Nineties heavyweights

[Stevie G]

Just a thought. A mixed bunch,were n't they ?


Lennox Lewis gets knocked out by a moderate fighter,Oliver McCall. McCall then gets taken to the verge of defeat by an ancient Larry Holmes. Michael Moorer gets sparked by an even more ancient George Foreman.

Could you envisage something like that happening in the seventies,for example ? Ancient versions of Foreman and Holmes even being competitive with,let alone winning,against their younger selves or Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier ?

[Seamus]

One of the stronger eras, if not the strongest, in the history of the division. Too many belts, but great excellence and depth from end to end.

[mr. magoo]

Originally Posted by Stevie G

Just a thought. A mixed bunch,were n't they ?


Lennox Lewis gets knocked out by a moderate fighter,Oliver McCall. McCall then gets taken to the verge of defeat by an ancient Larry Holmes. Michael Moorer gets sparked by an even more ancient George Foreman.

Could you envisage something like that happening in the seventies,for example ? Ancient versions of Foreman and Holmes even being competitive with,let alone winning,against their younger selves or Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier ?

I still think that 40 year old versions of Holmes and Foreman could have done well in the 70's, and an old George might still have beaten peak forms of Norton and Frazier. Old Holmes outboxes the Mercer and McCall comparables of the 70's. And neither Frazier nor Norton fair well in the 90's as it was an era loaded with large men who were big punchers.

[lufcrazy]

In terms of skill it's second only to the 70's.

In terms of guys facing each other at the top level it's still up there.

One of the best decades in hw history.

[The Wanderer]

Originally Posted by Stevie G

Could you envisage something like that happening in the seventies,for example ? Ancient versions of Foreman and Holmes even being competitive with,let alone winning,against their younger selves or Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier ?

You match them up against the right fighters, like old Holmes against, say, Quarry or maybe Bugner, for example, and I can absolutely see that happening.

[Nightcrawler]

Originally Posted by lufcrazy

In terms of skill it's second only to the 70's.

In terms of guys facing each other at the top level it's still up there.

One of the best decades in hw history.

Agreed. puts many other eras to shame in both regards.

[MagnaNasakki]

It was sure fun to be a part of.

[Boilermaker]

Originally Posted by lufcrazy

In terms of skill it's second only to the 70's.

In terms of guys facing each other at the top level it's still up there.

One of the best decades in hw history.

I cant see the decade being ranked that highly in skill. Head to head aabilitiy maybe but not skill. Lewis, Holyfield, Tyson and bowe were great fighters but look at some of the other decades. With guys like Morre, Charles, Walcott, Bivins, conn, Tunney, Langford, Gibbons, Walker, etc. Most of those guys are far more skilful than the 90s big 4. Not to mention some of the lesser 90s contenders like Foreman, Ruddock, Mercer, etc. Actually, when you think that George foreman was probably one of the most skilled fighters of the decade, it is extremely hard to believe that this was the second best decade in history.

If course head to head might be a different story.

[Nightcrawler]

Originally Posted by Boilermaker

I cant see the decade being ranked that highly in skill. Head to head aabilitiy maybe but not skill. Lewis, Holyfield, Tyson and bowe were great fighters but look at some of the other decades. With guys like Morre, Charles, Walcott, Bivins, conn, Tunney, Langford, Gibbons, Walker, etc. Most of those guys are far more skilful than the 90s big 4. Not to mention some of the lesser 90s contenders like Foreman, Ruddock, Mercer, etc. Actually, when you think that George foreman was probably one of the most skilled fighters of the decade, it is extremely hard to believe that this was the second best decade in history.

If course head to head might be a different story.

I see your point but many of the highly skilled fighters you listed from other eras were blown up middles (or just middles) who competed at the weight class. Bowe showed a lot of skill for a guy his size but i see your point about superior h2h vs pure skill set

[devon]

Originally Posted by lufcrazy

In terms of guys facing each other at the top level it's still up there.

No None of the Top 3 fought each other close to their primes.

[MagnaNasakki]

More to a whole era than the top three, bud.


We were mixing it up all over the place. Great fights, well made matches. Only era I wish I would have been a part of more is the 70's. I consider myself so fortunate to have been in boxing around the same time as these guys.

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by lufcrazy

In terms of skill it's second only to the 70's.

In terms of guys facing each other at the top level it's still up there.

One of the best decades in hw history.

The 70's were only really good from 70-75.

The 90's were good end to end.

[brnxhands]

you fought some of the 90's guys?

Originally Posted by MagnaNasakki

More to a whole era than the top three, bud.


We were mixing it up all over the place. Great fights, well made matches. Only era I wish I would have been a part of more is the 70's. I consider myself so fortunate to have been in boxing around the same time as these guys.

[devon]

Also in terms of skill it doesn't come close close to the 70's which had almost half of the top 10 heavyweights Ali,Frazier,Foreman,Holmes and arguably 4 out of the top 5

[MagnaNasakki]

Originally Posted by brnxhands

you fought some of the 90's guys?

A handful, yeah.

Wouldn't consider myself one of the best of that bunch, but I will say I did alright.