Top 10 Per Decade

Now, post Mayweather-Pacquiao, the inevitable "who is the best fighter of his generation?" discussion has popped up yet again. It's a discussion I've found myself dragged into several times before but thinking back on these two fighters and men like Hopkins, Wladimir Klitschko, Oscar De La Hoya and so on, it's impossible not to notice one similarity: they all fought across multiple generations, so what exactly is meant by "their generation" or "this generation". How long does one assume is a generation? In my opinion, a proper gauge of the best fighters we get to witness, is who was most dominant across a set span of time, a year, 2...or better, 10. So I decided to put together a list of the top 10 best fighters, per decade, from the 1950s on wards. If you wish, you can start earlier or later, it's up to you but have some sort of a criteria in mind. Mine is the: 5 Steps to Greatness- 1. Accomplishments (championships won, title reigns, length of reign(s)) 2. Level of opposition faced (wins and losses will be taken into account and the quality of that opposition, number of HOFers or champions, former champions and top, universally recognised contenders) 3. Skill level (looking at the boxers ring IQ, defensive and offensive ability as well as his footwork, speed and punch variety/combinations) 4. Appeal (what was the fan support for the fighter like, cross over/pop culture importance, importance to the sport in terms of popularity, revenue and consensus agreement as one of the best if not the best) 5. Consistency throughout the decade So, these are the criteria I'll be using and you can use them too. The 1950s... 1. Sugar Ray Robinson (MW/LHW) USA 2. Kid Gavilan (WW) Cuba 3. Archie Moore (LHW/HW) USA 4. Sandy Saddler (FW/SFW) USA 5. Rocky Marciano (HW) USA 6. Gene Fullmer (MW) USA 7. Floyd Patterson (HW) USA 8. Ezzard Charles (HW/LHW) USA 9. Pascual Perez (FlyW) Argentina 10. Sonny Liston (HW) USA The 1960s... 1. Muhammad Ali (HW) USA 2. Emile Griffith (WW/LMW/MW) USA 3. Carlos Ortiz (LW/LWW) Puerto Rico 4. Eder Jofre (BW/FW) Brazil 5. Nino Benvenuti (LMW/MW) Italy 6. Dick Tiger (MW/LHW) Nigeria 7. Fighting Harada (FlyW/BW) Japan 8. Jose Torres (LHW) Puerto Rico 9. Flash Elorde (LWW) Philippines 10. Vicente Saldivar (FW) Mexico The 1970s... 1. Muhammad Ali (HW) USA 2. Roberto Duran (LW) Panama 3. Carlos Monzon (MW) Argentina 4. George Foreman (HW) USA 5. Joe Frazier (HW) USA 6. Jose Napoles (WW/MW) Cuba 7. Bob Foster (LHW/HW) USA 8. Alexis Arguello (FW/SFW) Nicaragua 9. Wilfredo Gomez (SBW/FW/SFW) Puerto Rico 10. Miguel Canto (FlyW) Mexico The 1980s... 1. Sugar Ray Leonard (WW/LMW/MW/SMW) USA 2. Marvin Hagler (MW) USA 3. Tommy Hearns (WW/LMW/SMW) USA 4. Julio Cesar Chavez Sr (SFW/LW/LWW) Mexico 5. Larry Holmes (HW) USA 6. Roberto Duran (WW/MW) Panama 7. Mike Tyson (HW) USA 8. Evander Holyfield (CW) USA 9. Michael Spinks (LHW/HW) USA 10. Aaron Pryor (LWW) USA The 1990s... 1. Evander Holyfield (HW) USA 2. Roy Jones Jr. (MW/SMW/LHW) USA 3. Pernell Whitaker (LW/LWW/WW) USA 4. Oscar De La Hoya (SFW/LW/LWW/WW) USA 5. Felix Trinidad (WW) Puerto Rico 6. James Toney (MW/SMW/CW) USA 7. Lennox Lewis (HW) GB 8. Mike Tyson (HW) USA 9. Bernard Hopkins (MW) USA 10. Prince Naseem Hamed (FW) GB The 2000s... 1. Manny Pacquiao (SBW/FW/SFW/LW/LWW/WW) Philipines 2. Bernard Hopkins (MW/LHW) USA 3. Floyd Mayweather (SFW/LW/LWW/WW/LMW) USA 4. Marco Antonio Barrera (FW/SFW) Mexico 5. Erik Morales (FW/SFW/LW) Mexico 6. Wladimir Klitschko (HW) Ukraine 7. Joe Calzaghe (SMW/LHW) GB 8. Oscar De La Hoya (WW/LMW/MW) USA 9. Sergio Martinez (MW) Argentina 10. Juan Manuel Marquez (FW/SFW/LW) Mexico (P.S. Don't turn this into a Pac/May thing, we're beyond that now)

