As I wrap up this 22 year effort to plumb the truth of hand-to-hand combat in an instructional context, it is time I develop a tool for evaluating ring fighters according to available video records.
In this spirit, I will look at the major weight divisions in boxing through a common portal, particular great fighters of the 1970s, for whom a wealth of video footage is freely available, for the purpose of comparing fighters across the generations, as an exercise in observant evaluation, rather than passive spectating.
For the heavyweights, Mohamed Ali is the obvious benchmark fighter for studying those who came before and after his generation of greats.
I will be looking for three other fighters from the early 1970s for whom extensive footage is available:
Middleweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
My initial thoughts are Monzon, Leonard and Duran.
Do you have any alternative suggestions?
American Fist: A Fighter’s View of Boxing
The Greatest Boxer: An Objective Ranking of the Top Boxers
Not early 70s but Hearns started in 76.
George Foreman?
Hitman Hearns.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Alexis Arguello
Yes, a more balanced lightweight than Duran.