Fallacies that obscure the historical narrative:
Titles. British boxing since 1980 has been ground central – at an accelerating rate – of the product diluting effects of the proliferation of nominally designated ‘major’ sanctioning bodies & their belts. This has made comparison of legacy based on titles won or defenses made alone entirely meaningless. Those who have done well on this listing have achieved something independent of the packaging – Honeyghan beat a prime Donald Curry; Fury went to Germany & beat a still formidable foe in Wladimir Klitschko & Carl Froch took out Jermaine Taylor in sensational late, come from behind style in America – their achievements are based on who they beat & when they beat them not the schizophrenic whims of the self-serving parasites known as the major sanctioning bodies. Whether such wins made an individual fighter the best in the world at that moment or not they add to the enormity of their accumulated body of work. That is ostensibly at the core of my interpretation of greatness – an accumulated body of work independent of status of the bout to corrupt & incompetent sanctioning bodies.
The level of competition is static. This is a huge misconception – even were titles to be deemed a legitimate construct (which they aren’t) – the best 160lb in the world is a constantly fluctuating variable. I say this without any inherent bias toward any era in particular – my position is that it is theoretically possible for a fighter to consistently place in the Top 10 of a weight division over the course of 4 to 6 years yet never reach a Top 3 or even 5 position in one era yet be the superior of a fighter who reaches position number 1 in a different era.
All weight divisions are created equally. Approximately 50,524 British men possess known professional boxing records. Just 1,581 of these were primarily active as heavyweights. That’s just 3.1%. By comparison there are 4,620 pros who fought primarily as welterweights. To labor the point: 193 strawweights; 119 junior flyweights; 2,993 flyweights; JUST 67 super flyweights; 3,544 bantamweights; 211 super bantamweights; 4,315 featherweights; 530 super featherweights; 4,937 lightweights; 1,044 junior welterweights; 4,620 welterweights; 993 junior middleweights; 2,994 middleweights; 375 super middleweights; 1,537 light heavyweights; 345 cruiserweights & the aforementioned 1,581 heavyweights. So all other factors being equal (which they can’t be obviously) you’d anticipate a loosely proportionate amount of ‘Greats’ to participants per division. I refer you to the Google search for [Best British Boxer of All-Time] below:
The statistical improbability of the 10 Greatest British Fighters of All-Time having a weight breakdown as above should be clear for all to see:
If you have 10 places from 50,524 options, so 1 in 5,052 on average.
Heavyweight 1 from 1,581 options which is 1 in 1,581.
Cruiserweight 0 from 345 options.
Light-heavyweight 0 from 1,537 options.
Super-middleweight 3 from 375 options which is 1 in 125.
Middleweight 1 from 2,994 options which is 1 in 2,994.
Light-middleweight 0 from 993 options.
Welterweight 1 from 4,620 options which is 1 in 4,620.
Light-welterweight 1 from 1,044 options which is 1 in 1,044.
Lightweight 1 from 4,937 options which is 1 in 4,937.
Super Featherweight 0 from 530 options.
Featherweight 2 from 4,315 options which is 1 in 2,158.
Super Bantamweight 0 from 211 options.
Bantamweight 0 from 3,544 options.
Super Flyweight 0 from 67 options.
Flyweight 0 from 2,993 options.
Junior Flyweight 0 from 119 options.
Strawweights 0 from 193 options.
So essentially we are asked to believe that 1 in 125 Super Middleweights are among the 10 Greatest British fighters of all-time yet the remaining 50,149 non-Super Middleweights could only produce Top 10 boxers at a rate of 1 in 7,164. That’s a rate 5,700% higher.
