Can 1982 be viewed as the apex of the sport of boxing?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by horst, Sep 8, 2010.


  1. horst

    horst Guest

    In terms of great active fighters, you had:


    - A dominant and great heavyweight champion in
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    - A stacked lightheavyweight division including
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    ,
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    (as he was then),
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    and
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    - A dominant and great middleweight champion in
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    - The welter and lightmiddle divisions at this point contained ATGs
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    (who was still active at the start of '82),
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    ,
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    ,
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    and
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    - Great champions at light-welter and light,
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    and
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    - A dominant and great featherweight champion in
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    - A great super-bantamweight champion in
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    - A wealth of great up and coming fighters like
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    ,
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    ,
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    ,
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    , etc.




    In terms of great fights, you had a year like no other:

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    and more




    What do you think, has there ever been a higher point for boxing than this?
     
  2. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

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    I don't know if there has been a higher point, but 1982 was freaking incredible.
     
  3. Manassa

    Manassa - banned

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    Nice thinking. You might well be right.

    Although I always thought of somewhere in the seventies as being the best. I'll have a think later about a specific year.
     
  4. PbP Bacon

    PbP Bacon ALL TIME FAT Full Member

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    Ahhhhh ... 1982, It was a great year for boxing, no doubt.

    But 1982 was also the year when boxing exploded in the public mind. It got huge exposure, only second to the 70s HW Golden Age, but, more interesting, this time it was a wider phenomenon, not just limited to 4-5 legendary HW like in the 70s. You had HW, MW, WW, etc., and you had not just some US boxers .... latin boxers made the 1982 huge in Latin America; with people rotting for Benitez, Arguello, Cuevas, Camacho, etc.

    You would see common people (not just the box freaks) going to each other's throats discussing who was better SRL or Duran, if Hearns was too good to believe, if Holmes was the 2nd coming of Ali or not, etc. ;)
     
  5. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Yes ,The 1920s "Golden Age Of Boxing "
    Dempsey
    Tunney
    Greb
    Walker-Jack Britton
    benny Leonard
    johnny Dundee
    Pete Herman
    Jimmy Wilde
    How can you top that ?
     
  6. sugarsean

    sugarsean Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'd disagree, with you their Burt, if I was going to pick one it would be either the 40's, 70's or 30's their the only ones that compare to the 80's for me when it comes overall deepness of all time greats Hd 2 Hd.
     
  7. Epic post mate, you have good points.
     
  8. sweet_scientist

    sweet_scientist Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    There might have been better eras, but as a year, 1982 is hard to top. Certainly there hasn't been anything close to it since...
     
  9. El Bujia

    El Bujia Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Because that isn't one year.
     
  10. Thread Stealer

    Thread Stealer Loyal Member Full Member

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    This is a post from another forum in regards to the Ray Mancini documentary which came out in 2007. The post is not mine, but I think it relates well to 1982 and how things changed after it.


     
  11. la-califa

    la-califa Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Also dont forget:Bobby Chacon, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Rafael Limon, Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez, Ray Mancini.
     
  12. la-califa

    la-califa Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Oh yeah, & Lupe Pintor and Jeff Chandler ruling the Bantams
     
  13. good right hand

    good right hand Well-Known Member Full Member

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    i agree with many,

    popkins you did excellent research to come up with a strong point.
     
  14. johnmaff36

    johnmaff36 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Great call mate. Never really give it much thought before but you make a good argument for it. Will have to give it more thought
     
  15. MAG1965

    MAG1965 Loyal Member banned

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    It was a great time in boxing. Who know why so many greats came up at this time. Could be a reflection of Muhammad Ali and his excellence. Most of those guys looked up to Ali and got into boxing 10 years before.