Rank The 5 Top Heavyweight s From The Last Great Era In Heavyweight boxing?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Fergy, Aug 5, 2022.



  1. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I would agree for the most part. Like I said, my list was based on accomplishments in the 90's not necessarily head to head. I think MM slightly edges Tyson mainly off of the Holyfied win.
     
  2. FastLeft

    FastLeft Well-Known Member Full Member

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    is a view . i has slightly other perspective: remember the WBA & IBF & WBC held with at one same time by Bruce Seldon & Franc Botha & Frank Bruno/ with 46 old Foreman lineal champ. also version holders of main belts & WBO also include Moorer, McCall, Morrison, Bentt, Herbie Hide, Akinwande, . they is of the mediocre levels boxer. & of the bigger names Tyson& Holyfield prime more in late 80S and early 90S. Bowe is done by 1996 & only did fights with Holyfield. Douglas is gone by 1st year of decade LOL.
     
  3. populistpugilist

    populistpugilist New Member Full Member

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    I also am not good at lists because I struggle to settle on criteria. Just going on head-to-head, best-vs-best (in the 90s):
    1. Lennox Lewis
    2. Riddick Bowe
    3. Evander Holyfield
    4. Mike Tyson
    5. Tough call.

    It's tempting to drop Tyson lower because I'm still mad at him for all his dipsh**tery and a***olery post 1988, but I can't deny he was still incredibly dangerous in the 90s. It's also tempting to rank Foreman and Holmes highly because of the sweep of their careers and what they were able to accomplish at their ages in the 90s, but no amount of nostalgia and admiration gets me to the point of seeing them breaking into the top four H2H.

    Below the top four, the likes of Mercer, Morrison, Moorer, Foreman are always hard for me to evaluate because of their uneven performances against each other and common opponents. I similarly struggle evaluating Holmes because his best win was over Mercer, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So I lump them together under "tough call."

    Hence, I suck at lists.
     
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  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Who is to say that we are not in a great era of heavyweight boxing now?
     
  5. ikrasevic

    ikrasevic For the honorable cross and the golden freedom Full Member

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    The 70s are the golden era, and the 90s (or 80s; depending on your choice) are the silver era.
     
  6. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    1.) Lewis
    2.) Holyfield
    3.) Bowe
    4.) Tyson
    5.) Foreman
    6.) Moorer
    7.) Ibeabuchi
    8.) Bruno
    9.) McCall
    10.) Holmes

    Mercer, Morrison, Tua could all make the list but weighing everyone's best wins and losses and I had to place Bruno in there with wins over McCall, Coetzer, Truth Williams with losses only to Tyson and Lewis. Maybe he's too high, I dunno...
     
  7. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    I like your list and agree with it. I’m actually wondering if foreman should rate higher in the 90s though. Not a big deal however
     
  8. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    The 80s arguably had more talented guys overall, the problem was there was very small window when they showed it. So they all just got lumped together in one big pile of forgotten belt holders.

    The 90s also had more memorable exciting fights overall aswell, and more of the top guys fighting eachother which made it more memorable.

    Remember in Holmes's era quite a few tasty match ups were missed out on. And then Tyson basically cleaned up the leftovers from Holmes's era. There wasn't really many major super fights for Heavyweights in 80s, apart from Holmes/Cooney, Tyson/Spinks.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2022
  9. Levook

    Levook Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I am to say it, we're not in a great era of heavyweight boxing now.

    As far as lists go, I'm not very good at them, but I'll give it a go:

    1. Holyfield
    2. Lewis
    3. Bowe
    4. Tyson
    5. Foreman
     
  10. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    There's no way you can place Foreman above Tyson. I don't see it. One win over Moorer, the struggle with Stewart, beating Cooney, Coetzer and Rodrigues over Tyson mauling Stewart, beating Ruddock twice, Bruno, Seldon and Botha? Hmmm, not for me.

