The 80's - Were People as Critical...

No doubt about it, the HEAVYWEIGHTS of the 1980s were considered worse at the time than they are remembered now.

The splintering of the titles, and then the guys passing the belts around, losing in their first defense, and the dawning of the era of FAT "champions" (Tubbs, 'spoon and Page) ...... that was a bad time.
And it cant all be blamed on Don King, or the media lamenting the loss of Ali and Frazier, or whatever.

 

I dont think the problem was any lack of talent in the heavyweight division but what was done with it.

The big fights did not get made and the best fighters often squandered their talent.

 

The heavyweights were not highly thought of at the time. I remember in '81, Ko magazine held a 70's vs. 80's contest and most of the 70's heavyweights won.

Trevor Berbick was vastly underrated. Just off the top of my head some of the winners were Frazier over Holmes, Ali (tko?) Weaver, Quarry beat Dokes, Bonavena beat Page. They didnt have the nerve to take a stand on Foreman and Cooney and naturally they had Berbick pegged the oser no matter who he was matched against. The writers hated Berbick for what he did to Ali, not just that he beat him but for the way he refused to hold back on an old man.

Favoring the 80s heavyweights the writers were kind enough to take Coetzee tko Floyd Patterson - 37 years old at the time so who cares?