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JCWeb · 03-27-2007, 08:30 PM

Last but not least, here's the wrapup report with the pound-for-pound list:

1917 Year-End Pound-for-Pound Ratings (Changes from Last Year in Parens):

1. Jack Blackburn, LW (NABF Champ), 1481 (+2)
2. Harry Wills, HW (WBA Champ), 1463 (new)
3. Sam Langford, HW (CBU, NABF Champ), 1462 (-1)
4. Benny Leonard, LW (WBA Champ), 1421 (+4)
5. Sam McVey, HW (no title), 1419 (-1)
6. Willie Ritchie, LW (USBA Champ), 1385 (+3)
7. Art Magirl, WW (WBA Champ), 1309 (new)
8. Harry Greb, MW (WBA Champ), 1297 (new)
9. Mike Gibbons, MW (no title), 1296 (-3)
10. Packey McFarland, WW (NABF Title), 1272 (-6)

Dropped out: Abe Attell, FW (#5)
Jack Johnson, HW (#7)
Jack Britton, WW (#10)

Comments: Interesting, only four of the divisions are represented in this list, and it happens to be the four deepest divisions: HW, MW, WW and LW, each with two or three representatives apiece. Attell had been in the list for nine of the prior 10 years, including five years in a row at the top spot from 1908 through 1912. Johnson, who retired in 1917, had been the only fighter on all 10 prior Top Ten lists, so a bit of a changing of the guard.

While there have been many newcomers and up-and-coming fighters in the 11 years of the Universe since the pound-for-pound list was instituted in 1907, in some respect things have come full circle as the #1 ranked boxer on that first list was -- none other than Jack Blackburn, the same fighter who heads the list for 1917.

Of the current crop, Langford is now the senior member of the group, having been listed for nine years in a row going back to 1909. Blackburn follows with eight appearances, followed by McFarland with seven. Leonard, and more recently Wills and Greb, signal a changing of the guard as others like Dempsey and Tunney can be expected to be future additions.

Looking at the overall picture, here are some numbers tracking the overall number of very high rated fighters in the Uni over the past few years:

Year: 1915 1916 1917

1200+: 9 11 13
1100+: 18 20 18
1000+: 22 24 25

All-time high in the year-end rankings remains 1655 pp, set by Sam Langford in 1913.

After a brief respite, 1918 action will get underway. I plan on terminating the Dempsey reports once Jack fights for the WBA title, but the Tunney reports will continue for awhile, and I expect to track a new fighter (probably Mickey Walker) starting in 1919. In order to keep things moving, I expect to be simming more fights and perhaps cutting back a bit on some of the year-end post-fight write-ups.

03-27-2007, 08:30 PM	#309 (permalink)
JCWeb All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,052 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15x in 14 posts	Year-End Wrapup and Pound-for-Pound Ratings Last but not least, here's the wrapup report with the pound-for-pound list: 1917 Year-End Pound-for-Pound Ratings (Changes from Last Year in Parens): 1. Jack Blackburn, LW (NABF Champ), 1481 (+2) 2. Harry Wills, HW (WBA Champ), 1463 (new) 3. Sam Langford, HW (CBU, NABF Champ), 1462 (-1) 4. Benny Leonard, LW (WBA Champ), 1421 (+4) 5. Sam McVey, HW (no title), 1419 (-1) 6. Willie Ritchie, LW (USBA Champ), 1385 (+3) 7. Art Magirl, WW (WBA Champ), 1309 (new) 8. Harry Greb, MW (WBA Champ), 1297 (new) 9. Mike Gibbons, MW (no title), 1296 (-3) 10. Packey McFarland, WW (NABF Title), 1272 (-6) Dropped out: Abe Attell, FW (#5) Jack Johnson, HW (#7) Jack Britton, WW (#10) Comments: Interesting, only four of the divisions are represented in this list, and it happens to be the four deepest divisions: HW, MW, WW and LW, each with two or three representatives apiece. Attell had been in the list for nine of the prior 10 years, including five years in a row at the top spot from 1908 through 1912. Johnson, who retired in 1917, had been the only fighter on all 10 prior Top Ten lists, so a bit of a changing of the guard. While there have been many newcomers and up-and-coming fighters in the 11 years of the Universe since the pound-for-pound list was instituted in 1907, in some respect things have come full circle as the #1 ranked boxer on that first list was -- none other than Jack Blackburn, the same fighter who heads the list for 1917. Of the current crop, Langford is now the senior member of the group, having been listed for nine years in a row going back to 1909. Blackburn follows with eight appearances, followed by McFarland with seven. Leonard, and more recently Wills and Greb, signal a changing of the guard as others like Dempsey and Tunney can be expected to be future additions. Looking at the overall picture, here are some numbers tracking the overall number of very high rated fighters in the Uni over the past few years: Year: 1915 1916 1917 1200+: 9 11 13 1100+: 18 20 18 1000+: 22 24 25 All-time high in the year-end rankings remains 1655 pp, set by Sam Langford in 1913. After a brief respite, 1918 action will get underway. I plan on terminating the Dempsey reports once Jack fights for the WBA title, but the Tunney reports will continue for awhile, and I expect to track a new fighter (probably Mickey Walker) starting in 1919. In order to keep things moving, I expect to be simming more fights and perhaps cutting back a bit on some of the year-end post-fight write-ups.