A look back twelve and a half years - Boxing news.

Going back to Spring 1997, I purchased a copy of boxing news that came with a softback book "British & World Top Ten - Spring 1997".
A quick look through gives:

Herbie Hide at number 3 in the UK at heavyweight.
Ryan Rhodes at number 1 UK and British Champion at light middleweight.
Jon Thaxton at number 3 in the UK light welterweight.

The Worlds top men were as follows:-

Evander Holyfield.
Nate Miller.
Virgill Hill.
Steve Collins.
Bernard Hopkins.
Terry Norris.
Pernell Whitaker.
Oscar De La Hoya.
Orzoubek Nazarov.
Genaro Hernandez.
Naseem Hamed.
Junior Jones.
Sirimongkol Singmanassak.
Danny Romero.
Yuri Arbachakov.
Saman Sorjatorung.
Ricardo Lopez.

It's amazing how some fighters can still be at or near the top level more than 13 years on. Especially in the case of Bernard Hopkins and Ryan Rhodes. Also to some extent Herbie Hide, De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield and Virgil Hill who have fought fairly recently.

Longevity!!

 

Jones jnr was rated number 3 at light heavyweight, his last fight at that time was the Montell Griffin Disqualification. Number 1 Hill with WBA anfd IBF titles, he had just unified with Henry Maske. Hill lost shortly to number 6 and WBO 175lbs and former 190lbs Dariusz Michalczewski. :good

 

Was 20-0 with 19 KO's. Was due to fight Steve Collins for the WBO title, but Collins retired. Calzaghe beat Eubank and the decade and more of dominance followed, starting with Branco Sobot defence. :good