By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com

Over the years I have rated fighters using many different criteria. Boxers from a specific country, and boxers in the different weight divisions, have to be the two main categories for my rankings.

Of all the weight classes through the years the one that has changed or been revised for me are the middleweights. It is clustered with greatness from the first champions – Nat Langham, Tom Chandler, George Rooke, Mike Donovan, and Nonpareil Jack Dempsey – to the present day champions – Canelo Alvarez (WBA), Jermall Charlo (WBC), Gennady Golovkin (IBF), Demetrius Andrade (WBO), and Ryota Murata (WBA Regular).

My rating of boxers is based on the height, peak, prime, pinnacle of their careers. Who-beats-whom at different stages of careers isn’t a factor in my “pound-for-pound” formula.

There are many situations where one fighter loses to another, and I actually rate the losing fighter with the greater “pound-for-pound” ranking at different times of each of their careers.

Here are a few examples, and these fighters lost twice to their opponents: Tunney beat Dempsey, Saddler beat Pep, Jeffries beat Fitzsimmons, Holyfield beat Tyson, Pryor beat Arguello, Herrera beat Olivares, Barkley beat Hearns, De La Hoya beat Chavez, Bowe beat Holyfield, Harada beat Jofre, and it goes on!

Here are my dozen (12) best in the 160 pound weight class of boxing. Also listed are their active years and ring records. Please note that there are two fighters who can truly fit into this middleweight category, but they are properly placed in another weight division – Sugar Ray Robinson #1 at welterweight and Bob Fitzsimmons #10 at heavyweight.

1) Harry Greb / 1913-1926 / (107-8-3 / 48 by KO)

2) Carlos Monzon / 1963-1977 / (87-3-9 / 59 by KO)

3) Tommy Ryan / 1887-1911 / (84-2-11 / 70 by KO)

4) Stanley Ketchel / 1903-1910 / (49-5-3 / 46 by KO)

5) Marvin Hagler / 1973-1987 / (62-3-2 / 52 by KO)

6) Mickey Walker / 1919-1935 / (94-19-4 / 60 by KO)

7) Tiger Flowers / 1918-1927 / (118-15-8 / 54 by KO)

8) Charley Burley / 1936-1950 / (83-12-2 / 50 by KO)

9) Mike Gibbons / 1907-1922 (65-3-4 / 38 by KO)

10) Freddie Steele / 1926-1941 / (123-5-11 / 58 by KO)

11) Marcel Cerdan / 1934-1949 / (110-4 / 65 by KO)

12) Les Darcy / 1910-1916 / (46-4 / 29 by KO)

Honorable mention: Jake LaMotta, Bernard Hopkins, Billy Papke, Nonpareil Jack Dempsey.

My rankings in boxing have never been about trying to convert others. I respect others, as they will hopefully respect me – thank you!