H&G Elo v1.1.2 decade leaderboard

Best boxers of the 1930s

Joe Louis leads the Score list, with Henry Armstrong and Benny Leonard close enough to make the order worth arguing about.

The 1930s slice is where middleweight and lightweight shape the H&G Elo v1.1.2 argument. Fighters qualify if any part of their recorded active years overlaps the decade, so crossover careers appear in more than one era.

A fighter qualifies for this page if any year of their recorded active career overlaps the decade. This means long careers can appear on multiple decade pages.

H&G Elo v1.1.2 public leaderboard. These visual leaderboards are built from the published men's release and should be read with the methodology, versions and corrections notes.

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19 fighters shown from the H&G Elo v1.1.2 launch leaderboard set.

#4Joe LouisScore: 2,838Compare in head-to-head

#5Henry ArmstrongScore: 2,834Compare in head-to-head

#6Benny LeonardScore: 2,721Compare in head-to-head

#8Barney RossScore: 2,620Compare in head-to-head

#10Mickey WalkerScore: 2,569Compare in head-to-head

#14Jack JohnsonScore: 2,492Compare in head-to-head

#15Tony CanzoneriScore: 2,487Compare in head-to-head

#23Tommy LoughranScore: 2,364Compare in head-to-head

#24Marcel ThilScore: 2,348Compare in head-to-head

#26Harry WillsScore: 2,331Compare in head-to-head

Readable table

Best boxers of the 1930s, H&G Elo v1.1.2
Rank	Fighter	Division	Score	Peak form Elo	Active	Signature wins	Compare
#4	Joe Louis	Heavyweight	2,838	2,121	1934-1951	Billy Conn, Jimmy Bivins, Bob Pastor	Head-to-head
#5	Henry Armstrong	Welterweight	2,834	1,972	1937-1945	Barney Ross, Lou Ambers, Sammy Angott	Head-to-head
#6	Benny Leonard	Lightweight	2,721	1,999	1917-1932	Lew Tendler, Jack Britton, Lockport Jimmy Duffy	Head-to-head
#8	Barney Ross	Welterweight	2,620	2,000	1929-1938	Jimmy McLarnin, Tony Canzoneri, Ceferino Garcia	Head-to-head
#10	Mickey Walker	Middleweight	2,569	1,875	1923-1935	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#14	Jack Johnson	Heavyweight	2,492	1,825	1897-1931	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#15	Tony Canzoneri	Lightweight	2,487	1,847	1929-1939	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#23	Tommy Loughran	Cruiserweight	2,364	1,936	1925-1937	Young Stribling, Mickey Walker, Jimmy Slattery	Head-to-head
#24	Marcel Thil	Middleweight	2,348	1,919	1926-1937	Len Harvey, Lou Brouillard, Vince Dundee	Head-to-head
#26	Harry Wills	Heavyweight	2,331	1,891	1913-1932	Joe Jennette, Sam Langford, Fred Fulton	Head-to-head
#28	John Henry Lewis	Cruiserweight	2,318	1,887	1931-1939	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#34	Lou Ambers	Super Lightweight	2,272	1,881	1933-1941	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#42	Jimmy McLarnin	Welterweight	2,235	1,898	1923-1936	Barney Ross, Benny Leonard, Young Corbett III	Head-to-head
#48	Fred Apostoli	Middleweight	2,212	1,878	1934-1948	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#59	Ken Overlin	Middleweight	2,184	1,856	1935-1944	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#76	Sammy Angott	Lightweight	2,148	1,865	1937-1950	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#82	Young Stribling	Cruiserweight	2,134	1,909	1927-1933	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#88	Louis 'Kid' Kaplan	Lightweight	2,119	1,832	1923-1933	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head
#89	Freddie Steele	Middleweight	2,117	1,958	1930-1941	No listed opponent summary	Head-to-head

Read this with care

H&G Elo v1.1.2 is a fixed public release, not a live database. A fighter can lead one signal and still sit lower in the main all-time list because the final score blends peak, prime, era dominance, title evidence, signature wins and longevity.

For disputed placements, use the fighter page, methodology page and corrections process rather than treating one number as the whole argument.

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