Boxing's Most Extreme Examples of Multi-divisional Superstars

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In boxing today, people like to make a big deal about guys like Roy Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya, who won world titles in three distinct FULL weight divisions (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight for Jones | Lightweight, Welterweight, and Middleweight for De La Hoya). However, each fighter only became either Lineal or Ring Champion in one of the three divisions. Hence, back in the old days when there was only one title to be had, these two only proved to be real Champions in one division. Therefore, when comparing them to the greats of old we cannot merely look at who won titles in 3 or more full weight divisions, we must look at how many divisions they found success against any meaningful opposition. It's not like RJJ beat any elite fighters in the Middleweight or Heavyweight division, and it's not like the Golden Boy beat any elite fighters in the Lightweight or Middleweight division. Note, Hopkins was not elite when Jones beat him.


Below you will see a list of fighters that have achieved significant success (which includes draws / no decisions in the case of old time fighters) in three or more full weight divisions like the modern day greats listed above. Fighters like Floyd Mayweather won't make this list unless he beats a credible Middleweight, hence attaining success in the Lightweight, Welterweight, and Middleweight divisions overall. This list also does not care whether or not people win titles. And finally, this list is not in order of where I'd rank fighters overall. Nonetheless, it does represent all of the best candidates that I'm aware of (even if a few may slip my mind). I structured the list in terms of the divisions fighters were successful in. If you have anyone you'd like to add, post away:


Manny Pacquiao (Flyweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight)


Jimmy McLarnin (Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight)


Manuel Ortiz (Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight)


Midget Wolgast (Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight)


Tony Canzoneri (Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight)


Terry McGovern (Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight)


Lew Tendler (Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight)


Flash Elorde (Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight)


Ismael Laguna (Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight)


Henry Armstrong (Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight)


Roberto Duran (Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight)


Benny Leonard (Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight)


Ted Kid Lewis (Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight)


Sugar Ray Robinson (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight)


Young Stribling (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Oscar De La Hoya (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight)


Young Corbett III (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight)


Jack Blackburn (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight)


Packey McFarland (Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight)


Sam Langford (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Phila Jack O'Brien (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Barbados Joe Walcott (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight)


Tommy Hearns (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight)


Charley Burley (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight)


Mickey Walker (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Mike Gibbons (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight)


Georges Carpentier (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Lou Brouillard (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight)


Jack Dillon (Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


George Cole (Welterweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight)


Harry Greb (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Ezzard Charles (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Archie Moore (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Gene Tunney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Charles Kid McCoy (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Bob Fitzsimmons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Burns (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Roy Jones Jr. (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Stanley Ketchel (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jimmy Bivins (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Conn (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Loughran (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tiger Flowers (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Battling Levinsky (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Joe Choynski (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Maxie Rosenbloom (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Tommy Gibbons (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Delaney (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Billy Miske (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Alabama Kid (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Jack Root (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)


Bob McAllister (Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight)




Honorable Mention:


James Toney (Middleweight, Heavyweight)
*For all intensive purposes Toney deserved to win at least 1 of the Griffin fights, which would give him Light Heavyweight credibility.


Sugar Ray Leonard (Welterweight, Middleweight)
*Yes, yes. I KNOW Leonard won the Light Heavyweight title, but it was fought at the Super Middleweight limit in order for him to cheat history and win two divisional titles at once. I wouldn't have a problem with this had Lalonde been natural for the SMW limit, but he wasn't.


Tommy Ryan (Welterweight, Middleweight)
*Ryan actually fought 3 all time great Light Heavyweights that just happened to be Middleweights at that point in their career (Kid McCoy, Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, and Jack Root).