Is this heavyweight climate the worst in history?

[JAB5239]

I will never have the "1937 to 1945" era that high on the worst list. IMO it was equal to some eras you listed below.

Looking at it I think I moved it and actually meant to move 85 to 92. I'll edit it.

[rorymac]

I'll take Haye Adamek Chambers Povetkin and Dimetrenko over Weatherspoon, Dokes and freaking Gerrie Coetzee every day of the week.

Of course 2 great fighters(Wlad and Vitali) > 1 great fighter(Holmes)

Why do you post in the history section if your mind is so closed to the past???

[them_apples]

the heavyweight division has often gone through shaky times.

[TBear]

I'll take Haye Adamek Chambers Povetkin and Dimetrenko over Weatherspoon, Dokes and freaking Gerrie Coetzee every day of the week.

Of course 2 great fighters(Wlad and Vitali) > 1 great fighter(Holmes)

This is humor right?

[tyger]

This is the worst and weakest era!

[McGoorty]

There has been no good American heavyweights, only the 2 Klitschko brothers. David Haye came along in 2010 but he was all.

We all know who the Klitschko's are going to face next and we all know they are going to beat them, proceeding cautiously, using the jab and more than likely getting a unspectacular late stoppage. People say the early 80's was bad, which it was, but I don't think it was as bad as this age.

Ali was there until 1978, Norton until 1980, Holmes until 1985. But though when Holmes winning all the time was similar to the Klitschko's, from 1978-1985 (when Holmes reigned) was only 7 years. Tyson hit the scene then. We waited 8 years for Wladimir Klitschko VS David Haye, which was the biggest Heavyweight fight by far since Lewis-Klitschko. I don't think we are going to get another Tyson coming anytime soon, cleaning out the division.

IMO this is the worst age in history for heavyweight boxing. What do you guys think?

It must be close to the worst, but take Tyson out and 1983 to 89 really stank.... god it was putrid seeing the trash they gave Mike to fight.

[BennyST]

a terrific point that cannot be overstated

who is to say the klitschko brothers (were they not brothers, of course) wouldnt have some terrific fights against eachother.


i will say this, the top ten is weak and the journeymen and fringe contenders are all out of shape, which is a relatively new phenomenon



and also i think we can all agree that american talented big men don't box anymore, and that's not likely to change any time soon

sure, we might get lucky and have a len bias type talent born next to a boxing gym, but he's likely to play basketball or football or even hockey and baseball and get recruited to play high level collegiately or even get drafted to a pro team as a youth

This is what it all boils down to for me. It's not the top guy, or guys. Those two are great fighters who would be up there in any era. But, a division is not made good, great or even close to it by two fighters alone. Especially if those two fighters don't/can't fight each other for whatever reason. I know they are brothers, but that still means that the two best fighters of the last six/seven years haven't and won't ever fight each other.

Nonetheless, it comes down to the rest of the field for me. What makes an era great is not the champion or champions, but the top ten and other fringe contenders. This top ten is, in my opinion, the worst I have ever seen maybe from any division in any era. The two top fighters are consistently in great shape, can fight a full championship fight without gassing out completely and are clearly elite world class athletes. The same absolutely cannot be said for the people that pass themselves off as professional fighters of world class.

I think the previous eras that some are saying equals this one in it's terrible state are overlooking the general talent of the rest of the field in comparison. I'm certainly not saying they are great eras by any means, but this isn't actually so bad at all: There were a lot of highly talented fighters and although some were inconsistent, they were overall in shape, came to fight, highly skilled and when at their best were able to take on anyone and give a great, hard fight.
1985
Michael Spinks, Champion
Pinklon Thomas
Larry Holmes
Tim Witherspoon
Tony Tubbs
Greg Page
Gerrie Coetzee
Trevor Berbick
Carl Williams
Mike Weaver
Michael Dokes

A few years earlier when Holmes was still king.
Larry Holmes, Champion
Gerrie Coetzee
Greg Page
Michael Dokes
Pinklon Thomas
Tim Witherspoon
Mike Weaver
David Bey
John Tate
Trevor Berbick
Frank Bruno

Years later when Tyson was the man.
Title Vacant
Mike Tyson
Evander Holyfield
Michael Dokes
Francesco Damiani
Tim Witherspoon
Orlin Norris
James (Buster) Douglas
Carl Williams
Razor Ruddock
Gary Mason

When Lewis was at his best and Holyfield was still great.
Title Vacant
Evander Holyfield
Lennox Lewis
Michael Grant
Michael Moorer
Shannon Briggs
Chris Byrd
Ike Ibeabuchi
David Tua
Andrew Golota
Hasim Rahman

A few years earlier when Bowe was daddy of the division. That's a solid top ten.
Rid**** Bowe
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Michael Moorer
Evander Holyfield
Bruce Seldon
Frank Bruno
George Foreman
Alexander Zolkin
Henry Akinwande

I just struggle to see a comparison to this.
Current rankings:
Wladimir Klitschko
Vitali Klitschko
Alexander Povetkin
Tomasz Adamek
David Haye (retired?)
Eddie Chambers
Robert Helenius
Alexander Dimitrenko
Dennis Boytsov
Chris Arreola

[BennyST]

A lot of the guys that aren't well remembered by today's boxing and heavyweight division fans, such as Greg Page, Tim Witherspoon, Dokes etc. will be thought of as nothing and maybe on the level of an Eddie Chambers, Chris Arreola, Dimitrenko or something like that.

However, each and every one of those above were incredibly talented fighters. I don't believe they reached their potential, possibly because of some exceptional champions at the very top, and maybe even underachieved but overall they were, and would have been, a handful for anyone at the time.

Someone like Page or Dokes makes each and every prospect today look comparatively unskilled, untalented and not much of a prospect at all.
A 15 fight young up and coming prospect in Greg Page:


What was considered the future great of the heavyweight division a number of years back now: Undefeated at about 20-0 here.


Two of the lesser known champs of that era by many people today. Mike Weaver and Pinklon Thomas.


One of the best champs of the previous eras against one of the top ten contenders (and brief champs) of that 80's era. Holyfield and Michael Dokes.


When I look at the general skill, will, and all around ability, it all seems closer to me. The majority of the top ten are all very, very good fighters. There were the standouts of course, but often there rest of the competition was extremely close, hard fought and hard won and full of great talent and those same fighters were all good enough to challenge and really test the top guys. It just doesn't seem that way anymore. A lot of the top ten, apart from the two stand out fighters, just can't fight a full fight well, at a good pace, with skill.

[SCtrojansbaby]

This is humor right?

No Terrible Tim Weatherspoon and Gerrie Coetzee are worse then any of todays contenders

[Scott9945]

No Terrible Tim Weatherspoon and Gerrie Coetzee are worse then any of todays contenders

You have no idea what you are talking about. Spoon beats all the current contenders. Coetzee was as good as any of them too.