Post Hagler middleweight division underrated?

I think it was underrated era as well. Three great fighters with plenty of power, speed, durability, and intelligence. Perhaps they just weren't in the super fights many would expect in order to make others think they were great. Me, I think they were all in some tremendous fights. Didn't know you were a big 60s middleweight fan, we should talk more often.

 

Yes it certainly picked up in a hurry just after Hagler. I'm not sure it is underrated however as many rate that period quite highly.

 

it just all depends on who you're talking to; For those who are not hard-core fans it can be like if I asked you to speak Yiddish.

 

I did a thread on this rough time period (1987-94) for the middleweight division a couple of years ago: https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/the-lost-middleweight-generation-1987-1994.618221/

If it flies under the radar it's because it tends to be considered post-Hagler and pre-Hopkins. In reality, it was a top era in its own right that didn't have a single figure head like the early 80s or early 2000s. Part of that was split world titles and part of it was the high caliber of the competition. No-one dominated but there were lots of really good fighters.

 

Those three were hideously good, like peak Mayweather good, literally. Then we had other Mayweather-esque youngsters coming through in Toney and Eubank, then McClellan and Jones. Not to mention Nunn-esque talents Graham and Reggie Johnson, who made McCallum and Toney look bad for the first five or six rounds. And the destructiveness of Benn and Julian Jackson. Holy cow. There was even a 'great white hope' type in Collins.

 

I mean 87-94 has to be the best MW era ever. Just look: Jones Jr, Nunn, Toney, Hopkins, Kalambay, McCallum, Eubank, Benn, Barkley, Bomber Graham, Julian Jackson, Collins, Reggie Johnson and even Leonard and Hearns still around background.

 

And the tragic duo of Michael Watson and Gerald McClellan.

Rod Douglas and Lamar Parks were great talents, careers cut short also.

 

I knew I'd forgot a few. Chris Pyatt and Frank Grant were impressive domestic/European operators

 

I certainly wasn't catering for non entities young William.

 

I'm so chazerai I could plotz.

 

Frank Grant wasn't impressive. Pyatt more of a super-welter.

 

Man, who knows who'd of come out on top. McClellan, Douglas, Parks, post-Eubank Watson, pre-Watson Eubank, Jones, a non-stationary Nunn. Who knows!

 

Massively so. There was a surplus of great talent, but a bit of a lack of actual great fighters. I think this kinda leads to those who don't know about the guys at the time tend to brush over them. Someone like Nunn is a handful for near enough anyone.

I don't think anyone would've come out without a blemish. There was just something to beat anyone. Toney was the best of them IMO, and I thought lost to Reggie Johnson, and then he didn't fight Kalambay, who I think woulda beaten him too. Obviously Jones came along and he probably would've beaten everyone, short of being punched out.

There were some good Brits in the mix too. Benn, Watson, Eubank, Collins, Graham etc; I think Watson was the best of these, and would beat quite a few of the other guys at the time too. Guys like Kalambay, Jackson, Hearns or Barkley, to name a few. But the Brits weren't short on talent either.

Is it the best middleweight division ever? Nah, probably not IMO. I'd give that honour to the 1940s, with Robinson, LaMotta, Charles, the BMR, Zale, Cerdan, Moore and countless others in the mix. Then I'd probably say that Greb's era was better too. After that it's between the Tiger/Fullmer/Giardello mix, but I reckon this one was probably better.

 

Plus you had super talents like Michael Olajide. And Matt Hilton, Schoolboy Van Horn. All three of those on the cover of The Ring. Tony Thornton was Briscoe-esque. Frank Tate! Lindell Holmes.... ****.