Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: Tony, are you fighting tonight? Tony Galento: Yes. Sheen: Will you win? Galento: I always win. ? Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen
An acquaintance once asked me to name my favorite heavyweight. Tony Galento, I said. He was stunned, not believing that I thought ?Two Ton? was the best heavyweight of all time. I pointed out that I didn?t say he was the best; that I answered his question about who was my favorite. He asked, ?How can the best not be your favorite??
Well, why not? Maybe you like the guy because of the way he fought in the ring or out of the ring or the way he looked or talked or because he bedded hotties or because he was on Guadalcanal with your dad or because he didn?t like poodles or he wasn?t pease porridge hot or pease porridge cold but pease porridge in the pot nine days old or?any one of any number of tangibles or intangibles. When Galento was making Wind Across the Everglades, he wanted to watch the fights one Friday night, but Gypsy Rose Lee wanted to see a drama. Gypsy got her way, but wound up leaping from her chair as though electrocuted, and with a glass-shattering shriek?Tony had given her a hotfoot. How can you not like the guy? Anyway, it got me thinking: Who are my favorites?and who are my bests?
Focusing exclusively on the original eight weight divisions, I compared and contrasted the two categories, curious to see if there?d be any overlap.
Here are my selections per division, as well as pound-for-pound. The first boxer?s name is my favorite; the one below, italicized, is the one I consider the best.
Heavyweight Tony Galento Joe Louis
Light Heavyweight Melio Bettina Archie Moore
Middleweight Tony Zale Sugar Ray Robinson
Welterweight Kid Azteca Henry Armstrong
Lightweight Beau Jack Benny Leonard
Featherweight Baby Arizmendi Willie Pep
Bantamweight Johnny Coulon Panama Al Brown
Flyweight Fidel LaBarba Pancho Villa
Pound-for-Pound Tony Galento Sugar Ray Robinson
You?ll note that my selections for favorite and best aren?t at all in tandem. Scandal! I?m curious how ?well? Boxing.com readers do?an invitation to all those who wish to participate. There no right or wrong answers, no rules or regulations, no rigid or arbitrary criteria. I myself don?t include active fighters on all-time lists, but that?s me. If Floyd Mayweather Jr. is your favorite welterweight, or if you think he?s the best, fine. Well, not really. But there also no penalties.