A win over a great fighter is a great win. One of the central tenants upon which the business side of boxing is based is on the mindless acceptance that a win against Fighter A is of constant worth. Of course nothing could be further from the truth – Muhammad Ali of 1966 was 100 times the fighter who lost to Larry Holmes in 1980. Thus, a win against a great/good fighter need not always be a great/good win. You will notice, for example, that I regard Lennox Lewis’ win against Henry Akinwande was of historical worth yet his win over Mike Tyson was not. That’s not to say Akinwande could have held Mike’s jockstrap in Tyson’s prime merely that at the time Lennox fought them Akinwande was as good as he’d ever be & when he fought Tyson he was fighting a guy whose best days were long behind him.
Please note the following notable names were not considered for this listing due to having began their professional careers before 1 January 1980: Dennis Andries; Herol Graham; Tony Sibson; Colin Jones & Kirkland Laing.
Sky Sports showed 12,854 hours of football in 2015 with a total output across all sports of over 60,000 hours. Boxing (including pay-per-view fights) was shown for 1,861 hours which is an increase on 2014 of 67%.
Britain’s 80 Best Boxers Since 1980
Lennox Lewis @LennoxLewis Held wins over Henry Akinwande; Evander Holyfield; Michael Grant & Hasim Rahman. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: Champion 2001-2003. Considerations: Faced a decent chunk of the historically significant heavyweights of his era but tellingly not often at their physical primes. After Boxing: After retiring from boxing, Lewis moved to Miami Beach with his wife, Violet Chang, a former Miss Jamaica runner-up. Fun Fact: Only two men beat Lennox Lewis in either the pro’s or the amateurs & never went on to lose to Lennox Lewis in a subsequent fight – Aleksandr Miroshnichenko & Petar Stoymenov. Miroshnichenko did turn pro & was knocked out by a fighter making his debut in his 22nd professional outing. The man who knocked him out on his debut? Oleg Maskaev.
Lennox Lewis
Lloyd Honeyghan @LloydHoneyghan Held wins over Gianfranco Rosi; Donald Curry & Maurice Blocker. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: Champion in 1986. Considerations: Shone bright but shone briefly. Honeyghan’s win against Donald Curry is one of the great if not the great achievements by a British boxer on American soil of the modern era. After Boxing: Has undoubtedly suffered dementia pugilistica. Almost came to blows with Errol Christie at London’s Savoy Hotel in 2014.
Lloyd Honeyghan
Naseem Hamed @naz19741 Held wins over Steve Robinson; Kevin Kelley; Billy Hardy; Paul Ingle & Cesar Soto. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 from 1997 to 2000. Considerations: Fought & beat many world level fighters of his time but came up short against the best his era had to offer in Marco Antonio Barrera. After Boxing: On 2 May 2005 Hamed was involved in a 90-mph three-car collision at Ringinglow Road, Sheffield. Hamed was sentenced for 15 months after pleading guilty. Hamed was granted an early release and left prison on 4 September 2006 after serving just 16 weeks of the 15-month sentence. Hamed was later stripped of his MBE, annulled as a consequence of the conviction. There was also a civil court case rumoured to cost Hamed £1 million plus legal fees.
Naseem Hamed
Joe Calzaghe @RealJoeCalzaghe Held wins over Robin Reid; Jeff Lacy; Mikkel Kessler & Bernard Hopkins. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: Champion 2006-2007 (Super Middleweight) & 2008 (Light Heavyweight). Considerations: Wasted much of his fistic prime fighting the ilk of Juan Carlos Gimenez Ferreyra; Rick Thornberry; Omar Sheika; Will McIntyre; Miguel Angel Jimenez; Tocker Pudwill; Mger Mkrtchyan & Evans Ashira. Gets credit for his wafer thin victory over Bernard Hopkins but his win against a carcass of Roy Jones Jr can hardly be viewed as anything more than academic. After Boxing: Following an undercover investigation by the News of the World, Calzaghe admitted he had used cocaine since his boxing career had ended. In a statement on his website, he added that he regretted his “occasional use of cocaine in what have sometimes been the long days since my retirement from the ring.”