    Despite Tyson being in prison for 3 years and suspended for another year, he still ranks higher than Foreman for me.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2022
  11. DS Phil Hunter

    DS Phil Hunter Active Member Full Member

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    I'd like to see Chris Byrd mentioned and sneak onto this list considering he was unbeaten until losing to Ike Ibeaubuchi in 1999.

    if we are going to rank strictly from 1990-1999

    Tyson was undefeated and unified champion at the beginning of 1990 so he could be considered no 1 by some and Lennox Lewis was undisputed by 1999. Michael Moorer , Riddick Bowe and George Foreman are great but kind of flash in the pans the same with the other one belt boxers like Shannon Briggs , Oliver McCall , Tommy Morrison and Frank Bruno etc. Trying to be as objective as possible this is how I would rank it.

    1) Lennox Lewis (for overall resume and undisputed status in 1999)

    2) Evander Holyfield (beats Buster Douglas late 1990 makes 3 defences loses to Riddick Bowe and wins back WBA and IBF versions of the title)

    3) Mike Tyson (is undefeated at the start of 1990 before being beaten by Douglas and he later wins the WBA and WBC versions of the title)

    4) George Foreman (epic comeback he has a great run from 1990-1997 winning the IBF , Lineal and WBU titles considering his age he remains competitive.)

    5 ) Riddick Bowe (starts strong early 1990 beats Evander Holyfield for overall titles in 1992 makes two defences and then loses to Holyfield the second time in 1993 and then wins WBO title in 1995 beating Herbie Hide.)
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2022
  12. Smokin Bert

    Smokin Bert Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I agree that, on paper, the Holyfield win looks good. But, that was just about the worst version of Evander during his prime. I bet on Moorer to beat Evander and won big. But, after seeing how he barely squeaked past an Evander with (likely steroid-induced) cardiac problems, I bet that he would lose to the next man he fought. That man turned out to be big George. But, quite frankly, Moorer might not have even beaten an in shape Tommy Morrison. An in shape Ray Mercer would have murdered him.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2022
  13. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Fair argument but I respectfully disagree. Tyson’s record in the 90s Was 9-3. Foreman’s was 12-3. Tyson was stopped by Buster Douglas and an aged Holyfield and was disgracefully DQ’d in the rematch. Foreman took a peak holy the distance and lost decisions to Morrison and Briggs ( one of those controversially. ) Foreman’s win over a 35-0 linear Moorer to become the oldest heavyweight champ in history eclipses Tyson’s wins over Ruddock or anyone else he beat in the 90s. And some of those wins include Henry Tillman, Peter Mcneely and Bruce Seldon who fell without being hit. I don’t see a strong case for Tyson ranking higher than foreman in the 90s and even if there’s an argument for putting him there it’s marginal at best.
     
  14. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Agreed. I never thought that Tyson ranked very highly in the 90s at all. When you break it down his record for the decade was 9-3 ( discounting any no contests he had. ) The three losses he had were less than flattering. And the quality of wins were thin.
     
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  15. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I don't know. I do agree that he didn't always fight to the best of his abilities so it is difficult to play the what if game with Moorer but he did have some pretty solid wins outside of the Holyfield one. Stewart, Schulz, Botha and the late Bert Cooper were all solid heavyweights. I would venture to say that not a lot of men would have fought through what he did with Bert Cooper and come out on top. Even his loss to Holyfield he showed a champions heart.

    I always find it interesting that he doesn't get credit for beating Holyfield fair and square yet folks always knock him for getting caught by Foreman as if getting knocked out by arguablythe hardest puncher in boxing history is a bad thing? I guess I am in the minority since he still isn't in the hall of fame and likely never will be but out of the few former Light-Heavyweights that won the heavyweight title, I think he is far and away the most underated. Of course Tunney gets all praise but he avoided black fighters and wasn't beating the size men that Moorer beat. Spinks beat a legendary Larry Holmes and a shell of Gerry Cooney. Roy Jones? Naw man, one win over John Ruiz just doesn't do it for me. Moorer was the real deal that fought some legit heavyweights.
     
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