Which decade contained the best elite fighters?

[U_TALKING_2_ME?]

Hands down from top to bottom across all the weight classes the 80s have to be the best.

Tyson
Holmes
Spinks
Holyfield
Hearns
Hagler
Leonard
Duran
Mancini
Whittaker
Camacho
Chavez
Mayweather
Chacon
Pryor
Arguello
Mccallum
Curry
Norris
Mugabi
Witherspoon
Nunn
Andries
Hall
Azumah
Sanchez
Rosario
Ramirez
Barkley
Benitez

70s had the heavyweights and other decades might have better divisions but from top to bottom 80s has most depth and most ATGs IMO

Check your list again and see when some of the fighters on your list began their careers.

Just to name one who best fights were in the 70's was "Schoolboy" Bobby Chacon.

But it is all relative really, I think a lot of it depends on when you first became a fan of the sport.

[billeau2]

There are too many ways to decide! Brain freeze arghh!!!!

I think no matter what decade one picks there should be more consideration given to the heavy weights. I know a lot of people will take issue with this but I feel like the barometer for boxing greatness rests in the heavyweight division. Furthermore, in times when there was any weakness in the division there was always a great champ to step up and challenge for the heavy weight belt...Fighters like Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Billy Conn, James Toney, etc etc.

Having said this....It is ridiculous not to recognize the great amount of fighters in the middle divisions during the 80's. Hell of a time!!

Another problem I have is with the rules. 15 round fights were different and imo determined real champions and made for better fighters. if one looks at when the rules changed after a lull of sorts, the heavyweight division started to see a lot if technically skilled but out of shape fighters....guys like Tubbs, Page, etc. Tyson was spectacular but really had easy pickings at this time.

The seventies were great for other reasons: before the rules changed and created the monstrosity of a 12 round championship....the olympic program had incredible fighters....So that in addition to Ali, Norton, Frazier, Foreman...one had the Cuban heavyweight Stephenson and, quite a few Olympic champs who were comprably skilled.

For this reason I would go with the seventies. The apex division was the strongest (heavyweight) the fights were still championship length (15 round) the Olympic champs were also great fighters and the seventies gave birth to a lot of the guys who became the next great fighters.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Check your list again and see when some of the fighters on your list began their careers.

Just to name one who best fights were in the 70's was "Schoolboy" Bobby Chacon.

But it is all relative really, I think a lot of it depends on when you first became a fan of the sport.

well obviously there will be some overlap,,, Jones and toney both started in the 80s, but im not going to add them...

Chacon and duran and some others might have had majority of careers in 70s, but no doubt they also contributed greatly to the 80s and had classic bouts in both...

SRL and Hearns and Hagler all started in the 70s, but most of their great career highlights came in the 80s...

IMO from 80-89 was the best decade ever from top to bottom

[GeneralZod]

80s by far, to me at least.

[Sceptic]

Few centuries produced as many greats as the 60's!

[mickey malone]

The greatest era was before they scrapped 15 rounders, and before the introduction of alphabet titles..
The 100 yr spell between the mid 1880's and the mid 1980's was the greatest era in boxing.

[Scott9945]

Few centuries produced as many greats as the 60's!

Say what?

[LacedUp]

I voted the 40's. There were some cracking fighters in that era.

Second choice would be the 80's.

[billeau2]

The greatest era was before they scrapped 15 rounders, and before the introduction of alphabet titles..
The 100 yr spell between the mid 1880's and the mid 1980's was the greatest era in boxing.

Im with you MM on the 15 rounders....they made better fighters through the fighting conditions....those three rounds are the real championship rounds and I miss them.

[rightsideup]

I voted for the forties but I admit it is a toss up with the eighties