Is this the worst era in heavyweight history?

[True Guru]

Another thread I read got me thinking,Is it a myth or is it legitimate to say its the worst ever?

Lets take a look at the ratings from a few years in some decades and make your own mind up.



1990's

1992
Title Vacant

1. Rid**** Bowe
2. Lennox Lewis
3. Evander Holyfield
4. Michael Moorer
5. Tony Tucker
6. George Foreman
7. Razor Ruddock
8. Ray Mercer
9. Tommy Morrison
10. Alex Garcia

1995
Title Vacant

1. Rid**** Bowe
2. Lennox Lewis
3. Mike Tyson
4. Michael Moorer
5. Evander Holyfield
6. Bruce Seldon
7. Frank Bruno
8. George Foreman
9. Alexander Zolkin
10. Henry Akinwande

1998
Title Vacant

1. Evander Holyfield
2. Lennox Lewis
3. Michael Grant
4. Michael Moorer
5. Shannon Briggs
6. Chris Byrd
7. Ike Ibeabuchi
8. David Tua
9. Andrew Golota
10. Hasim Rahman

1980's

1983
Larry Holmes, Champion

1. Gerrie Coetzee
2. Greg Page
3. Michael Dokes
4. Pinklon Thomas
5. Tim Witherspoon
6. Mike Weaver
7. David Bey
8. John Tate
9. Trevor Berbick
10. Frank Bruno

1985
Michael Spinks, Champion

1. Pinklon Thomas
2. Larry Holmes
3. Tim Witherspoon
4. Tony Tubbs
5. Greg Page
6. Gerrie Coetzee
7. Trevor Berbick
8. Carl Williams
9. Mike Weaver
10. Michael Dokes

1987
Michael Spinks, Champion

1. Mike Tyson
2. Evander Holyfield
3. Tony Tucker
4. Tim Witherspoon
5. Pinklon Thomas
6. Carl Williams
7. Trevor Berbick
8. Adilson Rodrigues
9. Tyrell Biggs
10. Mike Weaver


1970's

1971
Joe Frazier, Champion

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Jerry Quarry
3. George Foreman
4. Oscar Bonavena
5. Mac Foster
6. Jimmy Ellis
7. Floyd Patterson
8. Jose Luis Garcia
9. Jack Bodell
10. Joe Bugner

1974
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. George Foreman
2. Joe Frazier
3. Ron Lyle
4. Oscar Bonavena
5. Joe Bugner
6. Ken Norton
7. Jerry Quarry
8. Chuck Wepner
9. Henry Clark
10. Larry Middleton

1977
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Ken Norton
2. Jimmy Young
3. Larry Holmes
4. Ron Lyle
5. Duane Bobick
6. Earnie Shavers
7. Kallie Knoetze
8. Alfredo Evangelista
9. Leon Spinks
10. Gerrie Coetzee

1960's


1962
Sonny Liston, Champion

1. Floyd Patterson
2. Cassius Clay
3. Doug Jones
4. Ingemar Johansson
5. Zora Folley
6. Cleveland Williams
7. Robert Cleroux
8. Billy Daniels
9. Archie Moore
10. Henry Cooper

1965
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Ernie Terrell
2. Floyd Patterson
3. George Chuvalo
4. Karl Mildenberger
5. Zora Folley
6. Amos Lincoln
7. Thad Spencer
8. Doug Jones
9. Hubert Hilton
10. Brian London



1968
Muhammad Ali, Champion

1. Joe Frazier
2. Jimmy Ellis
3. Oscar Bonavena
4. George Chuvalo
5. Sonny Liston
6. Jerry Quarry
7. Leotis Martin
8. Manuel Ramos
9. Alvin (Blue) Lewis
10. Floyd Patterson

1950's


1952
Rocky Marciano, Champion

1. Jersey Joe Walcott
2. Rex Layne
3. Ezzard Charles
4. Bob Dunlop
5. Clarence Henry
6. Johnny Williams
7. Roland LaStarza
8. Heinz Neuhaus
9. Karel Sys
10. Jimmy Bivins

