After unifying titles at 140 and 147 kilos, Terence Crawford appears so as to add a belt at 154 kilos when he takes on robust Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles on Saturday night time.
Even when he’s victorious, it doesn’t really feel as if Crawford plans on spending too lengthy within the junior middleweight division, as he clearly has eyes on forcing a showdown with tremendous middleweight champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Sadly, that has typically been the case for this weight class, which has continuously been used as a pitstop between welterweight and middleweight since its introduction in 1962 and has additionally seen reigns by former welterweight champs who’re not in a position to squeeze their getting old our bodies right down to 147 kilos.
Accordingly, compiling an inventory of one of the best ever to glove up at junior middleweight is a little more of a problem than for another divisions. The highest 5 or 6 choose themselves, even when their order is a matter for debate. Past that, it’s a bit tough. Ought to an inventory like this favor longevity, achievement, or capacity? Floyd Mayweather is larger on any all-time pound-for-pound desk than the others, however how a lot weight ought to be given to the truth that his three wins have been in opposition to Corridor-of-Fame opposition? (Spoiler alert: fairly a bit, in accordance with this explicit checklist compiler.)
There is no such thing as a scarcity of junior middleweights with sturdy and intensive monitor data at 154, however lots of them additionally noticed their justifiable share of defeats with out racking up many and even any really nice wins. So, with apologies to, amongst others, Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas, Freddie Little, John David Jackson, Julian Jackson, Julio Cesar Vasquez, Gianfranco Rosi, Sandro Mazzinghi, Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, and others, right here’s one man’s checklist of the lads Crawford has to catch if he intends on making any all-time lists in his (maybe momentary) new division.
10. Oscar De La Hoya
No one’s going to faux that De La Hoya’s greatest physique of labor was at 154 kilos. However his time within the division did embody arguably his greatest, and absolutely most satisfying, win: his 11th spherical stoppage of Fernando Vargas in 2002. He additionally stopped Ricardo Mayorga (one other satisfying win) and beat Yory Boy Campas and Javier Castillejo. His loss to Shane Mosley was controversial on the time and additional tainted subsequently by the revelation that Mosley was on PEDs, and he got here off second-best through break up resolution to Mayweather.
9. Jermell Charlo
More likely to increase some eyebrows, however details are details: Charlo unified the division and beat each man he confronted at 154 kilos, even when he wanted two makes an attempt to beat Tony Harrison and Brian Castano. (He made up for dropping a choice and being held to a draw respectively by stopping each males in rematches.) Additionally scored wins over Jeison Rosario and Austin Trout and crushed Erickson Lubin inside a spherical.
8. Felix Trinidad
Exhausting to consider Tito spent solely a 12 months and three fights at junior center earlier than transferring as much as middleweight, however what a 12 months it was. Twelve spherical beatings of David Reid and Fernando Vargas (which was actually an 11.5 spherical beating) sandwiched a three-round crushing of Mamadou Thiam. One can solely surprise what he might need achieved within the division had he caught round.
7. Floyd Mayweather
Look, I wasn’t anticipating this both. Mayweather didn’t have any type of run at 154 kilos, however he stepped up into the division thrice and scored three resolution wins over future Corridor-of-Famers Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Alvarez, and Miguel Cotto. That’s a stable physique of labor, and if we’re going to acknowledge the passing appearances of Thomas Hearns and Trinidad, Mayweather deserves his props, too.
6. Nino Benvenuti
Benvenuti didn’t have an extended reign at 154 kilos, but it surely most likely ought to have been longer; he misplaced the title to Ki Soo Kim in June 1966 in what was typically thought-about one thing of a hometown resolution. He took the crown through knockout from countryman Sandro Mazzinghi and dropped Mazzinghi within the second spherical en path to a 15 spherical unanimous resolution in a rematch. Bounced backwards and forwards between junior center and middleweight the place he went 2-1 in opposition to the nice Emile Griffith.
5. Ayub Kalule
Sadly, most likely greatest recognized at 154 kilos for dropping to Sugar Ray Leonard, however the Ugandan was a stable champion on the division. Went to Japan to wrest the belt from undefeated Masashi Kudo and made 4 profitable defenses earlier than operating into Leonard. Subsequent losses to Davey Moore and Mike McCallum prompted him to complete his profession at 160 kilos.
4. Winky Wright
By no means probably the most modern of fighters, Wright was the person few others needed to face. He was additionally one of many few high boxers to spend the majority of his prime at 154 kilos, taking the lightly-regarded WBO title from Bronco McKart (the primary of three wins over him) in Might 1996 earlier than dropping it through controversial resolution to Harry Simon two years later and struggling one other shut resolution loss, to Fernando Vargas, for the IBF belt in 1999. Thereafter, he went on a roll, taking the IBF strap from Keith Mullings and defending it 4 instances earlier than including and retaining WBA and WBC belts through a pair of choices over Mosley.
3. Thomas Hearns
One more one who had only a passing acquaintance with 154 kilos – which is a disgrace, as a result of if anybody ever felt like a pure match for the division, it was the “Hit Man.” Received the WBC belt from Wilfred Benitez and defended it thrice earlier than transferring as much as middleweight, most famously dropping Roberto Duran onto his face and stopping him within the second spherical of their 1984 conflict.
2. Mike McCallum
The “Physique Snatcher” had an extended and unbeaten run at junior middleweight, outpointing Sean Mannion for a vacant belt in October 1984 and making six defenses, together with memorable knockouts of Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory, and Donald Curry, earlier than successful titles at middleweight and light-heavyweight.
1.Terry Norris
The knock on “Horrible” Terry, after all, was his less-than-reliable chin, which noticed him lose his first title shot by knockout to Julian Jackson in July 1989. However Norris may dish it out, too, and he received the WBC belt in 1990 by crushing John Mugabi. He made 10 defenses, seven by knockout, earlier than being shockingly stopped by Simon Brown; he outboxed Brown in a rematch, then was DQ’d twice in opposition to a malingering Luis Santana earlier than wiping him out on the third time of asking. Made six extra defenses earlier than being stopped by Keith Mullings.
