Ranking the Top 10 Welsh Fighters of All Time

Wales is a proud sporting nation, whether it's on the rugby field or in the ring.

Joe Calzaghe is perhaps the most famous Welsh boxer of modern times, but is he the best the country has ever produced? 

Continuing our countdown of the top 10 pugilists from each nation, we've ranked Wales' finest fighters of all time. 

In case you missed them, we have already compiled lists for Ireland and Scotland.

Before we begin revealing the Welsh wonders, we must first tip our hat to those who didn't quite make the final cut.

Honourable Mentions

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With any shortlist, there is always going to be a group who ends up sitting on the wrong side of the cut line.

Some fine Welsh fighters didn't make Bleacher Report's top 10, including reigning world featherweight champion Lee Selby.

If, though, he continues his career path, the man dubbed the Welsh Mayweather will likely make the list in the future.

Modern-day stars Enzo Maccarinelli and Nathan Cleverly also just failed to get in, while Barry Jones, who won a world title before his pro career, was cut short by injury.

Robbie Regan and Steve Robinson deserve a mention too, with the latter's reign as WBO featherweight champion coming to an end at the hands of Prince Naseem Hamed.

Others unfortunate to be left out include: Gipsy Daniels, Dai Dower, Jack Petersen, Eddie Morgan and Tommy West.

10. Brian Curvis

Professional record: 37-4 (22 KOs)

Brian Curvis was a British and Commonwealth champion at welterweight, but a world title eluded him during his professional career.

The southpaw from Swansea never lost to a British opponent.

However, his bid to become a world champion came up short in 1964, as he was beaten by Emile Griffith when the WBA and WBC belts were on the line.

Despite losing on points, Curvis—who died in 2012 at the age of 74—told BBC Wales in 1989, "I don't see the Griffith fight as a failure. To me it was a triumph."

9. Gavin Rees

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Professional record: 38-4-1 (18 KOs)

Gavin Rees rocked the International Arena in Cardiff back in 2007 when he defeated Souleymane M'baye to become the new WBA light welterweight champion.

The fighter from Newbridge, Wales, lost the belt to Andreas Kotelnik in his first defence, leading to a move up to lightweight.

The switch paid off—he won the Prizefighter Series tournament in 2009 and also picked up the British and European belts at the 135-pound limit, leading to an opportunity to become a two-weight world champion.

However, Adrien Broner proved too good for Rees, who was stopped by the American inside five rounds.

He retired in 2014 after avenging a previous loss to Gary Buckland.

8. Colin Jones

Professional record: 26-3-1

Colin Jones dominated the welterweight scene at a domestic level, but a world title eluded him during a professional career that spanned less than eight years.

He represented Great Britain at the 1976 Olympics before turning pro the following year. 

It quickly became clear how his power would translate to the paid ranks—17 of his first 20 victories came inside the distance, and he gained the nickname The Punch.

However, he failed in three attempts to become a world champion. He drew once and lost a rematch against Milton McCrory, then found Donald Curry too much to handle in his last fight.

Welshboxers.com believe Jones will go down as "one of the finest British boxers never to have won a world crown."

7. Tommy Farr

Professional record: 84-34-17 (24 KOs)

Heavyweight Tommy "Tonypandy Terror" Farr is best known for taking the great Joe Louis 15 rounds in 1937.

The Welshman made the Brown Bomber work hard to keep hold of his world title at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Farr also twice went the distance with Max Baer, triumphing in 1937 before losing the rematch.

However, he never really wanted to be a fighter at all, as boxing historian and referee Winford Jones told Neil Prior of BBC News, "Tommy didn't want to be a boxer, he wanted to be a chef. But even at 12 Tommy was a lump of a lad, and so started making a few bob by fighting grown men at the boxing booths at the fair."

Farr was the British and Commonwealth champion, but financial problems forced him to step out of retirement in 1950. He died in 1986 at the age of 72.

6. Jim Driscoll

Professional record: 53-4-6 

Jim Driscoll used boxing to get out of poverty, firstly through fighting at showgrounds before eventually undertaking a professional career that was interrupted by World War I.

He was British and Commonwealth champion at featherweight and enjoyed a string of bouts in the United States, where he earned the nickname Peerless.