1955
Rocky Marciano, Champion

1. Archie Moore
2. Bob Baker
3. Tommy (Hurricane) Jackson
4. John Holman
5. Willie Pastrano
6. Nino Valdes
7. Johnny Summerlin
8. Bob Satterfield
9. Young Jack Johnson
10. Ezzard Charles

1958
Floyd Patterson, Champion

1. Ingemar Johansson
2. Nino Valdes
3. Zora Folley
4. Henry Cooper
5. Willie Pastrano
6. Archie Moore
7. Eddie Machen
8. Brian London
9. Sonny Liston
10. Mike DeJohn

1940's

1943
Joe Louis*, Champion

1. Jimmy Bivins
2. Tami Mauriello
3. Lee Q Murray
4. Curtis Sheppard
5. Gus Dorazio
6. Joe Baksi
7. Joey Maxim
8. Turkey Thompson
9. Lee Savold
10. Buddy Scott


1946
Joe Louis, Champion

1. Tami Mauriello
2. Elmer Ray
3. Jersey Joe Walcott
4. Bruce Wood****
5. Lee Q Murray
6. Curtis Sheppard
7. Melio Bettina
8. Joe Baksi
9. Joe Kahut
10. Joey Maxim

1949
Title Vacant

1. Ezzard Charles
2. Lee Oma
3. Turkey Thompson
4. Jersey Joe Walcott
5. Bruce Wood****
6. Lee Savold
7. Jimmy Bivins
8. Pat Valentino
9. Omelio Agramonte
10. Roland LaStarza


2000's

2003
Lennox Lewis, Champion

1. Vitali Klitschko
2. Chris Byrd
3. Corrie Sanders
4. Roy Jones Jr.
5. James Toney
6. David Tua
7. John Ruiz
8. Wladimir Klitschko
9. Fres Oquendo
10. Mike Tyson

2006
Title Vacant

1. Wladimir Klitschko
2. Oleg Maskaev
3. Samuel Peter
4. James Toney
5. Shannon Briggs
6. Serguei Lyakhovich
7. Lamon Brewster
8. Nikolay Valuev
9. Ruslan Chagaev
10. John Ruiz

2009
Wladimir Klitschko:Champion

1. Vitali Klitschko
2. Alexander Povetkin
3. Eddie Chambers
4. Ruslan Chagaev
5. David Haye
6. Chris Arreola
7. Denis Boytsov
8. Nikolai Valuev
9. Alexander Dimitrenko
10.Tony Thompson

[T.Horton]

very close to it if not the worst.

[Liar]

Rocky Marciano era without a doubt

[Adamantium]

I gave up on heavyweight boxing after Toney Rahman I.

[True Guru]

The late mid to late 90's was pretty crap too

[T.Horton]

You got jokes huh? The mid to late 90's was one of the best eras in heavyweight boxing in my opinion.

[sweetpea87]

I would say yes it is.

[True Guru]

You got jokes huh? The mid to late 90's was one of the best eras in heavyweight boxing in my opinion.

1. Evander Holyfield = shot but great
2. Lennox Lewis = great
3. Michael Grant = Crap
4. Michael Moorer = so so
5. Shannon Briggs = crap
6. Chris Byrd = so so
7. Ike Ibeabuchi = might have been
8. David Tua = did nothing
9. Andrew Golota = crap
10. Hasim Rahman =crap

[dans]

Good thread. Nice snapshot of the history of the HW division. I haven't passed much judgement on the state of the HW division currently, but this is a nice way to look at it.

From looking at this, I would say no, it's not the worst. But I think it's ONE of the worst. I think it's comparable with the 80's and the Marciano era.

[joe strong]

yes it is by far! All of the other generations fought each other,today anyone can get a title shot with a decent win.contenders fought contenders regularily now no one takes risks.protecting the record is priority now