Top 50 middleweights ever (31-40)

Here is the latest section of the greatest middleweight list, apologies for the delay. I wanted to wait for the Pavlik-Taylor rematch (for obvious reasons) then, while I was away in New York, was worried I had omitted Nino Benvenuti from the list (I hadn't).
Comments, as always, welcomed.

31. Mike O'Dowd
Was world middleweight champion from 1917 until 1920 and fought on the front line in the First World War. Claimed victories over Harry Greb, Ted 'Kid' Lewis, Jack Britton, Mike Gibbons and Augie Ratner, although he was beaten by some of those too in an age of regular rubber matches and newspaper decisions.

32. Tommy Ryan
Rated by some as one of the greatest middleweight punchers of all time, but, as he came from an era when many of his fights were exhibitions or spars, it is difficult to know how good he was. Beat the original Jack Dempsey, Jack Bonner for the middleweight title - he was earlier welterweight champion) and came to London to beat Johnny Gorman and mark himself down as a real "world" champion.

33. Emile Griffith
Best known as one of the greatest welterweights of all time, but well worth his place on the middleweight list, for winning the middleweight title against Dick Tiger and his wins over Nino Benvenuti, Joey Archer and Tom Bogs.

34. Paul Pender
Perhaps brittle hands did not let Pender fulfill his potential, as he retired after regaining the title from Terry Downes. It was his second win over Downes, he also beat Carmen Basillio and Sugar Ray Robinson (twice).

35. Billy Papke
The Illinois Thunderbolt will be forever linked with Stanley Ketchel. He boxed Ketchel four times (winning once after he had punched Ketchel in the throat when they were supposed to shake hands) and, like Ketchel, his life ended in a violent way, when he shot himself after killing his wife. His best win was possibly over Georges Carpentier in Paris

36. Alan Minter
Won the middleweight title from Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas, lost in to Marvin Hagler at Wembley. Wins over Kevin Finnegan (twice), Ray Seales and Griffith read well too.

37. Julian Jackson
Probably best remembered in Britain for his lat ditch KO of Herol Graham, he did twice hold the WBC title, (having been a previous light-middleweight champion) before twice being crushed by Gerald McClellan. His best middleweight win, apart form the one over Graham, was probably against Thomas Tate.

38. Kelly Pavlik
If he continues his present form, Pavlik could be a real star in the coming years. His wins over Edison Miranda and Jermain Taylor last year were sensational and he proved it was no fluke by winning the rematch against Taylor. If he could unify the title, he could be in the top 20 in 18 months time.

39. Jermain Taylor
When he beat Bernard Hopkins for the title, albeit rather fortunately, he looked a boxer who could be a star. But he failed to defend against true middleweights until Kelly Pavlik came along and destroyed him.

40. Chris Eubank
Was fairly sensational when coming through as a middleweight, culminating in his thrilling win over Nigel Benn in Birmingham. His first fight as a super-middleweight was his tragic rematch with Michael Watson, after which, many thought, he was never the same.

Comments

[Ron Lewis]

I thought Eubank got very lucky against Watson, so I would look on Benn as, by far, his best win. Taylor did beat Hopkins twice and, while he hasn't turned out to be the star many had hoped for, I think those wins (and an unlucky draw against Winky Wright) earn him his spot.

[Gaz H]

Eubanks a bit low! He was unbeaten in about 20 fight as a middleweight. Won every minute of every round against gatekeeper Randy Smith, took Anthony Logan's best punch (swinging left hook, which had scored all his KO's bar the Benn one) on the chin and absorbed it, stopped Hugo Corti impressively (who had beaten every man he shared a ring with incl former WBC/WBA king Hugo Corro, 1984 Olympian too), stopped Nigel Benn impressively (Benn beat Barkley, DeWitt and Sims better than Kalambay did), defended against young men who had beaten every man they'd a shared a ring with, and also beat Michael Watson in a middle title defence which WASN'T a robbery (Eubank sweot up the first 5-6 rounds easily). All this at 22-24 years old. Chris would be in my top 20.

[Howard]

I do not understand how Jermain Taylor makes the Top 50, let alone higher than Eubank. Taylor has occasional brilliant combinations, but otherwise has a low work rate and is dull. He beta a severely weight weakened and old Hopkins, then struggled (and in my book lost) against Cory Spinks before twice losing to Pavlik.

[James Fairweather]

I can't help feeling that Minter is greatly flattered by such a high rating. Agreed, the vast majority of his defeats resulted from his propensity to bleed like a water-spout, but I can't quite muster the requisite enthusiasm for his victory over Griffith, for example, who was nearly 40 when they crossed swords.

Beating Finnegan, while commendable, was nothing more than a necessary passport to the big time for nearly every ambitious middleweight of the era. Minter's wins over Seales and Tony Licata were probably his best, not excluding the title fights against Antuofermo. His was a fine career, but owed a fair bit to being in the right place at the right time. I struggle to accept the notion that there have only ever been 35 better middleweights than Minter in the division's century-long history. It makes me shudder, for example, to think what folk like Jackson or Tiger Flowers might have done to him.