Joe Calzaghe
Chris Eubank @ChrisEubank Held wins over Nigel Benn; Gary Stretch; Michael Watson & Ray Close. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 1991-1994. Considerations: Having never fought in America bar a handful of 4 rounders at the very start of his career tempers Eubank’s claims to historical ring greatness. After Boxing: In November 2009 Eubank was declared bankrupt owing £1.3 million in taxes. In 2015, Eubank took part in the 2015 series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
Chris Eubank
Ricky Hatton @HitmanHatton Held wins over Kostya Tszyu; Carlos Maussa; Jose Luis Castillo & Paul Malignaggi. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: Champion 2005-2008. Considerations: In truth lost against Luis Collazo in the fight that launched his American adventure. His win against Kostya Tszyu will be called his greatest win which it might well have been though one feels it was as much about a passing of the baton from one generation to the next. Gets credit for taking Floyd Mayweather deeper than most. After Boxing: On 12 September 2010, the News of the World published a front-page story alleging Hatton has been a regular cocaine user with accompanying pictures showing the boxer apparently using the drug. On 13 September 2010, Hatton was admitted to a rehabilitation facility, The Priory, for substance abuse to tackle a drink and depression problem.
Ricky Hatton
Nigel Benn @NigelGBenn Held wins over Iran Barkley; Thulani Malinga & Gerald McClellan. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #2 1994-1995 (Super Middleweight). Considerations: Fought in winning & losing efforts against many of the world level operators of his time. After Boxing: Benn has since developed a strong religious faith and is a born again Christian. Benn now lives in Sydney, Australia, where he has been studying theology, sports coaching and sports development.
Nigel Benn
Tyson Fury @Tyson_Fury Held win over Wladimir Klitschko. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: Champion 2015. Considerations: A win over the long dominant Klitschko in Germany probably requires some dust to settle before it can be accurately assessed in historical perspective. Today: Active.
Tyson Fury
Carl Froch @Carl_Froch Held wins over Jermain Taylor & Lucian Bute. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 2012-2014. Considerations: Whilst a multiple alphabet world titlist in truth Froch fell well short when fighting the true dominant 168lber of his era in Andre Ward & is almost universally seen as the beneficiary of charitable judging in his fight against Andre Dirrell in a clash most felt he lost. Today: Is nominally retired & occasionally appears on SkySports boxing coverage as an analyst. Rumours of a return have sporadically popped up in the media since his retirement.
Carl Froch
David Haye @mrdavidhaye Held wins over Jean Marc Mormeck; Enzo Maccarinelli & Nikolay Valuev. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: Champion 2007 at Cruiserweight & #2 in 2010 at Heavyweight. Considerations: Cruiserweight competition during his time there was luke warm at best. Today: Active. Left boxing but has now returned amid widespread reports of financial problems. Level of competition upon his return has been laughable.
David Haye
Carl Frampton @RealCFrampton Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 2013-2014. Considerations: The lack of Guillermo Rigondeaux’s name on his dance card will have undoubtedly benefited his bank balance if not his legacy to the hardcore. Today: Active. Signed to Al Haymon & is eyeing major fights in America after his career defining win against Scott Quigg.
Carl Frampton
Junior Witter @JrWitter Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 2007. Considerations: Effectively prevented from reaching his true potential by never landing the Ricky Hatton fight as he was deemed too much risk for too little reward as Hatton’s handlers eyed a money-making switch to the American PPV market. Today: Active.
Junior Witter
Kell Brook @specialkbrook Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 2015. Considerations: The incredible muscle building progress seen in Brook’s physique in the last 2-4 years has yet to land him the one fight that could land him upwards of £2 million as Amir Khan seems destined to make Brook his Junior Witter but unlike Witter Brook has substantial promotional backing. Today: Active.
Kell Brook
Amir Khan @amirkingkhan Held wins over Marcos Maidana & Devon Alexander. Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #2 2009-2010 & 2012. Considerations: Taking away paper championships & vanity belts Khan has yet to rule even a single division & has had his chin exposed on multiple occasions. Asking for £10 million for the Brook fight is akin to declining to take the bout at all. Today: Active.
