Evander Holyfield is the most underrated fighter of the 90's. The BWAA is a joke!

I agree, Pernell Whitaker should of won that title though.

He clearly was the best boxer in the 90's.

 

And Pernell didn't fight boxers bigger than him? I agree that Evander Holyfield had an excellent, ATG run during the 90's, beating the like of Foreman, Moore, Tyson, Bowe and Douglas, but he lost 4 times, even in fights he should of won like the first Moore fight.

From 1990 to his fight with a prime Trinidad in 1999, Whitaker has had an extraordinary career. He became the first boxer since Duran to unify the LW division, won 4 legitimate titles in 4 different weight classes, and beat a who's who of champions and ATG's like Azuma Nelson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Buddy McGirt, and Julio Cesar Vasquez. After beating p4p top 5 and WW champion Buddy McGirt, Pernell went on to embarrass the p4p best boxer in the world in Chavez, then a year later would outbox long reigning JMW Champion Vasquez, after Vasquez has just took Winky Wright's 0. His only legitimate loss was against Trinidad in 99 during the tail end of his career.

 

Its funny when fanboys act like RJJ achieved as much as Bob Fitzsimmons going from MW-HW. When in fact he didn't. RJJ beat John Ruiz not the lineal champ. Imagine if Bob Fitzsimmons who won a disputed version of the HW crown against Peter Maher stopped there. Thankgod he didn't instead he wanted to be recognized as the lineal champion and he knocked out the then lineal champ Corbett to be the undisputed HW champion of the world.

 

the problem is when was the last time a hw was named fighter of the decade ?

 

Ali in the 60's?

 

Always loved that dude. We saw him about two years ago in town just grabbing a burger

 

You guys said everything I needed to say about Holyfield! Great thread!

 

I think your right. It see not since Ali. It always been for the lower weight guys wasn't Sugar Ray Leaonard a fighter of the decade

 

Jones in the 90's, Leonard in the 80s, Duran in the 70s, Ali in the 60s, Robinson in the 50s and 40s, Joe Louis in the 30s and Benny Leonard/Grebb in the 20s. Tyson did have a great claim for fighter of the 80s though. He made boxing completely global during his reign.

 

Fighters of the decade


1910s: Sam Langford -- Small man beat the best big men of his day. Runner up: Jimmy Wilde.
1920s: Benny Leonard -- Some still say he’s the greatest lightweight ever. Runner up: Harry Greb.
1930s: Henry Armstrong -- Held titles in three weight classes simultaneously. Runner up: Tony Canzoneri.
1940s: Ray Robinson – Untouchable as a welterweight. Runner up: Willie Pep
1950s: Ray Robinson – Also one of the greatest middleweights ever. Runner up: Archie Moore.
1960s: Muhammad Ali – The Greatest really was the greatest at this time. Runner up: Carlos Ortiz.
1970s: Roberto Duran – Virtually untouchable as a lightweight. Runner up: Carlos Monzon.
1980s: Ray Leonard: His victories over Duran, Hearns and Hagler were epic. Runner up: Julio Cesar Chavez.
1990s: Roy Jones Jr. – At his best, he inspired awe. Runner up: Pernell Whitaker.
2000s: Manny Pacquiao – Sorry Floyd but you need to fight the best to be the best. Runner up: Floyd Mayweather.

 

I agree 100% about Holyfield being mad underrated. Yeah Pernell did have a good run in the '90s, as well as Oscar De La Hoya, and Trinidad... But what Evander accomplished in the 90's does outshine their accomplishments as well as RJJ's accomplishments in the 90's.