Comments (20)

I referd to your orginal list,allways thought it was 2001-2010 not 2000-2009 but what i know easy enough mistake to make tbh I also agree that Oscar should be ahead of Trinidad. Even though he boxed or ran the last 4 rounds it doesn't change the fact that he won at least 8 of the first 9 rounds Exactly. Oscar was robbed, almost as bad as the Whitaker/Sr fight of the Pac/Bradley fight. Plus, Oscar holds the better wins (slightly) and managed to stay at the top a much longer time.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

I didn't know Pacquiao was fighting in the 60s, thanks for me letting me know. I'll put him in the top 10. i dunno who Garry is but Larry sure was sure lol Man there were some great fights pre 1980, you're telling me as a boxing fan you haven't seen the series of fights between Ali/Frazier/Foreman/Norton? Or Duran and Dejesus? Or parts of Monzons run at middle or Fosters run at LHW? Heck Foster even faced Frazier and Ali. Floyd beat him in 2015... See above the decade starts at 2010 lol but yeah you're right apart from that. Wait you made the decade 2001-2010...that's not hoe decades work man lol it's 2000-2009. 2010 is the start of a new decade. I referd to your orginal list,allways thought it was 2001-2010 not 2000-2009 but what i know

9y ago

Carmen81

I also agree that Oscar should be ahead of Trinidad. Even though he boxed or ran the last 4 rounds it doesn't change the fact that he won at least 8 of the first 9 rounds

9y ago

soul_survivor

Ive seen them. Thing is, I didn't see their careers live. I read about them all pre 1980. Sandy Sadler, willie pep, srr, Langford, Jersey Joe but I didn't see the majority of their fights. I go off more what the historians like bert sugar (rip) and others used to say about them. Yeah, fair enough. I think we all have to go off what the historians said but its also why I limited my lists to 1950. Before that, it gets very difficult to find footage, even of prominent names like Charles and Moore.

9y ago

soul_survivor

I feel currently May has the win of the decade (Fury isn't so far behind with Wlad tbh) but he has a couple other solid wins too, namely Cotto and in controversial fashion Canelo. Sadly, 5 of his 9 fights have been against guys who never amounted to much/were past it/b- level at best. Then again, with how lackluster some of the fighters this decade have been, he'd probably top it on the back of a single win. We still have to wait and see how Ward, Kovalev, GGG, Canelo, Fury, AJ and a few others turn out.

9y ago

hhs661

Man there were some great fights pre 1980, you're telling me as a boxing fan you haven't seen the series of fights between Ali/Frazier/Foreman/Norton? Or Duran and Dejesus? Or parts of Monzons run at middle or Fosters run at LHW? Heck Foster even faced Frazier and Ali. Ive seen them. Thing is, I didn't see their careers live. I read about them all pre 1980. Sandy Sadler, willie pep, srr, Langford, Jersey Joe but I didn't see the majority of their fights. I go off more what the historians like bert sugar (rip) and others used to say about them.