Driscoll was the first man to win a Lonsdale belt at 126 pounds but triumphed in just one of his final four fights.

He passed away at the age of 44—more than 100,000 people lined the streets of Cardiff for his funeral, per his Wikipedia page.

5. Freddie Welsh

Professional record: 74-5-7

Freddie Welsh was born in Pontypridd, Wales, but made his name fighting in the United States.

Per welshboxers.com, the lightweight had to be sneaky about his career choice: "His upbringing was more middle class in character than that of many of his contemporary fighters—he was the son of an auctioneer, who later took the name Freddie Welsh to hide his prize-fighting from his family."

He was extremely active during the early stages of his career, including having an astonishing 25 fights in 1906.

After a brief spell back in Britain, Welsh returned to the States with the aim of becoming world champion.

He eventually achieved his goal in 1914, beating Willie Ritchie in London to claim the title.

4. Howard Winstone

Professional record: 61-6 (27 KOs)

Howard Winstone's pursuit of a world title proved that if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again.

The featherweight took on Vicente Saldivar three times when the WBA and WBC belts were on the line, and on each occasion the Mexican found a way to come out on top. 

However, Winstone—who won a gold medal at the 1958 Commonwealth Games—claimed the vacant WBC strap when he defeated Mitsunori Seki in 1968.

After one successful defence, he lost to Jose Legra in Wales and decided to retire at the age of 29.

Still, the man from Merthyr Tydfil is forever remembered in his hometown, as a bronze statue was commissioned to celebrate his achievements the year after he had passed away, in 2000.

3. Percy Jones

Professional record: 50-3-3 (31 KOs)

Percy Jones was the first Welshman to win a world title when he defeated fellow flyweight Bill Ladbury at Covent Garden, London, in 1914.

Born into a mining community in Porth, Wales, Jones was also European champion before moving up to bantamweight.

He was undefeated in his first 43 fights, while his only losses came at the hands of Eugene Criqui, Joe Symonds (who took away his world belt) and Tancy Lee.

Jones' boxing career ended when he signed up to fight in World War I. He had to have his leg amputated while serving abroad and would eventually die of trench fever on Christmas Day in 1922.

With no footage available, instead enjoy watching another Welshman called Jones, super featherweight Barry, taking on Brazilian Acelino Freitas.

2. Jimmy Wilde

Professional record: 132-3-1 (99 KOs)

Jimmy Wilde—a little man with a big reputation for delivering knockout wins—comes a close second in the list.

Nicknamed the Mighty Atom, he was a world champion at flyweight. However, he often fought bigger men, simply because they were the only bouts he could get.

Wilde, who served in World War I, retired in 1921 but was tempted back to take on Pancho Villa over two years later. He lost the fight, though only after being left in a bad way by a blow landed after the bell.

In profiling the fighter for Boxing News, George Zeleny wrote, "He had skinny legs, pipe-stem arms and a completely unorthodox fighting style. Persistently attacking opponents while holding his gloves at hip level, and bobbing and weaving as he moved in, he was a difficult opponent to pinpoint with a decisive punch."

His knockout ratio for a small fighter is phenomenal, but still not quite enough to seal Wilde the top spot.

1. Joe Calzaghe

Professional record: 46-0 (32 KOs)

Joe Calzaghe is placed at the head of the rankings—he is not just Wales' best, but also one of the finest boxers Britain has ever produced.

BoxRec places the Italian Dragon as the top super middleweight of all time, a rich reward for him holding the WBO title in the division for over 10 years during his unbeaten career.

Trained by his dad, Enzo, the southpaw was actually born in Hammersmith, London, before moving to Wales when he was two years old. 

He defeated domestic rivals Chris Eubank (admittedly at the tail-end of Eubank's career), Robin Reid and Richie Woodhall, though perhaps his career-defining performance was the 12-round beating he handed out to highly rated American Jeff Lacy.

Calzaghe moved up in weight for his final two outings, getting the better of Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. before deciding to hang up his gloves, telling BBC Sport, "It was a difficult decision but I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve in boxing."

Do you agree with the top 10? If not, have your say via the comments section. Feel free to also share your thoughts on any of the boxers mentioned in the slideshow.