Has Middleweight EVER Been a Strong Division?

[Tony Trick-Pony]

So, everyone says GGG is fighting in a weak middleweight era. Hopkins' best opponents were coming up from smaller classes. So were Hagler's. Does middleweight just usually suck? Or has for the past few decades?

You take welterweight. There are always lots of good solid welterweights out there. You've got Thurman now and before that, well, Mayweather and Pacquaio. Before that, well, Trinidad and DLH. Before that, Starling and Breland. Before that Leonard and Duran. Seems to be more consistency there.

Of course, I don't see how this can be blamed on GGG, Hopkins or Hagler.

[NYG]

Not sure but as long as you're at the top in your division, thats all you need. If GGG never moves up, it shouldnt matter. He's king in the MW division

[Larry the boss]

Great question..but i think it was good in the 60's but still most were moving up to get there..so you have a damn good point..Seems like 160 has one top dog and alot of fighters moving up to beat him

[Eastcoast]

MW's looking pretty strong right now. Jacobs showed his worth, Lemieux looked great last week, Canelo & Charlo are both there now, and Eubank is also. Decent contenders like N'Dam, Derevyanchenko, Lee, Korobov. Strongest it's been in decades.

[goblin213]

early 90's

Toney, Jones Jr, McCallum, Eubank, Benn, Nunn, Watson, Kalambay, R Johnson, Collins, Graham, etc

[NYG]

Is it me or is Andy Lee underrated as a MW fighter? Nobody seems to mention him when talking about good MW fighters until now. Canelo-Lee would be a nice fight to have Canelo settle into the weight before GGG, or Lemieux

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Great question..but i think it was good in the 60's but still most were moving up to get there..so you have a damn good point..Seems like 160 has one top dog and alot of fighters moving up to beat him

Yeah, man. I think you really have to go back to the 1960s. I know Robinson's era was pretty strong with LaMotta, Graziano, Basilio, Fullmer and Bobo Olson. Been a while though.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Is it me or is Andy Lee underrated as a MW fighter? Nobody seems to mention him when talking about good MW fighters until now. Canelo-Lee would be a nice fight to have Canelo settle into the weight before GGG, or Lemieux

Oh I'm a Lee fan. Would love to see him fight Canelo.

[-PBP-]

I think the creation of the JMW division in 1962 and the SMW division in the mid 1980s combined with 4 world title belts took a lot of talent away from the division.

But if you think about it, every division is too heavy with one or 2 great fighters. I just think the MW division gets picked on because you have a p4p caliber fighter with no true rival of equal talent.

[NYG]

Oh I'm a Lee fan. Would love to see him fight Canelo.

You got Canelo or Lee winning? Lee is 6'2, he would tower above Canelo, wonder if it would cause trouble for Canelo.