In this thread we are focusing on the absolute peak of the best fighters across many division. When was the prime of the following fighters? You can name the year or even a specific fight. My list goes like this: Joe Louis - Billy Conn I (1941) Larry Holmes - Gerry Cooney (1982) Evander Holyfield - Riddick Bowe I (1992) Ezzard Charles - Archie Moore III (1948) George Foreman - Joe Frazier I (1973) Archie Moore - Cant decide maybe 1949? Jack Johnson - James J. Jeffries (1910) Roberto Duran - Esteban De Jesus III (1978) Benny Leonard - Dont Know. Wladimir Klitschko - Ruslan Chagaev (2009) Vitali Klitschko - Lennox Lewis (2003) Lennox Lewis - Andrew Golota (1997) Sonny Liston - Zora Folley (1960) Sugar Ray Robinson - Kid Gavilan (1949) Sugar Ray Leonard - Thomas Hearns I (1981) Pernell Whitaker - Julio Cesar Chavez (1993) When do you think was the prime of these fighters?
I think Holmes prime was a little earlier than Cooney. And Whitaker was definitely not prime when he fought Chavez at welterweight in 1993. Still excellent performances by those men though.
Interesting. A prime Heavy Holy is difficult to pinpoint for me. You could make arguments for Foreman, Douglas, Bowe I, or Bowe II. Very difficult to narrow it down.
Totally agree with your assessment, I know many will include Mike Tyson as 1988, Muhammad Ali's was 1967.
Archie Moore’s prime was 52-54. Best streak of his career with multiple wins over Johnson, Maxim, Nino, Baker etc
Holyfield's had 2 peaks one of them was anywhere between the first Tyson fight and the 1st Lewis fight and the other was from when he beat Douglas to when he lost to Bowe the 1st time Holyfield had 2 peaks, one was from when he beat Tyson up until the Lewis fights and the other was from when he beat Douglas up until he lost to Bowe the 1st time
