fighters in the known history of boxing that have come even remotely close to accomplishing a legacy like that of Bernard Hopkins. In a career that stretched from 1988 to 2016, Hopkins was one of the most durable and resilient fighters to have ever laced up gloves. Having won the first of his titles in 1995, the IBF middleweight crown, the Philadelphia-native would continue to enjoy the life of a champion for years to come.
Hopkins’ style may have verged on the dirty side at times, but there was no doubt that he possessed some extraordinary skills and attributes. Hopkins faced the very best of the best throughout his incredible career and unified the middleweight division with a stunning victory over the legendary Puerto Rican, Felix Trinidad, in 2001. That year, Hopkins was voted the Fighter of the Year.
As “Father Time” threatened to see him into retirement, Hopkins always seemed reluctant. In 2006, he moved up to light heavyweight and beat Antonio Tarver to become a champion at 42. In 2011, he became the oldest champion in boxing history when he beat Jean Pascal to win the WBC and lineal titles at 46. Hopkins continued to break his own records, winning his last title at 48-years-old.
“The Executioner” was one of the savvies fighters of all time, possessing a ring IQ that was so far ahead of his peers. Defensively, he was impregnable and possessed an awesome ability to read a fight and land some devastating counter punches. Athletically gifted, Hopkins also managed to somehow keep many of his defining skills through his later years. As smart as they come, Hopkins was a fighter many in the boxing community could learn from.
Hopkins was a true professional that appeared capable of fighting at the top level into his 50s. How many other fighters can claim to have beaten so many top-level boxers throughout a career that spanned 28 years? “The Alien,” as he was known throughout his later years, was almost like a throwback to the early days of the sport and put his peers to shame with his discipline and relentless appetite for success.
Hopkins holds wins over the likes of Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Winky Wright, and Kelly Pavlik. He was the master of surprise, often overcoming challenges that others suggested were impossible. There will never be another Bernard Hopkins, you can be certain of that.
The ultimate defensive genius prior to the arrival of Floyd Mayweather Jr., there is enough evidence out there to suggest that “Money” was heavily influenced by the exploits of “Sweet Pea.” Whitaker was a lot more than just a defensive fighter, however, as he was also known to possess exceptional offensive talents that were greatly punctuated by his awesome speed and reflexes.
While Whitaker won titles in four separate weight classes in the 80s and early 90s (lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and light middleweight), he is severely overlooked by fans over the past couple of decades. Whitaker is undoubtedly one of the greatest exponents of smart defense/counter punching of the 20th century, so it is a little strange that he is not given more credit.
Whitaker is still the owner of a pretty impressive record (the longest unified lightweight championship run, at 6 defenses). Even this stat should afford Whitaker a greater appreciation in boxing, right? Let’s factor in Whitaker’s unbeaten run at the top of the game – which stretched to almost 10 years before he was beaten by Oscar De La Hoya – and the head-scratching intensifies.
Norfolk, Virginia’s most famous boxer was subject to some questionable decisions throughout his career. The most baffling of these was undoubtedly the split decision loss to Jose Luis Ramirez in France in 1988. Had Whitaker got the decision – as most boxing historians agree that he should have – he would have been unbeaten in 40 fights. Had he got the decision over Julio Cesar Chavez in 1993, he would have been 40-0.
OK, I get it. It’s not as though Pernell is completely disregarded for his skills. If you ask many boxing historians what they think of Whitaker, they will generally answer pretty favorably. However, with Whitaker, he has kind of been forgotten for the most part. The majority of boxing enthusiasts will downplay just how great he was, often putting Mayweather ahead of him in terms of skill and prowess.
Whittaker was a genius. Things did not often go his way and there is ample evidence to suggest that he was robbed in a couple of the most important fights, but you cannot dispute that, at one time, he epitomized boxing. He was the walking, talking example of the great boxing axiom of hitting and not getting hit.
Sam Langford is the greatest Canadian boxer of all time. He is one of the greatest boxers to have ever laced up gloves, when all is said and done. Langford is one of those fighters that is frequently championed by boxing nerds but is practically unknown to the casual fan. The “Boston Bonecrusher” was simply a force of nature that wreaked havoc on the sport during his time as a prizefighter.
There is a very credible argument that the color of Langford’s skin has a lot to do with his virtual anonymity among the average fan. Despite standing at a modest 5ft 7 and weighing 185 pounds, Langford is regarded to the initiated as one of the most powerful punchers in boxing history. He was once described as “experienced as a heavyweight James Toney with the punching power of Mike Tyson”.
Langford fought from lightweight to heavyweight, amassing a known record of 181-34-38, 128 KO. The Canadian wrecking ball often destroyed fighters that were bigger and more powerful than him, earning a reputation among the greats of his time as someone to avoid at all costs. Pretty spectacular, considering that he is the smallest heavyweight great on record.
What made Langford so special was his ability to fight at various weight classes and maintain such monstrous power. Jack Johnson – the first ever African-American Heavyweight Champion – famously turned down the chance to fight Langford, potentially depriving him of a chance to win a world title. As such, Langford is regarded as the greatest fighter never to win a championship.
Despite having a career and life worthy of a Hollywood biopic, Langford remains a cult hero. Many boxing aficionados are surprisingly unaware of one of the most intriguing fighters to ever live, making his name practically unknown among casual fans. If you doubt this, slip Langford’s name into the conversation the next time someone brings up Mike Tyson’s height to success ratio as something special in the heavyweight division.
