Rank the major players of the late 70s/early 80s light-heavyweight scene

Great era. I will have to think about this one and throw Mike Rossman in for the mix.

 

Victor Galindez
John Conteh
Yaqui Lopez
Marvin Johnson
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Dwight Muhammad Qawi
Michael Spinks

For me,

Spinks,
Galindez,
Qawi,
Conteh
Matthew Saad Muhammad
(i might get some heat from the placement of them last two, bu oh well i'm trying)
Eddie Mustaffa Muhammad
Marvin Johnson
Yaqui Lopez

And by the way i think Mike Spinks has a dam good resume at this weight.

 

I think you should expand it up to top 15 +....adding Jerry Martin, Jessie Burnett, Mike Quarry, James Scott, Jorge Ahumada & Richie Kates.

Gosh, wish Saturday afternoon CBS Sports Spectacular was still on TV.

 

Fighting at their very best:



8 Yaqui Lopez
7 Marvin Johnson
6 Matthew Saad Muhammad
5 Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
4 Dwight Muhammad Qawi
2= John Conteh
2= Victor Galindez
1 Michael Spinks

 

Wow Conteh over Qawi?

 

Yup.

 

The Americans never got to see the best of Conteh. In the two years before he won his title, he was the world's finest 175lber and could beat his fair share of Heavies.

The fame that came with being arguable the most popular British Sportsman of the 70s, ultimately ruined Conteh. And it showed in his ring performances from 76. By Parlov, he was a shadow of the fighter we once knew.

I only see Spinks and Galindez on that list being able to beat/seriously threaten Conteh in Britain during the 73/74 pre title period.

Qawi ultimately goes down as finding a way to lose (gallantly) his truly big fights, when many figured him favourite to win (Spinks/HolyfieldI).

 

Conteh does look to be pretty strong during the '73-74 period.

 

the main problem i have with Qawi besides him being the most one-dimensional of them along with Johnson, is that he seemed inconsistent in the heart\will to win stakes.A big minus considering his pressuring style.

He was no Joe Frazier mentally.

 

But that strength was also a weakness! A machine has not got the ability to change things around when things go wrong. That is why in part Qawi lost the Spinks and (the first) Holyfield fights, and why he is not further up my list.

 

I don't waste time with lists anymore, personally. That is, unless I'm just bored and half-assing it (which is essentially what all lists are). Too many variables for ranking a fighter to make it practical. Ones like this aren't too bad actually, but top 50-100 ATG lists and the like are absurd when you really think about it.

But what the hell.

I think Conteh was the most skilled boxer from the list, with Spinks rating the highest overall due to his ability combined with his consistency and dominance. Galindez rounds out the top 3, all things considered. Saad was the only one of the 3 Muhammads who really led a consistent career, so I'd rate him above the other 2, with Lopez and Johnson rounding it out.