A Study In Class

I think this is the perfect time to celebrate the classiest boxers in the sweet science. To the surprise of some, a great deal of our guys have no criminal record (Or at least not as an adult), speak clear & intelligently, have no noticeable abnormal personality disorder and don’t lose their temper at the drop of a hat. Here’s a list of some charm school grads from our sport . Not listed in any order. Additions welcomed.

1. Floyd Patterson
2. The Klits - Both
3. Ray Leonard
4. Manny Pacquiao
5. Shane Mosley
6. Kelly Pavlic
7. Gene Tunney
8. Joe Louis
9. Ken Norton
10. George Foreman (Older version)

Kelly Pavlik is that a joke?

Leonards to high for a cocaine addict that pushed his wife around

Patterson definitely number 1 if Joe Louis isnt

Max Baer was an awesome guy

Miguel Angel Cotto

Sorry but Shane Mosely is a cheater and belongs in Maragrito's category, not Floyd Patterson's

Dick Tiger's life was exmplary. AFTER all his wealth had been destroyed in a Civil War In Nigeria where Muslims were trying to wipe out the Biafran Christians (nothing new there), he took his ENTIRE purse from the Frank DePaula fight, chartered a commercial jet, filled it with food and medicine and flew it to the refugee camps in his homeland. THAT is a man right there.

Henry Armstrong went on to become a minister and had no scandals I ever heard about.

How about Jimmy Braddock? Him paying back the welfare office is how things oughtta work.

all GREAT ADDS AND POINTS sir marble

Joe Louis under Pavlik really chaps my ass

Birdofthad wrote:

Kelly Pavlik is that a joke?

Leonards to high for a cocaine addict that pushed his wife around

Patterson definitely number 1 if Joe Louis isnt

Max Baer was an awesome guy

yeah I kind of agree on Kelly. I mean he's not a jerk, but the way he has handled his illness/injuuries just deosn't seem exemplary to me.

How about Boom Boom Mancini?

And I know things ended very badly, but does that really negate all the good things Alexis Arguello did?

I was just about to add Arguello Marble, I dont think so

i was about to say alexis the way he was after whipping Boom Boom is a definition of class

rocky marciano for sure.boom boom and arguello i feel also...

Here's a thought. What about Jack Dempsey? He was nearly an animal in his in-ring intensity and yet never caused a problem outside that I can think of...except bankrutping Shelby, Montana...never mind

ya shelby montana would have killed them if they could

Oh yeah Billy Miske belongs. Here is Rick Reilley's version of the story.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1018093/index.htm

Sergio Martinez-
a nice guy (from all accounts)
doesn't taunt other fighters
I know of no criminal record
willing to fight tough opponents
a class act in and out of the ring

only knock against him is my wife says he is too good looking to be a boxer;

if we are mentioning somewhat current fighters then de la hoya for sure belongs. how about barney ross? i think that hes a good one too.

powerpuncher wrote:

if we are mentioning somewhat current fighters then de la hoya for sure belongs. how about barney ross? i think that hes a good one too.

Does the working for Capone thingy or his degenerate gambling exclude Barney?

Still THE most fascinating boxing life I know of.

i love in a Ross book it says

Barney Ross was a compulsive gambler, and he was horrible at it

they said he had a knack for picking losers

haha poor guy

Birdofthad wrote:

all GREAT ADDS AND POINTS sir marble

Joe Louis under Pavlik really chaps my ass

I didn't put them in order, Bird. Pavlik seems like a nice guy to me.

[quote="marbleheadmaui"]How about Boom Boom Mancini?

And I know things ended very badly, but does that really negate all the good things Alexis Arguello did?[/quote]
Alexis may have been the classiest boxer who ever lived. Listen, you guys need to read my thread. The fighers are not listed in order and I asked for additions. Arguello escaped me. If I thought of him, he would of been right under Patterson. : Special Note: Bird stated that Leonard was on cocaine and pushed his wife around. I knew this. However, I think two points are important here. First, Alexis was a cocaine addict, God bless his soul. Also, athletes used to get away with much more before women joined the press. Ray Leonard's public persona was not that of a wife beater or a drug addict. Even his harshest critics were surprised to find out about his weaknesses.

Evander Holyfield
Oscar De La Hoya
Caballero
Gamboa
Chris Byrd

soonermark890 wrote:

Evander Holyfield
Oscar De La Hoya
Caballero
Gamboa
Chris Byrd

Good list,Sooner.

4445Frank wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

Evander Holyfield
Oscar De La Hoya
Caballero
Gamboa
Chris Byrd

Good list,Sooner.

Thanks. I will think of some more.

Gamboa always seemed like a prick to me

bobbitt15 wrote:

Gamboa always seemed like a prick to me

It's so weird seeing your name in black.

bobbitt15 wrote:

Gamboa always seemed like a prick to me

Its his eyes. He looks like a prick but is classy as hell in what he says.