What is an era?

Actually this is a very good question and era is tossed around alot on esb much like shot, robbery, bum, washed up, and many more. To me eras are any point in time that can be measured. To stay on topic the Lewis era I would call his title reign when he rewon the WBC title on the way to his dominance and unifing with Evander and beating Tyson and Vitali

 

It's as fluid and subjective a term as p4p. Neither should be viewed as anything other than the colorfully poetic language they are. They are not tools of objective and practical discourse.

 

Well put, p4p is very subjective nobodys list is the same

 

"The best of his era, p4p" is a horrible way to start a sentence in a serious discussion. It can't get much worse.

 

Interesting question. I wouldn't say there's one fixed definition, but here's how I see it. I think it isn't fixed for all divisions, but varies from one division to another, and mainly refers to a period of time where the belts were with the same fighter, or within a certain group of fighters, or maybe another way to see it is when a division had a group of recognised big fighters.

On a bigger scale, to cover all divisions, it would cover the span of outstanding fighters of the time.

Currently, PBF and Pacquiao are the outstanding fighters, so their collective prime would cover an era. Previously, RJJ was an outstanding fighter. Before him you had guys like JCC and Sweet Pea, and in the 80's it was all about the big 4.

 

Most casual fans go by heavyweights. So right now to the ignorant majority, it's the Wlad era, which was preceded by the Lennox, and what we know as the "Big 4" era covered both the tail end of Larry and the rise of Mike.

 

That was a very deep comment IB. Very colorful and poetic may i add. 100% true also .

 

You guys makes it sound metaphysical lol when it is simply a focal concept. The current greatest fighter(or fighters) defines an era. We had the fab four era. And now we have the Mayweather-Pacquiao era.

 

Earned Run Average

 

Not for the people who follow the sport at all levels, regardless of who the flavor of the decade is. It's the Mayweather-Pacquiao era for people who are diehard fans (or haters) of either Mayweather or Pacquiao...or who pretty much only watch HBO.

The last ten years, for me at least, are not defined by anything either one of those men did. Plenty of other things that were far more memorable than both their careers combined stand out about the past decade.

 

I have to disagree with you on that. Take it on a broader context, not just on the hardcore fan. Currently, who have better careers and mainstream following than the two? I think being #1 and #2 pound for pound is good enough criteria to define an era.

 

great thread.