IT MAY not be the most glamourous boxing division, but some of the greatest fighters this world has seen competed at light-heavy, some even went on to take the heavyweight crown.
Here, my pal Mike Lockley selects the top 10 light-heavyweights of all time and it’s a mixture of old timers and modern day greats.
10. Maxie Rosenbloom
If you’re watching a 1940s boxing movie, Slapsie Maxie is probably in it. His cauliflower ears and pug features, made him a Hollywood favourite. He also played number of comic roles.
Maxie couldn’t break an egg with his feeble punch, but was a defensive wizard.
In a 274-fight career, Maxie faced them all. He took the title in 1930 with a points win over Jimmy Slattery and faced the best of his era, including Mickey Walker, Harry Greb, Ted Kid Lewis, Johnny Wilson and Tiger Flowers.
Maxie, from Connecticut, boxed from 1923 to 1939.
9. Gene Tunney
A dapper fighter famed for his victory over Jack Dempsey, Tunney’s gentlemanly air hid a tungsten tough interior. He was beaten by only one man in his career, Harry Greb, and pretty much mopped-up the light-heavyweight division. He revenged his defeat over Greb, beat Georges Carpentier and ended the career of Tommy Gibbons.
What’s more, Tunney got out of boxing in 1928 while still world heavyweight champ, having beaten Dempsey twice. He married a wealthy socialite, Mary “Polly” Lauder and lived his life free of the hard luck stories that blight many ex-champs.
8. Tommy Loughran
The Phantom of Philly was’t afraid to face much bigger opponents and seemed to have handily beaten Primo Carnera in their 1934 contest, but was astonishingly judged a points loser – a decision widely regarded as influenced by the Mafia which controlled Primo.
Very skilfull, Loughran battled the best, including Harry Greb and Gene Tunney. He took the title with a win over Mike McTigue in 1927 and defended against Young Stribling, Pete Latzo, Mickey Walker and Jim Braddock. In a career running from 1919 to 1937, Loughran won 90 of 127 fights.
7. Billy Conn
The fighter with movie star looks is best remembered for his 1941 loss to world heavyweight champ Joe Louis. Conn romped the first 12 rounds, but inexplicably decided to trade punches with Louis in the 13th – and got stopped. He later explained: “It was the Irish in me.”
There were no such disasters at light-heavy where Conn’s skills saw him to victory against the very best. He took the title against Melio Bettina in 1939 and defended against the former champ, plus Gus Lesnevich.
His career was derailed by the war and Conn was never the same fighter after picking up the pieces of his career.
6. Sam Langford
Dubbed “The Boston Tar Baby”, Langford’s life ended in poverty and darkness: blinded by numerous ring wars and living in a Harlem hovel.
Yet, Langford fought and beat the best from lightweight to heavyweight, victims including legends Stanley Ketchel, Joe Gans and Philadephia Jack O’Brien.
Langford was among a handful of turn-of-the-century black fighters who were simply too good for their own good. Jack Dempsey refused to face him and even black heavyweight champ Jack Johnson gave Sam a wide berth.
Forced into a boxing wilderness, Langford and other black fighters cursed by the colour of their skin were forced to fight among themselves. He fought Harry Wills, also shamefully shunned by Dempsey, 17 times, Sam McVea 15 times, Joe Jeannette 14 times and Battling Jim Johnson 11 times.
He did pick-up the world colored heavyweight title, but deserved so much more.
Sam, who packed 255 fights in a career spanning 1902 to 1926, could be cockey. He famously touched gloves with an opponent before the start of the eighth round, leading his foe to ask: “What’s up, Sam? It’s not the final round.”
“Tis for you, son,” he replied.
By the end of his career, Langford’s eyesight was so bad he needed to clutch the ring ropes to find his way back to the corner.
5. Bob Foster
The fighter whose day job was a sheriff in Albuquerque was the hardest hitter in light-heavyweight history. Our own Chris Finnegan, stopped by the tall, gangling champ in 1972, told me facing Foster was akin to Russian roulette. One slip and it was curtains.
Few light-heavy’s have successfully made the transition to the top of the heavyweight tree, but Foster’s bid for glory was truly disastrous. Joe Frazier needed just two rounds to beat him in 1970 and Muhammad Ali did the job in eight two years later. Zora Folley and Erniel Terrell were also too much for Foster at the higher poundage.
Foster, at the close of his 56 fight career, could also wilt dramatically under pressure. Fans booed loudly after he quit against Mustafa Wasajja in five rounds, claiming a hand injury. Subsequent x-rays couldn’t uncover any damage.
