Boxing's person of the decade, 1880s to 2020s

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by janitor, May 9, 2021.


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  1. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Same rules as Time Magazine Person of the Year.

    It can be given to anybody, be they fighter, promotor, or other.

    The award is given to the person who made the greatest historical impact.

    The award is not in any way intended to be a compliment, and it can be given to a person who made a negative impact, if that impact was greater than any rival claim based on a positive impact.

    What would your picks be?
     
    janitor, May 9, 2021
    janitor, May 9, 2021
    #1
  2. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    2020: Jake Paul
     
    George Crowcroft, May 9, 2021
    George Crowcroft, May 9, 2021
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  3. SheenLantern

    SheenLantern Active Member Full Member

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    2010s: Floyd
    2000s: Manny
    1990s: Tyson
    1980s: Tyson
    1970s: Ali
    1960s: Ali

    Too uneducated to comment any further than that.
     
    SheenLantern, May 9, 2021
    SheenLantern, May 9, 2021
    #3
  4. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Some I'm more confident of than others. I takes a lot to truly know an ers in depth, and I'll be the first to confess I don't for many. Others are just harder to pinpoint a stand out key figure.

    1880s John L Sullivan
    1890s Bob Fitzsimmons
    1900s James J Jeffries
    1910s Jack Johnson
    1920s Tex Rickard
    1930s Joe Louis
    1940s Adolf Hitler
    1950s Rocky Marciano
    1960s Muhammad Ali
    1970s Muhammad Ali
    1980s Sugar Ray Leonard
    1990s Oscar De La Hoya
    2000s Floyd Mayweather
    2010s Floyd Mayweather
     
    BitPlayerVesti, May 9, 2021
    BitPlayerVesti, May 9, 2021
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  5. Jason Thomas

    Jason Thomas Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I will arbitrarily restrict each man to one decade only

    1880's-----John L Sullivan
    1890's-----Bob Fitzsimmons
    1900's-----Jack Johnson
    1910's-----James R. Mann
    1920's-----Tex Rickard
    1930's-----Joe Louis
    1940's-----Adolf Hitler
    1950's-----Jim Norris
    1960's-----Muhammad Ali
    1970's-----Roone Arledge
    1980's-----Sugar Ray Leonard
    1990's-----Don King

    BitPlayerVesti's post really impacted my thinking. Rickard in the 1920's and Hitler in the 1940's are very good choices. I was tempted to go with Estes Kefauver in the 1950's, but I don't know if his committee went much beyond an expose of organized crime's corruption of boxing.
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2021
    Jason Thomas, May 9, 2021
    Jason Thomas, May 9, 2021
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  6. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    1870s: Boston Tom McMustache, the one from Barbados by way of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
     
    Saintpat, May 9, 2021
    Saintpat, May 9, 2021
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  7. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    1950s: Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo joint award
     
    Jel, May 9, 2021
    Jel, May 9, 2021
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  8. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Jel, May 9, 2021
    Jel, May 9, 2021
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  9. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    An interesting pick, and a justifiable one at that.
     
    janitor, May 9, 2021
    janitor, May 9, 2021
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  10. Jason Thomas

    Jason Thomas Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I didn't think about Hitler for the 1940's until I read BitPlayerVesti's post, but I can't see how he can even be disputed for impact. He destroyed boxing in Europe, crippled it in Britain and the USA, with titles frozen and many boxers in the military. No one else had such an impact on boxing in any other decade.
     
    Jason Thomas, May 9, 2021
    Jason Thomas, May 9, 2021
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  11. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    If you were going to name somebody from the 1970s, it would probably be Jem Mace.

    He unified the British and American Titles to create the World Title in 1870, and he was the first champion to fight in a Queensbury Rules match in 1876.
     
    janitor, May 9, 2021
    janitor, May 9, 2021
    #11
  12. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    What about Larry Folley for the 1890s?

    He trained many of the key fighters that came from outside the USA in that decade, and made it much more of an international sport.
     
    janitor, May 9, 2021
    janitor, May 9, 2021
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  13. Gazelle Punch

    Gazelle Punch Boxing Addict Full Member

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    1880s John L Sullivan
    1890s Bob Fitzsimmons
    1900s James J Jeffries
    1910s Jack Johnson
    1920s Jack Dempsey
    1930s Joe Louis
    1940s Sugar Ray Robinson
    1950s Rocky Marciano
    1960s Muhammad Ali
    1970s Muhammad Ali
    1980s Sugar Ray Leonard
    1990s Mike Tyson
    2000s Roy Jones Jr
    2010s Floyd Mayweather
     
    Gazelle Punch, May 9, 2021
    Gazelle Punch, May 9, 2021
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  14. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    JT going full Time Magazine here.
     
    Saintpat, May 9, 2021
    Saintpat, May 9, 2021
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  15. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    Awarded to, Charles Sonny Liston and Rocky Graziano, Employees Of The Year, Lol.
     
    Richard M Murrieta, May 10, 2021
    Richard M Murrieta, May 10, 2021
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