Why the 90s aren't the golden HW era?

TBF, you could have also gone up to a 10-year-old girl before Mike fought Lou Savarese and asked the same question and gotten the same answer. Or when Mike was in prison after losing to Buster.

 

True.
I feel like Tyson was the last ATG who was widely known outside the inmediate boxing world.

But the 70s were absolutely another level in terms of boxing awareness.

Public TV surged as a massive media phenomenon connecting people worldwide, regardless nationality, race, religion, etc.
And boxing was at the cutting edge of the global cultural wave.

When was the last time a big boxing match made the front page of a regular newspaper?
When was the last time the outcome of a fight would open the TV news?
When was the last time there was a nationwide surge in the electricity grid because all the TV sets were on for a figth?

Months/weeks in advance of a big fight every kid in the schoolyard would be discussing if Ali could survive Foreman, and I mean 8yrs old kids. Sure, Junior boxing gloves were the hot item during the Christmas season.

Allas, those times are gone forever.

 

Interesting debate so far.

Every and any era of boxing had its ups and downs, but in my opinion, the 70s was better.

Unfortunately the 90s had several troubling issues. Actually, many of those issues also affected boxing in previous decades, but I feel like things got way worse during the 90s.

1) PEDs. One of the two best HWs during he 90s is nicknamed "Holyroid" .... and let's not forget the blatant headbutting.
2) Tyson: The other best HW is no doubt an ATG, but there are many asterisks in his legacy: a brief prime, legal issues and jail term, cannibalism, didn't avenge his defeat to Douglas, several victories versus subpar competition, became a gravy train, etc.
3) Alphabet soup and multiplication of weight categories.
4) Don King: his greasy hands were everywhere. Good for Lewis, Douglas and whoever else refused to deal with that leecher.
5) Drugs: the crack pandemia took down several promising careers.

Last but not least:
6) Boxing becoming a niche sport for hardcore fans thanks to Cable and PPV.
7) MMA was developing as a "cooler" alternative for the younger fans.

 

90s:

Lewis
Bowe
Holy
Prime Morrison
Ike ( too short career)
Tua
Mercer
Tyson? Absolutely not. Tailor made bouts.

70s

Ali
Foreman
Shavers
Holmes
Lyle
Williams
Norton
Frazier
Tex Cobb
Chuvalo
Leon Spinks (why not?)
Weaver
Quarry
Bonavena

 

You're right but I didnt miss Holy. I missed Old Foreman as I missed Tate in the seventies . But only these. To me Moorer has always been a bit overrated imo.

 

You meant cannabis as a Tyson issue…right?