Amir Khan
Michael Watson @Mwatson_box Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #6 1989. Considerations: Taking aside all emotion from this selection the fact is Michael Watson was a world level operator at a time when the middleweight & thereabouts divisions were brimful of superb talent. After Boxing: On 19 April 2003 Michael Watson made headlines when he completed the London Marathon, walking two hours each morning and afternoon for six days. Michael Watson was announced as a torchbearer in the 2012 Paralympic relay.
Michael Watson
Paul Hodkinson Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 1992. After Boxing: Lives in Kirkby and is father of four boys Kevin, Jason, Lewis and Dylan.
Paul Hodkinson
Johnny Nelson @SkyJohnnyNelson Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 2004. Today: SkySports analyst & media personality.
Johnny Nelson
Duke McKenzie @Duke_Mckenzie Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #5 1988. Today: Runs a boxing & fitness gym in South East London. The gym’s website says, “Fantastic atmosphere. Everybody welcome. My fitness centre is open to everyone, young, old, male and female. The Duke McKenzie training programs are designed to suit everybody”.
Duke McKenzie
Clinton Woods @teamwoods101 Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #2 2007. After Boxing: announced his retirement from boxing on 8 September 2009.
Clinton Woods
Robin Reid @RobReid_Boxer Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #2 1997. After Boxing: In 2010, Reid took over a lead role in the controversial movie Killer Bitch from the cage fighter Alex Reid who had walked out of the film.
Robin Reid
Chris Pyatt Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #10 1989. Today: Works as a boxing trainer in the Midlands.
Chris Pyatt
Lee Selby @leeselby126 Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #4 2015. Today: Active. Signed to Al Haymon.
Lee Selby
Frank Bruno @frankbrunoboxer Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #7 1995. After Boxing: On 22 September 2003, Bruno was taken from his home by medical staff assisted by police officers, under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983. He was later diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. On 9 October 2005 he admitted that his cocaine use, which began in 2000, contributed to his mental health problems.
Frank Bruno
Scott Harrison @Iamscotharrison Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #2 2004. Considerations: Anyone who calls themselves a featherweight champion of the world with 6 defenses in the early 2000’s yet somehow managed to never fight even one of Manny Pacquiao; Juan Manuel Marquez; Marco Antonio Barrera or Johnny Tapia can only ever be taken so seriously. After Boxing: Harrison was jailed for 8 months on 2 September 2008 for drink-driving and assault. On 25 April 2009 Harrison was again sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for assault in Malaga. In November 2012 Harrison was sentenced to four years in prison by a Spanish judge in Malaga, after being found guilty of assault.
Scott Harrison
Paul Ingle @PaulIngle12 Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 1999. After Boxing: forced to retire from boxing. Paul had a boxing gym was opened in his honour, The Paul Ingle Boxing Academy in Hull. In 2007 The Telegraph wrote, “he weighs 17st, lives with his mother in Scarborough, cannot work, cannot drive and relies on £56-a-week disability pension.”
Paul Ingle
Steve Robinson @steverobinson24 Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 1994. Today: now runs Steve Robinson’s Boxing Gym in his home town of Cardiff.
Steve Robinson
Pat Barrett @blackflashpromo After Boxing: Jailed in 2004 after being found with a loaded pistol in a hotel room. Armed officers raided his room on February 7 2003 and found 1.55 grams of heroin, .293 grams of cannabis and a modified revolver with five live rounds. Is now running Black Flash Promotions – a promotional company.
Pat Barrett
Henry Akinwande Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #7 1996. After Boxing: Moved to Nigeria.
