Comments Thread For: Today vs. 25 years ago: Which heavyweight division was superior?

[DClefthook]

how u gonna forget Dubois!?! lol they definitely didn’t fight at Cruiserweight lol. But u right, he’s not an ATG HW but he’s a great fight in the last 25 years or so. Don’t know if I’ll put him in top 50 ever but that’s not shade at him, just to many damn good fighters that have fought in this sport

Yes I did dammit and Dubois was really the point I was trying to .ake being as tho ge hurt him badly with a bodyshot. Damn my bad yall!

[BrankoB]

Lewis and Vitali beat everyone from both eras. They were both tall and big and knew how to fight with using their advantages. They both knew how to use their reach and had a lot more power than Fury.

[steeve steel]

If you really want to be objective in this kind of debate, ask yourself if any professional and champion athlete or team in any other sports would beat a current equivalent. Then you pretty much have your answer.

[TMLT87]

Lennox beats everyone today. Usyk is the only one i'd give a shot at beating Ike, Vitali and Holyfield too.

[Boxing 112]

Honestly. If that's your argument then Usyk wouldn't be that highly rated because this era of heavyweights are complete bums. Lets be honest. I am one of the few people that doesn't drink the Mike Tyson or Roy Jones cool aid ( i do rate Jones highly though ) but Tysons level of opponents win or lose is way better than Uysk.

Who did Tyson fight in 23 fights? Complete journeyman. Who has Usyk fought in 23? World champions and cleaned up cruiser and heavy

[wrecksracer]

If you really want to be objective in this kind of debate, ask yourself if any professional and champion athlete or team in any other sports would beat a current equivalent. Then you pretty much have your answer.

Boxing is largely skills based, and current fighters seem to have regressed. Take a guy like Tank Davis, who only fights guys he knows he can beat. Does he beat Roberto Duran, who faced everybody with every possible style? I'm not seeing that in current fighters. They just don't fight often enough. There are a few who would be competitive in any era. Usyk, Inoue, Bam Rodriguez.

[BrankoB]

Boxing is largely skills based, and current fighters seem to have regressed. Take a guy like Tank Davis, who only fights guys he knows he can beat. Does he beat Roberto Duran, who faced everybody with every possible style? I'm not seeing that in current fighters. They just don't fight often enough. There are a few who would be competitive in any era. Usyk, Inoue, Bam Rodriguez.

I agree. By not fighting often and not fighting all comers with all different styles, current champions have regressed.

There is also one other very peculiar thing in boxing. Quite often the best fighter in a division is not the champion because champions can avoid real threats for years.. Sometimes it takes a few years for a real talent to come out, be recognised and be given the opportunity to shine.

In other sports, because of the nature of intense and structured competition, the best rise to the top immediately. In tennis, golf, athletics, swimming there is nowhere to hide. You cannot be a world champion by avoiding the best.

[Damn Wicked]

Usyk prime is a MUCH greater fighter than Mike Tyson prime. Tyson was a mental midget and Usyk is not a still target like most of the fighters Tyson fought.

[Bob]

Let's pick a top 10 from the 90s after they've all faded or retired?? The 90s had lost its spark by then.

If we are going by the exact day of these 2 moments Lennox Vitali & Evander & Usyk. The rest, meh. Michael Grant is Aj, a beast until he actually fought someone.

Aj in the top 3 of the era? He's never beaten a prime elite heavyweight & avoided his rivals until they're old for cash out fights like most of his opponents, that says it all.

[M312]

25 years ago there were zero southpaws like Usyk.
They would be fighting him based on zero useful sparring. He would be a nightmare.


On the flip side, there was little/no drug testing, so I do believe 25 years ago, they were fitter, stronger and faster than the heavies today.