9y ago

soul_survivor

These threads from you always read and feel like a pro Manny piece of propoganda. If you made a proper list or didn't try to create categories that allow you to place your favorite (manny) always above where he should be, I honestly think you'd get more people to chime in. I didn't know Pacquiao was fighting in the 60s, thanks for me letting me know. I'll put him in the top 10. Garry told me Adrien Broner is going to be the fighter of the decade. i dunno who Garry is but Larry sure was sure lol 80s-00s I would for with. Not bad. I can't **** with anything pre 1980. I just didn't see those fights to speak on them like that Man there were some great fights pre 1980, you're telling me as a boxing fan you haven't seen the series of fights between Ali/Frazier/Foreman/Norton? Or Duran and Dejesus? Or parts of Monzons run at middle or Fosters run at LHW? Heck Foster even faced Frazier and Ali. LOL I don't know how you put Manny above Floyd literally days after Floyd beats him. People act as if Manny Pacquiao wasn't bested several different times by several different fighters throughout his career. Floyd beat him in 2015... The lists are pretty accurate and for the most part you did a good job but the second you put Pac over Money you lost credibility. May won 9 out of 12 rounds against PAC and retired undefeated, PAC was a great fighter but clearly inferior to Money See above of a decade man,2011-2016 dont count here,Pacman 2001-2010 >Floyd period:boxing: the decade starts at 2010 lol but yeah you're right apart from that. Wait you made the decade 2001-2010...that's not hoe decades work man lol it's 2000-2009. 2010 is the start of a new decade.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

The lists are pretty accurate and for the most part you did a good job but the second you put Pac over Money you lost credibility. May won 9 out of 12 rounds against PAC and retired undefeated, PAC was a great fighter but clearly inferior to Money of a decade man,2011-2016 dont count here,Pacman 2001-2010 >Floyd period:boxing:

9y ago

Carmen81

9y ago

Johnwoo8686

LOL I don't know how you put Manny above Floyd literally days after Floyd beats him. People act as if Manny Pacquiao wasn't bested several different times by several different fighters throughout his career.

9y ago

hhs661

80s-00s I would for with. Not bad. I can't **** with anything pre 1980. I just didn't see those fights to speak on them like that

9y ago

SouthPawHitman

Garry told me Adrien Broner is going to be the fighter of the decade.

9y ago

The_Big_Dunn

9y ago

IMDAZED

Someone besides SS do these lists, for the love of God.

9y ago

soul_survivor

The 2010s are more than half over, what do you guys think the current top 10 would look like?

9y ago

soul_survivor

Nice lists mate, interesting. I don't know why people are nit-picking individual fighters from your list...they should just post their own top 10 from the decade that they disagree with. Thanks and having members making their own lists and actually engaging in a boxing discussion for once, rather than worrying about fighters they suck off cos of nationality or some misplaced sentiment. What kind of top 10 would you have for the various years. Seriously, Cotto isn't in the top 10 for the 2000s? Losing out to JMM and Sergio? Cotto fits all your criteria. Thread invalid JMM has those exceptionally close fights with Pacquiao and Martinez was THE LINEAL middleweight champion of the world by the time decade closed out. Cotto was exceptional, I've always been a fan but he was always in the top 3 or 4 of a division, never quite solidifying himself as the best at 140 (that was Hatton) or at WW (Pacman, Mosley, Margarito, Mayweather).

11y ago

Chrismart

Nice lists mate, interesting. I don't know why people are nit-picking individual fighters from your list...they should just post their own top 10 from the decade that they disagree with.

11y ago

TAKEOVER7209

I didn't know decades were 15 years??? Lol

11y ago

TAKEOVER7209

Before you put up the P.S. disclaimer, I'd suggest that you add a little blurb about the accomplishments during the decade, to give some idea to your reasoning personally, i think that Mayweather and Hopkins both clearly had the best 2000s of anyone, with Calzaghe/Klitschko/Pacquiao all around the same level under that. oh well note: made a typo in my time window. A decade is actually 1/1/00 through 12/31/09, just outside of Pacquiao two **** fights in early 2010 and Pacquiao getting stopped in late 1999. congrats, folks Martinez? But not Tito are you sick?

11y ago

JmH_Reborn

Seriously, Cotto isn't in the top 10 for the 2000s? Losing out to JMM and Sergio? Cotto fits all your criteria. Thread invalid

11y ago