Henry Akinwande
Terry Marsh Holds win over Joe Manley. After Boxing: Following his retirement from boxing Marsh became a stockbroker. In 2010, Marsh became a candidate in that year’s general election as an independent candidate in the seat of South Basildon and East Thurrock. Marsh changed his name by deed poll to “None Of The Above X” as a protest against there being no option to select “None of the above” as a selection in the election. Under UK law, a political party cannot call itself “None of the Above”, but there is nothing banning people called “None of the Above”. Marsh, or Mr. X as he is now legally known, has said that if he won the seat he would not take his seat in parliament.
Terry Marsh
Gary Jacobs Today: Trains boxers in Scotland.
Gary Jacobs
Billy Hardy @superbillyhardy After Boxing: The Billy Hardy Sports Complex was named after him in Sunderland.
Billy Hardy
James Cook After Boxing: In 2007, he was awarded an MBE for “his outstanding work with the young people of Hackney’s notorious Murder Mile”. He also featured on the show The Secret Millionaire.
James Cook
Darren Barker @DarrenBarker82 Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #5 2013. Today: Hosts the live show @theliveshows with Spencer Oliver.
Darren Barker
Mark Kaylor After Boxing: In 1996, Kaylor moved to California with his American wife Patricia and their sons Ryan, Jimmy and Brandon.
Mark Kaylor
Scott Quigg @scottquigg Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #1 2015. Today: Active.
Scott Quigg
Henry Wharton @henrywhartongym Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #6 1996. Today: Run’s Henry’s Gym @henrywhartongym out of York – a boxing & fitness gym.
Henry Wharton
Martin Murray @MartinMurrayBox Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #6 2014. Considerations: In reality beat both Sergio Martinez & Felix Sturm on the road – momentous achievements when you stop to think about. Today: Active.
Martin Murray
Ricky Burns @ricksterko Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #4 2012-2013. Today: Active. Declared bankrupt with debts of more than £400,000 in early 2015.
Ricky Burns
Ray Close Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #8 1994. After Boxing: British Boxing Board of Control revoked Close’s licence after he failed an MRI scan. Two lesions were subsequently found on his brain.
Ray Close
Jim McDonnell @jimmymacjnr Today: Trainer to James DeGale & others.
Jim McDonnell
James DeGale @jamesdegale1 Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #2 2015. Today: Active.
James DeGale
Gary Stretch @mrgarystretch After Boxing: Stretch was cast as Cleitus supporting in Oliver Stone’s 2004 film Alexander. Stone cast Stretch again in World Trade Centre as a paramedic. In 2004 Stretch was cast in Shane Meadows’ Dead Man’s Shoes, for which Stretch received a BIFA nomination.
Gary Stretch
Horace Notice After Boxing: retired shortly after last fight due to a detached retina.
Horace Notice
Lloyd Christie Today: Not entirely sure – if you have any information hit me up @seokingoflondon
Lloyd Christie
Billy Schwer @BillySchwer Today: Works as a motivational speaker.
Billy Schwer
Eamonn Loughran Today: He now lives in his native Ballymena working in the building and property industry.
Eamonn Loughran
Terry Flanagan @terryflanagan5 Today: Active.
Terry Flanagan
Richie Woodhall @richiewoodhall Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 1998. After Boxing: was a body double for Brad Pitt in a fight scene in the movie Snatch & now does analyst work for Channel 5.
Richie Woodhall
Jamie McDonnell @JamieMcdonnell1 Today: Active.
Jamie McDonnell
Herbie Hide @herbiehide After Boxing: In December 2003, Hide was “attacked by a group of men” in a Norwich night club. This resulted in his subsequent arrest and conviction for “possession of an offensive weapon, a 10-inch kitchen knife,” for which he was fined £750. In September 2008, Hide was warned by Norwich magistrates that he faced 75 days in jail if £3,767 of outstanding motoring fines were not paid by 30 November 2008.During a television interview in July 2008, Hide claimed that promoter Frank Warren “had dishonestly and corruptly bribed Johnny Nelson to retire and give up his WBO cruiserweight title.” When Warren sued for libel, Hide failed to respond and a default judgment of £35,000 was entered against him. Hide appeared at Norwich Crown Court, charged with rape, but was found not guilty on 20 July 2011 after “the prosecution offered no evidence.” On 18 March 2012, a man in his 20s was fatally stabbed at Hide’s home. A suspect has been arrested for murder in connection with the incident. Police said they believed Hide was not home at the time of the killing. On 29 November 2013 Hide was sentenced to 22 months in prison for selling cocaine.
