1980s - hardest era to 'make it'?

Based on [url]this[/url] interview with Chris Eubank, in which he details a difficult rise in the 80s, I wandered if this was the era most difficult to reach the top in? Were managers and promoters always holding out for only the very best and most obvious apparent champions, and was this the era that contained the most crowded inner-city boxing gyms in both US and even UK... it seemed like a never-ending conveyor-belt of talented contenders in most divisions back then. The Ali-inspired generation?

Especially Middleweight. Looking back at footage of up-and-comers ripping through the ranks trying to get noticed (at a time when Hagler, the only champ, was fighting once a year) like Don Lee, Lindell Holmes, Michael Olajide, Michael Watson, Kinchen, Tinley etc it appears they were all more talented and dangerous than the current MW King and would absolutely annihilate today's top-10/20 in horrific mismatches - and they never even 'made it'.

 

Did the likes of Barkley, Benn, Toney etc get lucky breaks?

 

People tell me Marvis Frazier was more talented than mega-rich David Haye, and look at one-year novices he had to fight (Tyson)..

 

Its a good point, by Atberry, i think for Mws that probably was the hardest era to make it.

I think the 80s as a whole was the hardest to make it in.
you had Tyson had heavyweight, Holyfield at Cruiserweight, Spinks at LHW, Hagler at MW, Hearns/Duran/Leonard at WW. All of those guys are bonafide ATGs.

But with one dominant champion, the advantage you have is, they normally clean out all the garbage.

 

Marvis had so much talent - so much Heart - but no jaw for absorbing heavyweight punches. Haye´s got the talent - great at cruiserweight but still needs to prove himself at heavyweight -

 

Your 'real heavyweights' argument is getting boring, retared and repetitive. Do everyone a favour and go away.... And take Shawn Kemp with you :good

:hi:

 

The hardest era to make it in is not necessarily the one with the best talent around.

The political structure that you have to navigate can be more important.

 

Hasn't Shawn Kemp already left?:huh [That's a name I haven't seen a post by in weeks.]

 

Not sure, but Tommo needs to join him soon :huh

 

True, its about who you know and people pulling a few strings for you.

 

Hmm, I think it was pretty tough to 'make it' as a black middleweight in the 1940s.

 

I think that whole welter to mw in the 80s was tough as hell.

 

I think only the 1940s can compare to the 1980s in fighter depth.

Also, it seems like you are deliberately ignoring a lot of great lighter guys who were also bona fide all-time greats. Just off the top of my head:

Sanchez, Arguello, Nelson, Chang, Gomez, Pedroza, and I am sure I am missing a lot more. And at higher weights, Benitez is also incontrovertibly an all-time great.