The 'lost' middleweight generation (1987-1994)

Thanks man. It is one reason it is easy to overlook this era or underrate it, because there was no single or clear champion as there had been in Hagler's time. But I think the post-Hagler title lineage started with Nunn's win over Kalambay which made him the no. 1 in the division. When Toney KO'ed Nunn and then met fellow titlist McCallum, that was the start of a new lineage of sorts. The problem was that Toney had that shocking performance against Tiberi so even after he beat McCallum in the rematch, it wasn't like he was now the established no. 1 in the division in quite the same way that Nunn had been.

Then the titles bounced around a bit with Jackson losing his to McClellan in '93 and Reggie picking up the vacant WBA title in '92 but then losing it to John David Jackson the following year, while Toney vacated his belt and Jones and Hopkins met for it. So, yeah, just a messier era than the 80s hegemony of Hagler, but a quality one nonetheless.