Herbie Hide
Shea Neary After Boxing: On 2 May 2011, Neary was arrested following a brawl at the Revolution bar in Albert Dock, Liverpool, but was later cleared of assault charges in December.
Shea Neary
Ross Hale Today: Unsure – if you have any information let me know @seokingoflondon
Ross Hale
Glenn Catley @GlennCatley Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #8 2000. Today: Does after dinner speaking via @GordonPooleLtd
Glenn Catley
Del Bryan After Boxing: After retiring from boxing, Bryan worked as a security officer at Nottingham Crown Court before working in construction, while at the same time training youngsters for the Probation Service.
Del Bryan
James Hare After Boxing: “I sat on the Area council for a while and that was a connection to boxing but I haven’t got the time or dedication to get involved with a club or professional fighters. I’ve lived on the other side of it and it takes over your life. I’ve got a young kid now and I’m married to Amanda.”
James Hare
Glenn McCrory @SkyGlennMcCrory Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #5 1989. After Boxing: SkySports analyst & media personality.
Glenn McCrory
Dean Francis @gstarsupps Today: Runs an “Online Sports Supplements Store with a High Fashion Edge.”
Dean Francis
Enzo Maccarinelli @theRealEnzoMac Today: Still active at a vastly diminished level – despite a paper win against the guy who used to be Roy Jones Junior.
Enzo Maccarinelli
Jawaid Khaliq @jawaidkhaliq Today: After boxing, Khaliq started working full-time as a taxi driver in order to support his wife and children. Khaliq set up ‘Jawaid Khaliq Boxing Academy’ in Nottingham which he funded by being a taxi driver. In 2013, the club faced financial problems as it could not afford to stay on its current premises and faced the threat to close-down.
Jawaid Khaliq
Brian Magee @brian_magee
Brian Magee
Steve Boyle Today: Unsure – if you have any information let me know @seokingoflondon
Steve Boyle
Billy Joe Saunders @bjsaunders_ Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 in 2015. Today: Active.
Billy Joe Saunders
Tony Bellew @TonyBellew Today: Active.
Tony Bellew
Nathan Cleverly @NathanClev Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 in 2013. Today: Active.
Nathan Cleverly
Matthew Macklin @mattmacklin Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #3 in 2011. Today: Active.
Matthew Macklin
Ryan Rhodes @26RLR Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #4 in 2010. After Boxing: Rhodes announced his retirement from professional boxing on 4 September 2012.
Ryan Rhodes
Michael Ayers Today: Unsure – if you have any information let me know @seokingoflondon
Michael Ayers
Jon Thaxton Today: works with Graham Everett training fighters.
Jon Thaxton
Gary Mason @GaryMasonCharit After Boxing: died on 6 January 2011 in a cycling accident in South London aged just 48.
Gary Mason
Chris Eubank Jr @ChrisEubankJr Peak The Ring Magazine’s Annual Rating: #8 in 2015. Today: Active.
Chris Eubank Jr
Andy Holligan After Boxing: son Vinnie was found by police in Northern Perimeter Road, Bootle in June 2014. He was pronounced dead by paramedics after he was stuck by a car that allegedly failed to stop at the scene. A 23-year-old man, from Bootle, was released on bail after he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Andy Holligan
Carl Thompson @CThompsonBoxer After Boxing: “I miss making money, but I don’t miss fighting – it was just a job. Winning titles kept me going but once I knew that those days were gone that was it for me.” Carl Thompson
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