We have had a lot of debate as regards the relative strength of different decades. Has anybody an opinion on the strongest individual year end heavyweight ratings. This could be both the abliities of the fighters at that point in time and overall career wise. 1986 Michael Spinks, Champion 1-Mike Tyson 2-James (Bonecrusher) Smith 3-Pinklon Thomas 4-Tim Witherspoon 5-Tony Tubbs 6-Trevor Berbick 7-James (Buster) Douglas 8-Tony Tucker 9-Frank Bruno 10-Tyrell 1991 1-Evander Holyfield 2-Mike Tyson 3-Riddick Bowe 4-Razor Ruddock 5-Ray Mercer 6-George Foreman 7-Tim Witherspoon 8-Tony Tucker 9-Lennox Lewis 10-Michael Moorer
73. George Foreman, Champion Muhammad Ali Joe Frazier Ken Norton Jerry Quarry Ron Lyle Earnie Shavers Oscar Bonavena Joe Bugner Jimmy Ellis Chuck Wepner
1962 Sonny Liston (champion) Floyd Patterson Cassius Clay Doug Jones Ingo Zora Cleveland Robert Clerux Billy Daniels Archie Moore Henry Cooper
The eras that are most top heavy, are not always the most conistent across the rankings. For example most end of year rankings from the 80s, are consistently strong from Champion to #10. This is a top ten more or less made up of men who held a strap at some point: 1982 Larry Holmes, Champion Michael Dokes Mike Weaver Gerrie Coetzee Renaldo Snipes Trevor Berbick Greg Page Gerry Cooney Pinklon Thomas Randall (Tex) Cobb Tim Witherspoon
Jack Dempsey, Champion Harry Wills Gene Tunney Jack Renault Bud Gorman George Godfrey Jack Sharkey Young Bob Fitzsimmons Paolino Uzcudun Jim Maloney 1925
1950 Ezzard Charles (Champ) 1 Joe Louis 2 Lee Savold 3 Joey Maxim 4 Clarence Henry 5 Bob Baker 6 Rex Layne 7. joe Walcott 8 Jack Gardner 9 Lee Oma 10 Rocky Marciano
Lol glad I’m not the only one who thought the same...was thinking maybe one of the worst years ever. But to each their own
The 1991 year-end ratings were pretty solid. 1. Evander Holyfield - World Champion 2. Mike Tyson 3. Riddick Bowe 4. Razor Ruddock 5. Ray Mercer 6. George Foreman 7. Tim Witherspoon 8. Tony Tucker 9. Lennox Lewis 10. Michael Moorer
Probably the best year. Although going through some of the rankings it’s very odd...years like 1935 where Baer was the champ the year before isn’t even on the rankings but was champ the year before lol.
A lot of heavyweights crashed out of the Top-10 in that year; mainly on account of Louis blazing his early trail through the division. Baer had lost the championship, then retired for two days and then he came back to be battered by Louis, going 0-2, for the year. Leaving the heavyweight ratings with Baer were: - Art Lasky went 0-3, for the year. - The perennial King Levinsky went through a dozen or so, mainly very low-tier, opponents and was then done inside a round by Louis. - Patsy Perroni went 0-1, for the year, with the loss coming at the hands of Louis. - Peterson went 0-2, dropping two bouts to then unranked Neusel. - Brown went 0-3 for the year, with one of those losses being to Louis. - Ramage went 0-1 for the year, with the loss coming against Louis. It certainly felt like a changing of the guard by the end of that year.
1999 Lennox Lewis Evander Holyfield Michael Grant Ike Ibeabuchi David Tua Mike Tyson Vitali Klitschko Andrew Golota Derrick Jefferson Oleg Maskaev Sidenote: Byrd, Wlad, Sanders, and Ruiz were around too.
This one gets my vote. Solid fighters all the way through. Everyone of those guys could crack and would be a world champion today.
