One thing that is certain is, no matter the era or the competition, the object of the game is to be the best?
Grab a cup of coffee. It doesn?t matter how big or small, or how good the coffee tastes, when you add cream it always rises?like the best boxers?to the top. Whether it?s an Ethiopian bean or a Hong Kong roast, the result is the same. Such is the case in boxing regardless of which era we are talking about. Some say the Roaring Twenties had the best fighters while others insist the 1970s were better. A large amount will tell you the athletes of today are bigger and better. One thing that is certain is, no matter the era or the competition, the object of the game is to be the best.
With that in mind, let?s take a look at who succeeded at being among the ten best for the longest period of time using the rankings that mattered?the official rankings of the various organizations throughout history including the NBA, WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. For good measure, and a dose of sanity, the unofficial but popular Ring Magazine ratings were included. The organizations were each treated evenly since their rankings have all proven to be equally suspect throughout the years. But despite the favoritism, the paid for, and the just plain ole wrong, they were the official rankings and, the cream always rose to the top.
HEAVYWEIGHT The heavyweight who was ranked the longest was Muhammad Ali. He rose to top- ten status in 1961 and stayed among the elite until he retired in 1978. Ali poked around briefly in some rankings when he returned to challenge Larry Holmes and for the Trevor Berbick match. Rounded off, Muhammad Ali?s stay at the top was 19 years.
Next on the list, with roughly 17 years at the top, are Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, and Evander Holyfield. Gaining on them is current titlist Wladimir Klitschko who is currently in his 16th year. Klitschko is only a few months away from surpassing the trio for sole possession of the second longest tenure at heavyweight.
Larry Holmes would be next with a roughly 15-year run among the best. Jack Johnson appears to have been in 16- to 17-year range also but since he boxed before ratings were used, we can only estimate.
CRUISERWEIGHT No cruiserweight comes close to Johnny Nelson who spent 16 years swapping punches with the best.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT Archie Moore and Harold Johnson are in a virtual tie with 16-year runs at the top. Roy Jones Jr. put in 14 years at 175 pounds with Bob Foster, Gus Lesnevich, Virgil Hill, and the ?Road Warrior? Glen Johnson coming next with 12. Old-timer Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom?s run at the top appears to have been about a dozen years as well.
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT Joe Calzaghe leads the 168-pounders with a run just shy of 12. Carl Froch is next closing in on 9 years.
MIDDLEWEIGHT Bernard Hopkins was ranked among the top longer than anyone else at 160 with his 14-year run. Sugar Ray Robinson, Carlos Monzon, and Marvin Hagler had roughly 11-year runs. Old-timers Harry Greb and Tommy Ryan were in the vicinity of these fighters as well with Tony Zale, Gene Fullmer, and Joey Giardello with-10 year stays.
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT Winky Wright leads all with just under 10 years on top.
WELTERWEIGHT This division had the closest knit group after Ray Robinson who paced the division for 10 years. All of the following had, or have, 8-year runs with only a few months separating them. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will reach 9 years soon. He?s followed by Jack Britton, Jimmy McLarnin, Kid Gavilan, Luis Rodriguez, Jose Napoles, Marlon Starling, and Felix Trinidad with 8. Old-timers, who boxed top 10 rankings were kept, Tommy Ryan and Joe Walcott are estimated to be in the vicinity of 8 years as well.
JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT Mere weeks separate Antonio Cervantes, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Kostya Tsyzu with 8 years.
LIGHTWEIGHT Old-timers Benny Leonard and Joe Gans appear to lead this group with an estimated 11-12 years at the top. Behind them is Joe Brown with 9. A group with 8 years including Tony Canzoneri, Ike Williams, Carlos Ortiz, Ismael Laguna, and Roberto Duran are next. Old-timer Battling Nelson approached 8 years as well.
JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT Azumah Nelson eked out the longest run at 9 years with Flash Elorde close behind.
FEATHERWEIGHT Willie Pep had a 13-year run with his nemesis Sandy Saddler right behind him with 12. Old-timers who may have reached these amounts include Johnny Kilbane, Johnny Dundee, Abe Attell, and George Dixon.
JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT The longest run is a tossup between Wilfredo Gomez, Daniel Zaragoza, and Marcos Antonio Barrera at just under 8 years.
BANTAMWEIGHT Manuel Ortiz?s 12-year run tops the 118-pound class.
JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT Khaosai Galaxy leads the way with 8 with Johnny Tapia and Masamori Takuyama just missing with 7.
FLYWEIGHT Pascual Perez and Betulio Gonzalez were ranked for 11 years with Miguel Canto and Chartchai Chionoi at 10. Old-timer Jimmy Wilde also appears to have spent about a decade amongst the best.
Below flyweight Ricardo Lopez spent 12 ranked among the best with Myung Woo Yuh and Chana Porpaoin at 10.
POUND-FOR-POUND The pound-for -rankings differ from the divisional rankings since many fighters hopped around between divisions. Of all pros who have competed over the years, my tired eyes found about 30 who lingered among the best for longer than 15 years. Here, in reverse order, they are.
The still active Wladimir Klitschko joins Leo Gamez, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, and Larry Holmes with 15-year runs. Manny Pacquiao?s run through the divisions has lasted 16 years so far. That total matches the runs of Emile Griffith, Harold Johnson, Johnny Nelson, and Thomas Hearns.
Joe Louis, Mike McCallum, Julio Cesar Chavez, Azumah Nelson, Erik Morales, and George Foreman enjoyed 17 years among the top. Active fighters who have also reached that total include Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, and Guillermo Jones. Old-timers like Mickey Walker, Jack Johnson, and Tommy Ryan were also in this neighborhood.
The still active but no longer ranked Roy Jones Jr. shares an 18-year run with Shane Mosley.
Coming next with 19 years are Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, and James Toney.
A total of five fighters have reached or topped the 20-year mark with old-timer Sam Langford being a possible sixth. And it may have been seven if George Foreman didn?t take a 10-year break.
Sugar Ray Robinson and Roberto Duran each punched their way to 20-year runs in multiple divisions with Robinson being rated in multiple divisions at the same time during some stretches.
Evander Holyfield was the Real Deal for 21 years and just ahead of him was the Ol? Mongoose, Archie Moore with a 22-year run between middleweight and heavyweight.
At the very top of the list with 23 years, and counting, is Philadelphia?s own, Bernard Hopkins. The still ranked Hopkins first popped into the top 10 before he had a cell phone, before ?lol,? and before Derek Jeter played his first minor league game.
Curiously, what stands out from this group is that the majority are boxers who competed after 1980. This lends credence to those who argue that athletes are better now than in the past. They can point to longer careers and less retired boxers swinging at doorbells. Others may counter that the boxers of the past did more in less time. Who?s right? Like coffee, it may all come down to preference. I prefer a Guatemalan or Colombian roast but some I know swear by the stuff inside the Styrofoam cups the guy at the corner hotdog stand sells.
At any rate, these boxers have succeeded at rising to the top longer than anyone else with the ?Alien? Bernard Hopkins taking the cake. And this is one cake even a notorious health food freak like he may eat. Perhaps with a cup of Joe?no cream needed.
