Was the ring mag annual 1999 P4P ratings the best top 10 P4P in the history of the sport

March 1980
Matthew Saad Muhammad, Champion

1. Marvin Johnson
2. James Scott
3. John Conteh
4. Victor Emilio Galindez
5. Yaqui Lopez
6. Eddie Gregory
7. Lotte Mwale
8. Mustafa Wasajja
9. Mike Rossman
10. Rudi Koopmans Muhammad would have been the only one out of these that could crack a top 10 P4P list.

 

March 1979

1. Mike Rossman
2. Matthew Franklin
3. John Conteh
4. Yaqui Lopez
5. Marvin Johnson
6. Mate Parlov
7. Victor Emilio Galindez
8. James Scott
9. Vonzell Johnson
10. Bobby Cassidy Not a great list.

 

98...

1. Oscar De La Hoya
2. Roy Jones Jr.
3. Evander Holyfield
4. Felix Trinidad
5. Mark Johnson
6. Shane Mosley
7. Ricardo Lopez
8. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
9. Naseem Hamed
10. Johnny Tapia

He was 6 in 2000.

 

Not quite as good as the 40s.

 

Not quite as good as I remember it, to be fair, as @mark ant has correctly pointed out.

 

You have literally taken me literally.

You're right, though.

 

I didn’t make the list, Mark. It’s great looking at everything with the benefit of hindsight but the fact remains that Tyson was still regarded as the best P4P fighter in the world until he lost to Buster Douglas in 1990. Looking back it’s interesting to note that I think he may well have been the last heavyweight boxer to be the consensus choice as the best P4P in the world. That was over 30 years now and I wonder how long it’s going to be before a heavyweight gets that recognition again?

 

1982 would like someone to hold its beer -

Champions -

Larry Holmes
Michael Spinks/Dwight Braxton
Marvin Hagler
Wilfredo Benitez/Thomas Hearns (early then late year)
Sugar Ray Leonard
Aaron Pryor
Alexis Arguello
Salvador Sanchez/Eusebio Pedroza
Wilfredo Gomez
Jeff Chandler/Lupe Pintor

There's 14 fighters. Have a ****ing look at that lot. A heavyweight that makes many top 5's. Spinks a top 5 light heavy. Hagler easily a top 5 Middleweight. Benitez a top 5 Junior Welter, Hearns perhaps number 1 and a top 10 Welter. SRL usually found around #2 at 147. Pryor often rated tops at 140. Arguello a high ranking lightweight and P4P stud. Sanchez and Pedroza top 10 Feathers. Gomez numero uno at 122. Chandler and Pintor around the top 10 fringe at 118.

On top of this we had Duran in a lull but with some big wins still ahead of him. Saad had only just been knocked out of the 10.

That lot is pure insanity.

 

Well, you have the mid 40s.

Louis > Holmes
Charles/Moore > Spinks/Qawi
The BMR > Hearns/Benitez
Robinson > Leonard
Williams' era > Pryor/Arguello
Pep/Saddler > Pedroza/Sanchez
Ortiz's era > Chandler/Pintor/Gomez
Peterson/Kane = Chitalada/Chang

There's obviously more divisions in the 80s so I tried to group a few together.

And even in the divisions where there wasn't one superior fighter, the divisions were still much better. Middleweight, for example.

 

Mine is a snapshot in a single year. You could narrow it down to a snapshot of a single day in early 82. Holmes was pretty much peak, Spinks, Hagler, SRL and plenty of the others were also around the top of their game.

It's pretty strong.

 

The mid 1930s would have had an absolutely top p4p list as well.

 

Alright, 1946.

 

List your 10 and where they were in relation to their peak period.

 

Bit demanding.

 

Fair enough, but Naz was never near Floyd`s level of ability despite Floyd being pretty green at that stage.