Top 100 British boxers - make your case

So that's it, my top 100 British boxers in history and two of the top three are called Lewis (Ted 'Kid' Lewis and Lennox) - not nepotism, honest. The plan is to do a revised top 100 to be published here just after the new year to take into account results since we started - most notably David Haye's world title win - a couple of complete oversights, and a couple of disasters - most notably Dave Charnley's low ranking.

Charnley was someone I had, obviously, heard of, but never seen live. Having ranked him in the 80s, at a Boxing Writers' Club committee meeting, I asked David Field (formerly of PA) what he thought of Charnley. He replied that some people thought he was the best British boxer of all time. That's me told, I thought.

So, if you think someone has been ranked too low or too high, here is where you make your case. I can't say I will definitely agree, but I never said it was democratic.

Still, I hope you have found it fun to read and talk about some of the names that have had fans cheering over the generations and kept British boxing great for the past century. I have found it particularly poignant, at a time when British boxing is so strong, to underline the rich history our sport has.

Comments

[Allan Brown]

Agree with the comment above about Benny Lynch being way too low. Although he was an undisputed world champion, he falls a bit short in your criteria of ring achievements due to his unfortunately short championship career. However based on ability and talent, he is consistently recognised as one of the top ten flyweights of all time and pound for pound one of the best fighters of his era. Not many on the list above him have made this impact globally.

Some footage of him fighting is available on www.bennylynch.co.uk

[James Fairweather]

An eleventh-hour plea, Ron: despite your evident love of Nigel Benn the fighter, can you truly, objectively say that he is an all-time top 5 British fighter? I don't dispute the greatness of his victory over McClellan - it is a top 5 British victory. His win over Barkley was also commendable, albeit that I've always thought that The Blade was a largely average fighter who happened to have Tommy Hearns' number.

But really, does Nigel's overall record really deserve such extraordinary adulation? What, as someone said in another field, is there left to say about Anna Karenina? Benn was one of the most exciting fighters I've ever seen. I watched around a dozen of his fights, always with a mixture of excitement and foreboding, but his limitations can't be denied. From the Anthony Logan fight onwards, he never really learned how to cover up and fight in a slightly different manner when required. One-paced would sum it up, I suppose.

Finally, as I've said before, I can't ignore the two fights, against Watson and Collins, that book-ended his championship career. One was an out-and-out-quit, the other a certainly-could-have-gone-on-had-he-felt-like-it. I accept that overall, you can't accuse Benn of a lack of heart, but these must be accounted black marks nonetheless. Top 15? Yes, certainly, alongside Eubank, and an honoured place in British ring history. Top 5, ahead of Buchanan, Wilde, Conteh and Driscoll, among others? Ron, only a true fan could think so.

[Paul]

Too high:
Bugner - won nothing and showed little heart;
Benn - defeated easily (ie knocked out) by two guys ranked lower down the list;
Eubank - dodged the best (Toney etc) and never won a real world title;
Calzaghe - too long content with WBO crown and never fought outside UK, but still worth top ten place for talent and recent fights;
Honeyghan - a couple of great fights but not consistent enough over a long period;
Jones and Sibson - limited talents, getting by with big left-hooks:
Hamed - talented and a great puncher, but too short a career and limitations cruelly exposed by Barrera;

Too low:
Graham - if award was for boxing skill, would be number one. Did not get title shot until 32, despite two years as number one contender to Hagler, but still unlucky to lose on split decision to McCallum and by freak KO to Jackson. Top ten for me;
Watson - has to be closer to Benn and Eubank just on record against them;
Charnley, Winstone and Moran - enough already said by others...

[Crashing Dashing Kid]

Trouble with Naseem Hamed was, in spite of his tremendous skills and unbelievable power, in spite of his brilliant record against many former champions, his peak years were very short. It may be a coincidence that after leaving Ingle his prowess was on the wain, but on the wain he most certainly was. Also, Naz did fight many extremely good champs but they were carefully picked rather than all-comers. His opponents, though very good were on the down-curve, or moving out of their weight class. The one time he fought another great fighter at the top of his game, he was embarrassed. Hamed may top a list of "British boxers who could have been #1 but chose the path of least resistance instead".

[Nick Bankes]

If Prince Naseem is only the 7th best we've had then we must be truly blessed. I know his popularity has waned and to an extent he wasted his talent but let's be fair, he ruled the featherweight division for 6 years beating champions of all the major organisations. Aside from that he had the sort of crossover appeal that few fighters achieve. Which other British boxer had his face on 10 foot high bilboards in New York City?

At his peak he was virtually un-hittable and he had one punch KO power. And even once the discipline had gone he had the champions heart to drag himself off the floor twice against Kevin Kelly to score a spectacular knockout. I can't see how a less accomplished boxer like Nigel Benn (much loved though he was) or a one hit wonder like Randy Turpin could be ranked higher. And pound for pound could Lennox Lewis have beaten Hamed? It just doesn't seem plausible.

[Del gar]

Calzaghe deserves his high position - he shows that boxing is about more than hype.

[Crashing Dashing Kid]

Kid Lewis should be number 1 on the list just for slapping Oswald Mosley!

