The 1990's. The best decade of talents at heavyweight?

Yes. The best era in heavyweight history in my humble opinion.

 

The rankings of 1991 were much better.

Holyfield
Tyson
Bowe
Lewis
Moorer
Foreman
Ruddock
Mercer
Witherspoon
Tucker

Morrison and Holmes just missed out.

 

It was absolutely the best era in terms of raw "talent" and the highest concentration of heavyweight greats ( with the 70's being an honorable mention. ). "structurally" however the dynamics made for some slight criticism.

1. R. Bowe and Lennox Lewis never fought each other

2. Tyson vs Holyfield came too late as did Holyfield vs Lewis

3. You had two 40+ comeback champions who breached the top 10 and one of them even captured the crown.

4. You had two of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history from lesser fighters over ATG's, ( Tyson vs Douglas and McCall vs Lewis. )

5. You had men like Bruce Seldon, John Ruiz, and Frans Botha who ended up with belts.

6. One of the decades biggest names was abscent for nearly half the Period ( Mike Tyson. )

 

It was a magnificent year. At least four names on that list make most people's top ten ATG heavys while a few of the others made top 30-50. I don't think there was ever another single year where you had that much concentration of greatness in one top 10.

 

Great post

 

The 1970s were better.
Flabby old versions of Larry Holmes and George Foreman being at all worthy of top 10 ranking in the 1990s basically proves it.

 

Take a look at the lower half of the top 10 in 1970

Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Oscar Bonavena
Jerry Quarry

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From number 5 onward you had Mac Foster, an aging Henry Cooper, aging Chuvalo, ancient Liston and Urtain and Garcia.
Now Let's look at 1971

Muhammad Ali
Jerry Quarry
George Foreman
Oscar Bonavena

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How about 72?

Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Jimmy Ellis
Ron Lyle

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1973

Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier
Ken Norton
Jerry Quarry
Ron Lyle

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1974

George Foreman
Joe Frazier
Ron Lyle
Oscar Bonavena

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From 1975 onward these top ten's get worse. I think a 40 plus year old Foreman could have easily beaten most of the men in these top ten's and depending on who was holding the crown could have captured the title with the right window of opportunity.. Jimmy Ellis, Leon Spinks, and a 35 year old 1978 version of Norton would all be potential victims. A 40 year old Holmes would have less success, but he'd still crack top 10 based on what I'm seeing above, and while he probably wouldn't have been champ, he never won the title in the 90's either... The upper echelon of the 90's which included Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis, etc would fight on even or better terms with an aging Ali, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and a 70's George.

 

:deal Great post.

 

Every decade has its strengths and weaknesses. The 90's had the highest concentration of raw talent while the 70's had the rivalries and rematches that make for an exciting era.

 

It's a shame everything fell apart.

Tyson went south.

Bowe fought Holyfield and then squandered everything.

Foreman kind of held the title hostage

Only Holyfield and Lewis really cleaned up.

Its a shame we didn't see Holyfield/Ruddock and Lewis/Holmes/Foreman.

 

But Holmes and Foreman weren't just any old pensioners.

 

Even a guy like Bruce Seldon could have fared well against the Larry Middleton's, Chuck Wepners, Jose Urtain's, and Jack Bodell's who all made the top 10 in the early 70's.