It was a very good year...

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by horst, Mar 22, 2010.


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  1. horst

    horst Guest

    I was looking through The Ring's end of year Best Fighter Polls from 1980-present today, and noticed something interesting.

    It is the perennial fashion to slate today's boxers and yearn for past eras, etc etc, but it seems to me that if boxing was wine, 2003 would be a very strong vintage, look at this top 10:

    1.Roy Jones Jr
    2.Bernard Hopkins
    3.Floyd Mayweather Jr
    4.Shane Mosley
    5.Kostya Tszyu
    6.Oscar De La Hoya
    7.Manny Pacquiao
    8.James Toney
    9.Erik Morales
    10.Lennox Lewis

    I mean, surely by anyone's standards, this is a year to match almost any in history. There isn't a fighter in there that doesn't have a legitimate claim to be in a top 100 of all-time. Personally, I wouldn't have Tszyu in mine, but an argument could be made for him I think. I'm sure many knowledgable boxing fans would have him in there. The other nine are in mine, and Pacquiao and Jones would be pretty high, Hopkins and Mayweather not too far behind.

    You do have to ask yourself though, is boxing on the slide right now? This year's top 10 includes Chad Dawson, Paul Williams, Nonito Donaire, Ivan Calderon and Arthur Abraham. Are these guys really going to become the Jones's and the Pacquiao's of the 2010s? I'm dubious.

    How do you think that top 10 stacks up against what I think is the best top 10 of the 80s:

    1981
    1.Thomas Hearns
    2.Ray Leonard
    3.Marvin Hagler
    4.Larry Holmes
    5.Alexis Arguello
    6.Wilfredo Gomez
    7.Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
    8.Matthew Saad Muhammad
    9.Wilfred Benitez
    10.Roberto Duran & Aaron Pryor (tied)


    PS: Anyone know much about Antonio Esparragoza? He was #7 in 1990. Only fighter in all the top 10s I don't know much about.
     
    horst, Mar 22, 2010
    horst, Mar 22, 2010
    #1
  2. T.S.

    T.S. T.Stout Full Member

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    "It Was A Very Good Year"
    Frank Sinatra :hat :smoke
     
    T.S., Mar 22, 2010
    T.S., Mar 22, 2010
    #2
  3. Mind Reader

    Mind Reader J-U-ICE Full Member

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    Good Post Popkins,

    And a very good question. Half of the fighters on the 03 list have not retired yet, so it is hard to tell, but a very good comparison.
     
    Mind Reader, Mar 22, 2010
    Mind Reader, Mar 22, 2010
    #3
  4. PH|LLA

    PH|LLA VIP Member Full Member

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    **** ***** we've got el campeon del ghetto in the top10 today. Who can **** with that?
     
    PH|LLA, Mar 22, 2010
    PH|LLA, Mar 22, 2010
    #4
  5. horst

    horst Guest

    :lol: That song was indeed the inspiration.

    But what are your opinions in response to my thread-starter?
     
    horst, Mar 23, 2010
    horst, Mar 23, 2010
    #5
  6. Son of Gaul

    Son of Gaul Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Yes, RJJ would be my ATG p4p choice had he simply retired in 2003 with nothing left to prove.
     
    Son of Gaul, Mar 23, 2010
    Son of Gaul, Mar 23, 2010
    #6
  7. esconore

    esconore Active Member Full Member

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    Who was number 4 in 2003?
     
    esconore, Mar 23, 2010
    esconore, Mar 23, 2010
    #7
  8. T.S.

    T.S. T.Stout Full Member

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    :good I'd put SRL @#1 for class of 81' :smoke
     
    T.S., Mar 23, 2010
    T.S., Mar 23, 2010
    #8
  9. bulakenyo

    bulakenyo Am I a boxing fan yet? Full Member

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    And Sugar Shane out of the top 10 in 2003, when he was a top guy not so far back..

    He must have still been hovering in and around the top 10 list.
     
    bulakenyo, Mar 23, 2010
    bulakenyo, Mar 23, 2010
    #9
  10. EleventhHour

    EleventhHour Got Dat Black & Gold Soul Full Member

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    Yeah Popkins, it seems you accidentally skipped #4.
     
    EleventhHour, Mar 23, 2010
    EleventhHour, Mar 23, 2010
    #10
  11. El Cepillo

    El Cepillo Baddest Man on the Planet Full Member

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    Surprised that Toney was Top 10 P4P in '03. But yeah, some top names on that list. Why no Mosley though, I wonder, he got the 'w' in the DLH rematch.
     
    El Cepillo, Mar 23, 2010
    El Cepillo, Mar 23, 2010
    #11
  12. horst

    horst Guest

    ****, sorry guys, i'm a '****! I'll check when i go home, but i'm 99% sure that it was shane mosley who was #4. I'll update the thread-starting post now - apologies!
     
    horst, Mar 23, 2010
    horst, Mar 23, 2010
    #12
  13. dangerousity

    dangerousity Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Some guys were on the way out and the other guy werent really huge names yet. Maybe the top 10 p4p right now would look amazing in 5 years time when these new guys have achieved much more and we realise how good they are.
     
    dangerousity, Mar 23, 2010
    dangerousity, Mar 23, 2010
    #13
  14. Antsu

    Antsu Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    True.

    Current era looks always weaker than past ones
     
    Antsu, Mar 23, 2010
    Antsu, Mar 23, 2010
    #14
  15. EleventhHour

    EleventhHour Got Dat Black & Gold Soul Full Member

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    Wasn't Toney Fighter of the Year in 2003? He beat Jirov and Holyfield that year.
     
    EleventhHour, Mar 23, 2010
    EleventhHour, Mar 23, 2010
    #15
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