As in, what is your choice for the strongest division that ever existed in boxing at one particular time? Let’s say a 10 year span. You can go with a particular decade or split them if you please. For me it’s gotta be the Lightweight division during the 1910s. So many great fighters either made their home there or passed through and so many great fights were made. The whole “the best used to fight the best” cliche, that gets so overused now, was never more true. The strongest case to be made for it being number one is the depth. These guys didn’t need to fight the same opponents over and over and over to build up their resumes, because the next opponent was potentially just as good or better. Some divisions in some eras may have been more top heavy, but none ever had that mix of quality and sheer quantity. The main negative was obviously the state of boxing itself. Newspaper decisions and 4, 6, or 8 round distances lessened the significance of many a great fight. Anyways, not all of the following were career Lightweights. However, all of these guys made their mark in the division during this time, whether on the way out or just coming in, growing into it or growing out of it. If you’re unfamiliar with any of them, I suggest you get acquainted. Lots of hidden gems. Benny Leonard Packey McFarland Jack Britton Ted Kid Lewis Johnny Dundee Freddie Welsh Abe Attell Johnny Kilbane Lew Tendler Rocky Kansas Lockport Jimmy Duffy Charley White Owen Moran Willie Ritchie Harlem Tommy Murphy Ritchie Mitchell Johnny Griffiths Frankie Schoell Joe Mandot Leach Cross Patsy Cline Young Erne Joe Shugrue Bryan Downey Frankie Britt Benny Valger Philadelphia Pal Moore Matt Wells Battling Nelson Ad Wolgast Young Ahearn Matty Baldwin Johnny Tillman Mel Coogan Pal Moran George KO Chaney Knockout Brown Frankie Callahan Leo Johnson Ray Bronson Mexican Joe Rivers Ever Hammer Joe Welling Joe Thiel Tommy Langdon Preston Brown Joe Azevedo Pal Brown Yankee Schwartz Tommy O’Keefe I’ll just call it there for now. 50 deep.
That’s a hard list to top. How about the welterweight division of the 1980s ? - Ray Leonard - Thomas Hearns - Carlos Palamino - Wilfred Benitez - Marlon Starling - Mark Breland - Simon Brown - Lloyd Honeyghan - Donald Curry - Milton McCrory - Yun Gil Cheung - Pipino Cuevas - Thomas Molinares - Roberto Duran - Tommy Ayers - Maurice Blocker - Juan M Coggi Definitely a bunch of other contenders but I can’t list them all at the top of my head.
The Heavyweights that fought in the 90s list was crazy big. Obviously some of these guys best work came before or afterwards, most if not all names at least had a fight for the an alaphabet belt in that decade Lennox Lewis Riddick Bowe Mike Tyson Evander Holyfield George Foreman Larry Holmes Vitali Klitshcko Wladimir Klitschko Tim Witherspoon Michael Moorer Hasim Rahman John Ruiz James Douglas Ike Ibeabuchi Chris Byrd David Tua Andrew Golotta Tommy Morrison Frank Bruno Ray Mercer Razor Ruddock Bert Cooper Oliver McCall Shannon Briggs Corrie Sanders Henry Akinwande Herbie Hide Frans Botha Brian Nielsen Tyrell Biggs James Smith James Tillis Carl Williams Larry Donald Bruce Seldon Michael Grant Lou Savarsse Alex Stewart Axel Schulz There’s also a ton of 80s guys that fought in the 90s that I left out due to their lack of significant bouts. I’m sure I’m probably missing a few more as well, but that’s the best I could off the top of my head
If you go 75 thru 85 the light heavyweights were monsters. Conteh Galindez Burnett Lopez Mustafa Muhammad Saad Muhammad James Scott Marvin Johnson Muhammad Qwai Michael Spinks insane crew.
Light heavyweights 1950s Archie Moore Floyd Patterson Jimmy Bivins Harold Johnson Joey Maxim Bob Satterfield Jimmy Slade Harry Matthews Don Cockell Dan Bucceroni Danny Nardico Doc Williams Jake Lamotta Marty Marshall Oakland Billy Smith Yolande Pompei Yvon Durrell Michael Holt Lloyd Marshall
Besides the 90's the 70's Heavyweight: Ali Foreman Frazier Holmes Norton Weaver Bonavena Lyle Shavers Chuvalo Patterson Young Mac Foster Bugner Coetzee Tate Leon Spinks +Page, Dokes, Berbick, Cooney, Witherspoon, Tillis started their careers in the mid - late 70's
Ike Williams' LW era and Charles' LHW era for me. 40s was one stacked ass era. The 1910s MWs were brilliant too.
Here's the most underachieving .. the 1980s ... more talent wasted than any other era Michael Dokes Tim Witherspoon Pinklon Thomas Greg Page John Tate Tony Tubbs Carl Williams James Broad
1989- 1994 160 pounders... All these guys were factors in that 5 year period. It's not just depth, it's quality of this depth... James Toney Roy Jones, Jr. Gerald McClellan Julian Jackson Stevie Collins Reggie Johnson Mike McCallum Sumbu Kalambay Michael Nunn Bernard Hopkins Lamar Parks John David Jackson Thomas Tate Roberto Duran Chris Eubank Mike Watson Herol Graham Nigel Benn Iran Barkley Quincy Taylor Jorge Castro
I was always partial to the late 50s-early 60s lightweight class as far as the talent that was going in and out of the 135 division. So, for a 10 year period I had a look at the lightweights from '56-'65. Here are the fighters in contention for the crown: World champs - Joe Brown, Carlos Ortiz, Duilio Loi, Carlos Hernandez, Bud Smith, Nicolino Loche, Sugar Ramos, Flash Elorde, Eddie Perkins and Ismael Laguna Top contenders - Kenny Lane, Orlando Zulueta, Baby Vasquez, Doug Vaillant, Bunny Grant, Dave Charnley, Alfredo Urbina, Paolo Rosi, Len Matthews, Paul Armstead and Battling Torres. In a word; Wow!