But in his pomp and natural weight division, Foster cast a very long shadow. He took the title in 1968 with one of the most spectacular knockouts ever seen: Dick Tiger was separated from his senses in the fourth.
He defended 14 times, though the 1974 draw with Jorge Ahumada caused a storm. Quite simply, the Argentinian was robbed.
Foster, with dynamite in both hands, had a reputation for being surly, but he was certainly the kind of cop you’d want to handle a riot.
4. Michael Spinks
Casual fight fans will remember Spinks as the man mauled by Mike Tyson in one round. They’ll recall images of Spinks walking to the ring for that 1988 heavyweight clash with the demeanour of an individual being led to the gallows. Frankly, he looked petrified.
Yet Spinks was one of the greatest light-heavyweights the world has seen.
From 1981 to 1985, The Jinx made 10 defences – and beat very good fighters. Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Murray Sutherland and Eddie Davis were among those put to the sword before big bucks lured Spinks to tackle the heavyweights.
He won the heavyweight title from Larry Holmes in 1985 and defended three times before running into the block of sinew and muscle which was Mike Tyson.
3. Archie Moore
Wildly eccentric, supremely talented and blessed with devastating power, The “Old Mongoose”, was very much a one-off. His exact age remains a mystery – he and his mother certainly differed over the birth date, with Ma Moore protesting: “I should know, I was there.”
But it’s generally accepted Ancient Archie – much too dangerous for his own good – was 39 when he took the title from Joey Maxim in 1952 – 12 years after he turned pro.
He defended the belt nine times in nine years and featured in the greatest light-heavyweight battle of all time, a ding-dong 1958 thriller against rugged Canadian fisherman Yvon Durelle. Archie was dropped three times in the first round, once in the fifth, but decked his challenger four times before closing the show in the 11th.
A man who ballooned in weight between bouts, Moore challenged Rocky Marciano for the heavyweight title in 1955 and actually dropped the champ before being blasted out in the ninth.
In the penultimate bout of his long career, Archie was stopped in four rounds by one Cassius Clay. That was 1962 before the young braggart changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Moore, who retired in 1963 after 185 fights, was cagey and a concussive puncher, but even he would have to admit Ezzard Charles was the better man.
2. Roy Jones Jnr
There’s no doubt, Jones’ decision to continue fighting long after time had dulled his razor-sharp reflexes has tarnished his legacy. But at his brilliant best – and Jones was blessed with a talent most mere mortals can only dream of – he was head and shoulders above the rest. At his best, Jones was untouchable.
His dominance became almost boring: when it came to the light-heavyweight there was simply Roy Jones and the rest.
After capturing the middleweight and super-middleweight titles, beating James Toney and Bernard Hopkins along the way, Jones dominated the bigger men, defending the light-heavyweight belt 14 times. He also won a version of the heavyweight title.
Such was his dominance, the brilliant boxer took part in a televised basketball match hours before one defence.
Traditionalists will say Jones reigned during a period when top talent was thin on the ground, but you can only beat what’s put infront of you. And, let’s be honest, guys such as Mike McCallum, Reggie Johnson, Antonio Tarver and our own Clinton Woods were no slouches.
Once the rigours of a long career put a stutter in Jones’ lightning speed, he was shown to be vulnerable. Jones has steadfastly refused to accept Father Time’s warnings and talks of a comeback despite losing his last three bouts. You have to worry for his health.
In a career spanning from 1989 to 2011, Jones won 54 of 62 bouts.
1. Ezzard Charles
He may never have won a world title at the weight, but Charles’ place at the top of the pile is pretty much a no-brainer.
The Cincinnati Cobra is best remembered for his reign as world heavyweight champ, but at the 12st 5lbs he was untouchable – and faced dangerous contenders such as Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall and Charley Burley who were avoided like a bad smell by the other contenders.
In fact, Charles, fast, brave and heavy-handed, only missed out on the world light-heavyweight crown because champ Gus Lesnevich steadfastly refused to face him. It was the right decision. Charles gave him a crack at the heavyweight title in 1949 and destroyed Gus in seven rounds.
His 121 bout career, stretching from 1940 to 1959, included five wins over Joey Maxim and three over the legendary Archie Moore. He was no slouch as a heavyweight either, winning two of four fights with Jersey Joe Walcott and featuring in an epic 15 rounder with Rocky Marciano.
As good as Charles was, he could’ve been even better. Deeply religious, he was plagued by the death of Sam Baroudi following their 1948 battle and never displayed the same ferocity again.
Charles was a very good heavyweight champ, but untouchable at light-heavy, beating the very best.
Sadly, like so many greats, he continued long after he should, winning only 10 of his last 23 fights and being better by men who, in Charles’ prime, weren’t fit to carry his jockstrap.