[Ron Lewis]

Regarding Ted 'Kid' Lewis and Oswald Mosley - here is a piece taken from antkeprizering.com

Upon his ring retirement in 1929, after twenty years a fighter, the gambling, generous Kid Lewis was not well off, in spite of estimates that his ring earnings in the United States alone exceeded a half a million dollars. In 1931 Ted Lewis was introduced to Sir Oswald Mosley, thought my some a man destined to be British Prime Minister. At the time Mosley headed the" New Party', a proponent of increased government spending, protectionism and a strong anti-Communist stand. In the midst of world-wide Depression for many Mosley appeared the answer. He hired Ted Kid Lewis for 60 pounds a week to be the physical youth training instructor for the New Party. Within a few months Lewis' role had evolved into heading up Mosley's bodyguards, known as the "Biff Boys" , a group of East End toughs, recruited by Lewis.

By 1932, Mosley's seemingly populist policies had taken an ugly turn. After visiting with Mussolini, Mosley returned to England and disbanded the" New Party" and formed the "National Union of Fascists." As rumors of Mosley's anti-Semitic positions grew Ted Kid Lewis paid one final visit on Mosley's headquarters, accompanied by his young son Morton. In Morton Lewis' words,

"...when we arrived there were two big men, clad not in the black shirts of Mosley's New Party, but in the brown shirts of the Nazi party. TK momentarily froze...he mounted the stairs to Mosely's office, and without knocking, opened the door."

"...Mosley was seated...with two of his henchmen in brown shirts standing at his elbows...The two men gave TK the traditional raised arm salute. 'Is it true you're anti-Semitic? And I want the truth this time. Are you anti-Jewish?'"

"Mosley almost smiled at TK's naivety. 'Yes'. Then he rose from his chair and told TK in measured tones ...his full plans and began to explain there aims."

"TK's face was dead white. Boxing fans who had seen him fight would have intrepreted the danger signs. ...Mosley kept on talking and then eyed TK as if to guage the effect of his words on TK."

"Until then TK had not moved. Then, like lightning, he struck with an open hand across Mosely's face, sending him and his chair crashing against the wall. The two brown-shirted men came round the desk and grappled with TK. He ducked under the man's arms and shot a short right hand to his jaw, sending him to the floor, out to the world. "

...TK hit him (the second man) with a left hook and dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. ...TK took my hand and we walked down the stairs past the two guards at the front door. About twenty yards up the street, TK told me to wait a minute. ...he walked back to the entrance, mounted the steps and postitioned himself between the two guards. He eyed them for two or three seconds, and then, like lightning, swung a left hook at one, spun around with a right hook to the other, and calmly stepped over both me, He walked down the steps and joined me, grinning from ear to ear."

[Royal Madrid]

Ted Lewis???? He was a Mosleyite. Shouldn't be anywhere near this list.

[Crashing Dashing Kid]

Deserved a higher placement: Jimmy Wilde, Jack Kid Berg, Dave Charnley, Jock McAvoy, Peter Kane
Missed completely: Owen Moran
Rated too high: Joe Calzaghe

Kid Lewis most definitely deserves his place at the top of the pile. Wilde would be my number 2, Lennox at 3, Berg at 4 and Lynch at 5. Lynch threw it all away and so cannot be rated higher but at his peak he was practically unbeatable.

[Ian Cameron]

Ken Buchanan - peerless, among many worthy British boxers.No 1 - no doubt. If you have reservations about my choice - ask the American boxing press.

[Phill Arrowsmith]

To sum up some earlier comments I've made (and add a couple more) I would say my biggest grievances are all about what I believe to be natural talent compared to apparently better records. With that in mind:

Too high:
Lloyd Honeyghan - just above average at best,
Clinton Woods - used to be decent now a lucky champ,
Naseem Hamed - you HAVE to come back to be a great,
Lennox Lewis - great jab bit too scared of being hit.
Chris Eubank - I despise his attitude to boxing and what I think of as a waste of a potentially great boxer.

Too low:
Herol Graham - tons of talent, tons of guts, no luck. Top 5 for me!
Kirkland Laing - not the best record but what a talent,
David Haye - potential to become all time number 1 I think. (I can't wait to see where you put him)
Michael Watson - A beautiful boxer who should be right next to Eubank, wherever he goes.

[Mike Cole]

Calzaghe - no contest.

[Simon]

What about Mark Reefer...Didnt have an unbeaten record, but fought exciting fights against top-level opposition...should at least make top 100

[James Fairweather]

To summarise, then:

Should be in the list and aren't: Joe Bowker, Tancy Lee, Freddie Gilroy, Dai Dower, Pat Barrett and, above all, Owen Moran.

Damned lucky to be in at all: Damaen Kelly, James Cook (71?), George Feeney, Johnny Pritchett, BB Wells.

Way too low: Johnny Caldwell, Alan Rudkin, Jock McAvoy, Tommy Farr, Howard Winstone, Peter Kane and, of course, Charnley.

A bit generously placed: Glenn Catley, Tony Sibson, Colin Jones, Alan Minter, Joe Bugner, Terry Downes, Freddie Mills and dear old Henry Cooper.

There, I've said it!