All-time greatest white boxer?

georgejjr said:
Lower weight divisions are mainly dominated by Latin's and some Asians, the middle weight classes by blacks, currently the two best heavy weights are white.

It seems to be as much about poverty as anything else. Boxing is what you do when you don't have better options. That even includes sports - if you're big and athletic, going into boxing is probably a worse choice than playing football, or basketball, or hockey, or baseball etc.

If you're mid-sized and athletic, baseball and soccer are way better choices.

But if you're too poor to afford to play those sports, boxing is there.
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I see your point I guess its a controversial topic I guess, What would you say your reasoning for the the 60-00 era of heavyweights being mainly black, would you put it entirely down to social economic situation of black males, as am guessing there's a lot of poor white kids out there who try there hand at boxing.
 
Jim Reaper said:
Who do ya think?

Contenders:

Jack Dempsey
Gene Tunney
Willie Pep
Benny Leonard
Rocky Marciano
Harry Greb
Jake LaMotta
Marcel Cerdan
Mickey Walker
Jimmy Wilde
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That is a nice list but I am going with Marciano since he was undefeated but LaMotta fought some great fighters and is a very close second.
 
ssx said:
Greb and Ketchel have to be mentioned. Jumping what would be multiple weight classes today and beating Tunney and nearly beating Johnson are huge...
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Good call on Stanley Ketchel.
 
I'd say Tunney or Greb. Tunney was one of the first dudes who modernized the stick and move, pure boxing style of fighting, Greb was the opposite, both guys were great in their own ways. Gotta go with those two.
 
godsedd said:
I see your point I guess its a controversial topic I guess, What would you say your reasoning for the the 60-00 era of heavyweights being mainly black, would you put it entirely down to social economic situation of black males, as am guessing there's a lot of poor white kids out there who try there hand at boxing.
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An interesting point to consider when discussing boxing and race is that for many decades certain styles of boxing were taught exclusively amongst a certain race, and gyms were more segregated.

In the era you are referring to I think it's fair to say that white heavyweights were being trained in white gyms that were of the straight forward, power punching style that doesn't work for every fighter. Over the past 20 years boxing has become more of a niche sport in America and because of that styles and training methodologies, as well as the racial make up of various gyms have crossed over. Now we see more of a mixture of the racial make up in the talent pool in boxing.
 
I'm surprised Calzaghe hasn't been brought up. 46-0 and he was no joke.
 
Harry Greb, then Benny Leonard, then Willie Pep.

Walker and Jimmy Wilde also deserves a mention. lmao @ Dempsey. No.
 
if you said american that would be different but wlad is technically white
 
GhettoWizard said:
Harry Greb, then Benny Leonard, then Willie Pep.

Walker and Jimmy Wilde also deserves a mention. lmao @ Dempsey. No.
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Funny, put that in reverse and thats my top 3. After that I'd probably go with Tunney.

I have to go with Pep since he's my #2 all time P4P.
 
1- Clinton Woods
2- Sven Ottke
3- Theodore Roosevelt
 
I'm no boxing historian but from what I know I would have to choose Wladimir.
 
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