Had Langford been born white, I am certain that he would have been more renowned. The all-time great’s absence on the list of many “boxing historians'” greatest ever fighters is a crime, albeit unpunishable by anything other than a scowl or scoff.
It is encouraging to see that Charley Burley – undoubtedly one of boxing’s greatest ever fighters – is starting to get a little bit of the respect he deserves. One of the best things about the growth of the internet is that it allows the average man, including the diehard boxing fan, publish their opinions. To the seasoned boxing enthusiast, Burley’s lack of respect was verging on the ridiculous.
Charlie Burley was simply a master inside the ropes. With skills and attributes to die for, the mercurial Pittsburgh-native was feared by practically anyone within distance of his weight. A methodical fighter with a superb ring IQ, Burley also had an engine that seemed to never run out of gas. Burley was never knocked out in over a century of fights, which is a testament to his iron will and titanium chin.
Burley’s career spanned 14 years, between 1936 and 1950, in which he won 20 straight bouts and faced the best of who was keen to challenge him. It is almost tragic that Burley never got the chance to claim the middleweight and welterweight titles, with the champion of the 147-pound division, Sugar Ray Robinson, allegedly refusing to take on Burley in 1946.
Despite his awesome talents – and having lost just one of his last 18 fights – Burley hung up his gloves at the age of just 32, having fallen down the pecking order in the sport he surely should have achieved more in. A man of great skill and character, Burley famously refused to engage in US trials for the 1936 Olympics in Germany in protest of the ruling Nazi government.
One of the great mysteries of boxing (and there have been many over the years) is just how Burley never won a title. Just like Sam Langford before him, politics prevented him from getting his hands on what should have been his. Unlike Langford, however, it was less to do with race and more to do with boxers and promoters recognizing Burley as a threat that was not worth encountering.
Charley Burley is probably the greatest boxer that most fans in the modern era will never know of. He had it all, and then some. Like some men in this world, however, there is a connection between their principles and unabashed individuality that sees them never truly fit into the frame. Was Burley too talented and unique for his own good? He probably was.
Who do you think is the greatest heavyweight of all time? Ali? Tyson? Marciano? Johnson? Have you ever considered the mighty James J. Jeffries? According to some, Jeffries was, without any shadow of a doubt, the best to ever cut it at heavyweight. The most incredible thing about this claim is that Jeffries only ever fought 21 times as a professional. Astounding, when you think of it.
Jeffries was a monster of a man, who possessed incredible power in both hands. He was the epitome of what a classic heavyweight should be: hulking, powerful, and relentless. Although Jack Johnson had the credit of beating Jeffries, the latter only fought the all-time great following a six-year absence from the sport, bringing into question both the validity and credibility of the victory. Prior to his passing in 1946, Johnson allegedly stated that Jeffries was the greatest of all time.
Jeffries took on nine fighters that made it into the hall of fame in those 21 bouts and defended the heavyweight championship a total of seven times. The Ohio-native, the son of farmers, was blessed with pure, raw power that would have seen him blast through practically anyone with legs and a pair of gloves to their name, had he been more active throughout his years as a pro.
The powerful heavyweight retired permanently in 1910 following his only loss (to Johnson), with a record of 19-14-1. “The Boilermaker” has notable victims on his record such as Bob Fitzsimons, James J.Corbett, and Tom Sharkey. Given his immense power and all-around skill set, there is little doubt that Jeffries would have been a standout fighter in practically any era in boxing history. He is probably the single greatest underrated fighter to have ever lived.
Jeffries was a boilermaker. However, he didn’t look like the atypical boilermaker. In fact, he didn’t look like the typical boxer, which adds a keen sense of curiosity to his story. According to legend, a boxer arrived at Jeffries’ place of work and threatened to “whip any man in town,” to which Jeffries replied: “I would rather fight for three hours than make a speech for three minutes.” Despite having never boxed, Jeffries reportedly knocked the boxer out cold.
As a result, Jeffries agreed with friends and coworkers that he should take up boxing and eventually crafted an impressive career in the sport. Aside from his perplexing strength, Jeffries is credited by historians as revolutionizing the art of the heavyweight. Regardless of the style of fighter he faced – from the boxer-puncher to the slugger – Jeffries almost always had the right answer.
It is encouraging to know that the legend of Jim Jeffries is still alive in the hearts and minds of true fight fans. When it comes down to it, the Ohio-native is arguably the most underrated fighter to have ever lived. The next time someone wants to talk to you about the Marcianos or Johnsons, why not tell them the amazing story of the greatest heavyweight that almost no one knows, James J. Jeffries.
Boxing is nothing short of a beautiful sport. Fans, young and old, still romanticize about the “good old days,” even if there is a great gulf in the timeframes associated with when those days were. When it comes to everyone’s favorite fighter, it is simply subjective; a matter of opinion. You could argue that the same logic applies to the greats of the sport that do not get the recognition they deserve or the plaudits that they surely warrant.
Boxing has produced some of the greatest athletes to have ever walked the face of the earth, and some of the most indomitable spirits ever to occupy the flesh and bones of mankind. It is easy to understand why many of the men above are not recognized alongside the Ali’s and Leonard’s, given that three of them fought at a time when TV coverage of the sport was a thing of the future.
When all is said and done, these five men, for one reason or another, have just not been appreciated enough for my liking. As a keen boxing enthusiast, I would implore each and every person reading this piece to watch as much footage – or read as much material as possible – on each and every one of the subjects above. That is, of course, that you haven’t already.
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