Best Fighters of the 1980's, 1-10

I like Galaxy over Chang.

 

What aren't you sure about? Just compare their fights with Carl Williams, Spinks, and even Berbick. Then throw in Tucker, Tubbs, Bruno, Thomas, etc. Then factor in their own fight. And the fact that Mike was undefeated and the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Seems like no contest.

 

No SRL?

 

That is not a bad list, I would put Hearns over Hagler, exchange 3 and 4... I would have Larry at 5, and take Mike McCallum out. I would take Evander out and put in Chavez. And Benitez could be in there also. That is why I rank Hearns at 3 over Hagler, he beat Benitez,Cuevas and Duran and won 4 and 5 titles at different weights in the 1980s. And had 2 years fighter of the year. 1980 and 1984.. I don't argue with Spinks. Ray being one is perfect, the only argument I have there is he was inactive for half the decade or more. Sanchez? His was more potential than actual accomplishment. You could almost switch Azumah for Sanchez. I would almost have it

Ray Leonard
Michael Spinks
Thomas Hearns
Marvin Hagler
Larry Holmes
Julio Cesar Chavez
Azumah Nelson
Wilfred Benitez
Aaron Pryor
Mike Tyson

 

Yeah, Holmes lost to an asterisked heavyweight that Tyson blasted out early. Edge: Tyson.

Williams also gave Holmes all he could handle (I thought he won). Tyson blasted him out early. Edge: Tyson.

 

Right, but that's the point. Tyson was young and fresh throughout the 80s, and he dominated the best available competition. Holmes wasn't, and he didn't.

 

Maybe:

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Michael Spinks
3. Mike Tyson
4. Marvin Hagler
5. Thomas Hearns
6. Julio Cesar Chavez
7. Larry Holmes
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Jung Koo Chang
10. Eusebio Pedroza

 

I wish Salvador would have lived. Can you imagine the rematch with Azumah. and possibles fights with McGuigan. I think he would have been greater than Chavez.

 

Its
hard-so many great boxers.......
Mike Mccallum
Larry Holmes
Michael Spinks
Hector Camacho
Don Curry
Thomas Hearns
Hagler
Leonard
Benitez
Saad Muhammed
Jeff Chandler
Wilfredo Gomez
Sanchez
Whitaker

I think you would need more then ten spots.

 

Missed a number of the top heavyweights during the first half of the decade (Page, Thomas, Coetzee, Dokes, etc.) and struggled against a green but highly talented Witherspoon, without even getting into his struggles and losses in the later half of the decade. Great fighter, great career but I still don't understand how this is possibly equivalent to Tyson's run in the 80s. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

Yes, I know how it looks.
But, there was a lot of talent around in the '80s and ten spaces isn't a lot of room for it all.
As far as possible, I've tried to base my list on achievement and recognition; layered on a bed of consistency and perenniality, throughout the decade. But, there's been a fair bit of subjectivity applied because of how close some of the guys are.

For me, Leonard's truly top wins came in '80 and '81. After '82, he retires three times during the rest of the '80s; to the extent that nothing significant occurs until '87, when he challenges an 'on the verge of retirement' Hagler and leaves with one of the most disputed decisions in boxing history. Then, in '89, he gets a steal against Hearns and beats a 38 years-old Duran. This, at the very best, makes him a tail-ender in a Top-10 for the '80s. But there's a lot of guys, who could be consider as more deserving of those tail-end spots. Amongst them are:

Eusebio Pedroza*
Jung Koo Chang*
Azumah Nelson*
Alexis Arguello
Roberto Duran
Salvador Sanchez
Jeff Chandler
Khaosai Galaxy
Mike McCallum
Donald Curry
Hector Camacho

(*included in the last three places)

I might not be entirely set on the last three places. Although, at this point, I'm reasonably confident that Leonard isn't the most likely candidate to take one of those last three spots.