I think that today’s welterweights are overall the best of all time
I am refering to the overall level of skill.
What do you think?
1 Ray Robinson
2 Ray Leonard
3 Kid Gavilan
4 Emile Griffith
5 Henry Armstrong
6 Jose Napoles
7 Felix Trinidad
8 Oscar De La Hoya
9 Thomas Hearns
10 Carmen Bassillo
Mentions to: Tommy Ryan, ‘Mysterious’ Billy Smith, ‘The original’ Joe Walcott, Mike Sullivan, Jack Britton, Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis, Mickey Walker, Jackie Fields, Barney Ross, Jim McLarnin, Fritzie Zivic, Red Cochrane, Benny ‘Kid’ Paret, Luis Rodriguez, Carlos Palomino, Pipino Cuevas, Roberto Duran, Don Curry, Marlon Starling, Pernell Whitaker and Shane Mosley
Don’t know.. Today is good though, that’s for sure. early 80’s would possibly be better.. SRL, Duran, hearns… i think that pretty much blows MAyweather Hatton or anyone else out of the water.
You’ve got a point, but i’ll certainly watch the Welterweights over the heavies nowadays hands down
COOL CLICK! Awesome list!! You sure know your stuff! I’ve seen most of those guys in action(only been a fan for 2 years) but who is Jose Napoles and Carmen Basillo? Today’s WW division is awesome and remember Cotto is joining at the end of the year.
77 to 85 IMO was the best era, of arguable boxing’s best division; when the likes of Cuevas, Palomino, Duran, Leonard, Hearns, Curry, McCrory and Starling shone 
Naoples was a great Cuban born Mexican Welterweight champ of the late 60’s and 70’s. The champion from 69 to 75, minus a meaningless cut eye defeat (before the no-contest rule, for cuts caused by headbutts), to Billy Backus; a defeat he quickly avenged.
He beat the best the division had to offer including Curtis Cokes (twice), Emile Griffith and Hedgemon Lewis.
http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=009025
Carman Bassilo is probably best remembered for the series of fights he had at Middleweight against Ray Robinson. But he was probably at his best as a 147lber. Winning the World Title in 1955 against Tony DeMarco, his reign as Welterweight king was presonified in the excellent trilogy he had with Johnny Saxton, which he won 2/1.
I’ve seen a little of Napoles, a real class operator. The one fight I’ve seen of Carmen Bassilio he seemed to be in the same mould as Ricky Hatton or Corrales, always on top of his opponent and relentlessly punching nonstop. Seemed very entertaining I’d like to see more of him.
I always thought John Henry Armstrong was commonly regarded as the best ever welter though…
Actually it was one of his fights with Saxton I’ve seen, a real tear up, Bassilio just wore him down.
Ray Robinson was figuratively and literally untouchable as a 147lber. He met everyone that mattered, and as a Welterweight, left the division as undefeated Champion with a 110-1-2 record, his only defeat being to Middleweight Jake LaMotta.
Well to compare to the 80’s era you would have
Sugar Ray Leonard vs PBF?
Ricky Hatton vs Tommy Hearns?( Battle of the hitmen)
Duran vs Margarito?
Who you see winning these 3?
Alot of people won’t agree, but PBF beats SRL. One simple fact. Little Floyd is alot better, and more versatile than his dad. Floyd Sr. gave SRL alot of problems when they fought. IMO, little Floyd would do even better, and probably get a win. It would be a great fight, and those two might even split 5 to 5 out of ten fights. I’d say Floyd 6 out
of ten.
Also worthy of mention are Simon Brown, Mark Breland, Lloyd Honeyghan, Wilfred Benitez, Buddy McGirt. Personally I feel that Brown and Honeyghan were great ones, either inside the top 10 or just below.
I suppose that Aaron Davis and Meldrick Taylor are worthy of mention too, although Taylor spent most of his career at other weights, and Davis often had trouble making 147 lbs.
no benny loenard? >:mad >:mad >:mad
Id have to replace Trinidad with Whitaker.
Tito was magic, leave him where he is and kick Oscar off.
I like to think of SweetP “all time” as a lightweight, but when ranking him as a welter
I still think he cracks the top ten.
I agree though I think that Mayweather at least could have beaten any of those guys.
You think Mayweather would have beaten SRL or Hearns? I don’t see it happening at all. Noone today at welter could, or in the last few years. prime DLH would have the best chance but would still come up short IMO Hearns and SRL are easily the best welters in a long time and yet to be surpassed.
No, he was a 135lber