Frankie Edgar: 5 Tougher Fighters from New Jersey

Frankie Edgar is a very tough guy. He has produced amazing moments that are epic sport classics. Mike Goldberg, the inept UFC commentator, often claims that Edgar is the toughest fighter to ever come from the Garden State.

This is more than hyperbolic as he has really only displayed his mettle thrice. Edgar showed indomitable grit in the Edgar-Henderson bout, in Edgar-Maynard 2 and Edgar-Maynard 3. While his performances truly were legendary in these three instances, there are others who have distinguished themselves over a longer time period.

As a general rule, I disregard anything Mike Goldberg says. The question, though, did seem to warrant investigation. Which New Jersey fighters truly deserve that title of the "toughest" fighter to ever come from New Jersey?

Here is a suggested list of five tougher fighters submitted for your consideration. Or does "The Answer" deserve to be on the list? Please inform me where improvements can be made and add your insights.

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5) Rubin Carter

Rubin Carter had a folk song written about him by Bob Dylan and a movie made about him starring Denzel Washington. That speaks for itself.

Rubin served close to 20 years in prison for a crime he says he never committed. The "Hurricane" never gave in to pressure to change his plea and refused to wear a prison uniform in protest.

He also served in the military and had a boxing record of 27-12, including wins over Jimmy Ellis and former champ Emile Griffith. Carter fought for the world middleweight title in 1964, losing a close 15-round split decision to Joey Giardello. These feats surpass three great fights by Edgar.  

He was born and raised in New Jersey but now lives in Toronto.

4) Jersey Joe Walcott

Jersey Joe Walcott had 71 pro boxing matches.

He fought greats like Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis twice each and defeated Ezzard Charles to become world heavyweight champion. While he lost the four bouts against Marciano and Louis, they respectfully rank significantly higher than the likes of Henderson and Maynard.

Having 71 pro fights, taking the best from two legends and winning the world heavyweight title should put him on most lists. One should also place into consideration the fact that MMA is a fledgling sport with far less participants and cache than boxing in Walcott's era (1940s and 50s).

Despite twice defeating the great B.J. Penn, his performance was criticized as pedestrian at best. Being the world's heavyweight champion in the 50s meant far more than being a UFC lightweight champion today. It should also be noted that prior to the Edgar-Maynard 2 brawl, Edgar was more famous for being a "tactical" fighter that could not finish fights than a warrior.

3) James Braddock

James Braddock is featured in the film Cinderella Man and is famous for overcoming poverty and inspiring the downtrodden during the Great Depression en route to becoming world heavyweight champion.

He was born in New York, but moved to New Jersey at a young age. His earlier moniker was the "Pride of New Jersey." At one point, his record was a stellar 30-2-4.

After losing many of his next fights with a badly injured hand, he retired from boxing. His return saw him rise through the ranks and eventually defeat the great Max Baer to become the world's heavyweight champ. Braddock also served in the military overseas in World War II.

Beating the Depression and the hard-hitting Baer and surviving a World War put him on this list.

2) Chuck Wepner

Someone tougher than Rocky? Forget about it.

Chuck Wepner is the original Rocky—the fighter upon whom Sylvester Stallone based the famous character. Wepner fought Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. The shots he took just in the Ali fight alone over 14-plus rounds place the "Bayonne Bleeder" well beyond Edgar on the all-time toughest fighters list.

A few tough MMA fights cannot usurp "Rocky" on the toughest of all-time list.

1) Arturo Gatti

R.I.P. to one of the greatest warriors ever to grace this planet. Gatti was born in Italy, grew up in Montreal, but called Atlantic City his hometown. No one could ever possess more grit and heart than this icon.

Frankie Edgar had two tough fights with Maynard and an exciting battle with Benson Henderson. Gatti had a lifetime of epic fights. His career is an anthology of memorable classics that are a tribute to his unrivaled legacy. His trilogy with Mickey Ward alone far surpasses him well beyond the reach of Edgar.

Arturo Gatti stands alone atop the heap of toughest fighters to ever come from New Jersey.

Conclusion

Edgar was born in Toms River and lived in Jersey his entire life. He even went to school at Rutgers and is a great representative for the Garden State and is worthy of praise from people worldwide.

All due respect to Edgar, he is a tough fighter and a great champion. No doubt, he has many great fights left in him that will thrill fans across the globe.

However, his volume of lifetime work cannot compare to those mentioned on this list. He is great now, but let's not ignore history solely for the purpose of trying to make an emphatic statement.

There have been tougher people to come from New Jersey. Honorable mentions go to Tony Soprano, Snooki and Marvin Hagler. Marvelous Marvin was born in Newark but—alongside Rocky Marciano—calls Brockton, Mass., his hometown. While this list disputes Mike Goldberg's claim that Frankie is the toughest fighter to ever come from New Jersey, Edgar's heart and skill demand admiration.

The 30-year-old star still has time to etch out his spot on the list, but for now he is not yet in the top five. He gets his well-deserved rematch with Benson Henderson on August 11th at UFC 150. No doubt, he will give the fans another great fight and possibly get his name on the next list!