To my mind the two top eras in the light-heavyweight division's history. But which was greater? Or do you consider another time period to be the equal of these two?
For me it goes 40/50s > 10/20s > 70/80s These are clearly the top 3 tho imo, with great talent coming out of all 3. The clear top dogs of the division came out of these eras, with Charles, Tunney, Moore and Spinks.
I'm having a look at some other deep eras for LHWs, since 2000 it's been consistently very good. Rosenbloom also had a very deep era. If you want to have a look at a great fighter, not really so much have a great era but an excellent fighter, I'd say Philadelphia Jack O'Brian. I'm hoping to create a thread/article on the light heavyweight lineage.
Quite easily the 70's/early 80's. Champions such as; Mike Rossman Dwight Muhammad Qawi Eddie Mustafa Muhammad Matthew Saad Muhammad Victor Galindez Mate Parlov John Conteh Marvin Johnson Spinks Contenders such as; Pierre Fouire Richie Kates Jesse Burnett Yaqui Lopez James Scott (Rahway Prisoner) Davies Brothers (Eddie and Johnny Davis) Jerry Martin Murray Sutherland 175lbs golden age. Contrasting styles between action fighters, couterpunchers (Galindez), Jab masters (Conteh), etc.. They also fought against each other.
I have to go with the late 70s/early 80s division. So stacked. And I’m probably biased because I watched it all unfold, but there’s never been a deeper top 10 in my lifetime than around 79-80 ish.
1914-1930 was the greatest era of light-heavyweight action. Not only those who were world chams but contenders and American and European champs. Greb, Tunney, etc. From Dillon the giant killer to Rosenpoop the sleep inducer, there has never been a greater collection of great fighters.
Whilst it was an unbelievable division, it's not easily better than 40/50s LHW era, nothing is. Does it compare to a list like this? Champs like: Archie Moore Joey Maxim Harold Johnson Gus Lesnevich Willie Pastrano Freddie Mills Contenders like: Ezzard Charles Lloyd Marshall Jimmy Bivins Bob Satterfield Oakland Billy Smith Curtis Sheppard Alabama Kid Bob Murphy Ken Overlin Bert Lytell With 4 ATGs imo at the weight in Marshal, Charles, Moore and Bivins, with Maxim and Johnson also having a good case for it too. And on top of that there's guys like Jersey Joe Walcott, Charlie Burley, Randolph Turpin, Floyd Patterson and Jake LaMotta also competed here, without making a career of it. Not imo, tbh I think it's in the conversation of best era of all time pfp.
