The Lost Generation

This is basically my pick as well, though you could also throw in Cooney and Tate as well.

That whole group who's careers started around 1977 and who reached their primes by the early to mid 80's were basically considered as the lost generation of heavyweights.

 

I'm not really sure you should include Snipes or Weaver in that list.

Neither one of them had the drug / weight / motivation problems that I associate with the 'lost generation'. I'd say the two of them were pretty much contender level and I don't really think they were underachievers.

EDIT : Perhaps Tucker comes into consideration, after his fight with Tyson he pretty much disappeared for a while and had drug issues.

 

No,

Holmes career started in 1973, and was a lineal world champion by 1978, plus an all time great... Tyson turned pro in 1985, and like Holmes, was an exceptional champion..... Tyson and Holmes not only are outside of the time frame that the lost generation blossomed in, but they are also in a league of their own....
,,

 

I think many forget Leroy Jones (the owner of arguably the fastest hands ever in Heavyweight boxing) is a founder member...

 

You've pretty much identified all the key players. The guys that immediately come to my mind are the ones you mentioned. It really referred most to highly touted guys like Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Mike Weaver or Pinklon Thomas, who basically blew their careers by not training, doing drugs, or both.

Witherspoon falls into this class, although I rate him a little higher because he sometimes rose above it. Coetzee too. Cooney, I could go either way on - I can't argue against his inclusion because of the drug issues, I suppose, but he's certainly not the first guy who comes to mind when I think of the Lost Generation.

Tate was almost a little early. After Weaver destroyed him, he was never a factor again. As you say, Smith and Tucker came along a little later - and Smith never displayed the drug/dedication problems of Page, et. al.

Snipes just wasn't big enough, wasn't particularly touted. If anything, he's an overachiever. Holmes, Spinks or Tyson DEFINITELY don't belong - they're all ATGs. Waever I would not put there either, he was a little older, and was ALWAYS in shape.

As far as the time period, I'd go late 70s through 86, when Tyson won the title. It corresponds roughly to Holmes' domination of the division.

I don't know if this is helpful, but I do know something about the era, since it was the first era of HW boxing I followed, start to finish.

 

I agree Tate is borderline, it's a hard one. He fought a few who belong, including Weaver, Coetzee and Berbick but that was early on.

MM has stated they don't really have to be drug or motivation affected and i believe Weaver and Snipes fit smack bang in this. Snipes was plenty big enough, his dimensions are close to Holmes, who dominated the full era. He was also quite a good fighter, but inconsistent, which again fits right in here. He dropped Holmes hard, fought Witherspoon to a disputed MD right before Tim's sterling effort vs Holmes and beat an in form Berbick in great fashion.

You've got it mostly covered MM, with Magoo's mention of Cooney being a good one too. He may well have fought the biggest most touted fight of the entire decade, so regardless of not fighting many others he sure made an impact.

I will add James Tillis, tho he didn't win many he was in the mix for ages and fought Weaver, Thomas, Page, Witherspoon and Coetzee as well as being plagued with spotty performances and indecisions. IMO he belongs bigtime.

 

Bey, like Williams, Douglas, Tucker etc probably just misses out.

 

Every era has a man who eventually end up being a " build -up" opponent for young rising stars. In the 1980's, James Tillis was one such man. He started off with a good looking record as well as high hopes, but soon just became a mere "opponent." He fought way too long in my honest opinion, and has probably taken as many big shots or more than Jerry Quarry..

 

Well, Tate did come out of the same 1976 amateur crop as Berbick, Cooney and several others. The only real difference is that he made it to the top of the mountain quicker than the rest, but fizzled much sooner. I think he belongs in that fraternity in my honest opinion.

 

Exactly, and indeed like most he did fight too long. Well said.

 

Borderline for me, i'd accept argument both ways. After Berbick beat him in mid 1980 he never had another meaningful fight, which was the period Losties such as Page, Witherspoon, Dokes, Snipes and Tubbs came forth.

 

True.

 

A case can certainly be made for his inclusion. And, if the only criterion is that they are, age-wise, part of this generation, then Tillis belongs too.

But I've always thought, though, that the term "Lost Generation" refers to talented guys who for reasons of lack of dedication to the sport, drug addiction or both, greatly fell short of their potential. That would narrow the candidates considerably, I realize, but I believe that's consistent with how the term was used by the 80s journalists who invented it. At least that's how I remember it.