What's Your Take, On The 1980 s Heavyweights?

The 1980s had some great competitors but it only really became competitive from 1990.

 

Arguably some of the most talented Heavyweights in any era but all of them had their own demons which stopped them reaching their full potential.

 

There's usually a feeling of flux when one great's era ends (Holmes). There's a bit of parity going on there, and while it seems competitive and fun on paper, boxing fans abhor a vacuum. Boxing is never as popular as when a compelling, potentially great heavyweight is on the scene. And the truth was, they were all about as good as each other. We remember them more fondly for that now. At the time they were lambasted in the press for not being as great as some were imagined to be.

 

I agree. They were every bit as good as the contenders of the 60s and 70s, but they just couldn't pull it together consistently enough.

 

Yep. Page, Tubbs, Witherspoon, Thomas, Dokes, and Tucker immediately spring to mind as far as that goes. IIRC, Jack Newfield's book blamed at least a portion of this on strained business relationships between King some of these fighters.

 

Tyson and Holmes...the more I watch the fights from that era it seems like those two were really the only champs and dominators.

 

The 80s was a decent boxing era but suffers of "comparison sydrome". After all the 70s drama and greatness, the 80s seems kinda dull and pale by contrast. Holmes is not Ali. There is nothing close to a FOTC, a ROTJ or a Thrilla in the 80s.

Add to the mix:
- The Alphabet Soup, allowing some mediocrity to rise and shine.
- Holmes and Tyson being so dominant actually substracted emotion, because everybody else became esentially just a "never was".
- Drugs, HIV, etc. taking their toll.
- Don King running amok with his shenaningangs.

Considering all those factors it is no wonder the 80s are considered second banana, and rightly so.

 

Fat...drug addicted...underachieving, and headed up by a guy in Holmes who didn't fight the best. Despite some talent, arguably the worst era after maybe the early 30s, or immediate post-Lewis.

 

The 80s had the misfortune of falling between the golden era of the 70s and the silver era of the 90s.
If it wasn't like that, I believe that boxing fans would perceive the 80s era differently.

 

I’d have to disagree. I rate the 80’s very, very low historically. I don’t award points for talent or potential, only results, & virtually the entire field falls short here. Even Tyson only managed to avoid a similar fate by sole virtue of the fact he started his career mid-way through the decade.

 

It was better than the 50's, better than the post Zaire 70's, better than the 20's.

 

I don't agree that it was better than the 50s.

 

The 50's were hot garbage. Geriatrics, blown up light-heavies, just an appalling lack of talent.