The State of the Game (Heavyweights; end of 1991)

The Ring Top Ten for September 18th 1991:

1: Evander Holyfield 25-0
2: Mike Tyson 41-1
3: Riddick Bowe 26-0
4: Razor Ruddock 25-3-1
5: Tim Witherspoon 35-3
6: Ray Mercer 17-0
7: George Foreman 69-3
8: Tony Tucker 41-1
9: Lennox Lewis 16-0
10: Michael Moorer 25-0

Using the list above as a guide, care to fill in the blanks below? Or of course, put your own opinion in, as some of the suggestions are with hindsight, unique...

N.B. Obviously not all the fighters listed below are top ten fighters. Steve Farhood wrote the article and list...

Best Puncher:
Best Boxer:
Most Protected:
Favourite Opponent:
Matchmaker's Dream Fight:
Best Kept Secret:
Deserves a Title shot:
TV's Favourite:
On the Way Down:
Underrated:
Best Fight this Year:

 

One out of two; Lennox actually got Most Protected...

 

Dream fight was Tyson/Foreman

Bowe deserved the title shot

Tv favourite went to the Duke

Fight of the year Moorer/Stewart...

 

Remember it is The Ring, and I remember at the time Mason struggling with the Wills of this world and going life and death with Biggs. History has been kind to the big man, and his numbers, particularly taking into account how bad the division is now a days, look very good.

So Lennox Lewis beating Mason in March 91 is a shrug your shoulders moment for an American, they had seen it all before, and they knew all British Heavyweights end up being horizontal when faced with a proper (American) challenge.

A British Heavyweight who can be the best? What next? You will be telling me in twenty years time the Heavyweights will be dominated by a couple of Ivan Drago clones. :good

 

Mason had very limited support, he was the forgotten man of the Lawless stable, and when he did get to the top of the bill, he was so laboured and boring at times, for a man with such heavy hands, his support was minimal.

I went to Lewis/Mason, although Lennox 'The Lion' (Thank god he dropped that!!!) was still to win over the fans, who remembered the seemingly poor efforts against Chanet and Ocasio (But you were right, they were excellent learning bouts), he had maybe 40% of the crowd. Which I remember at the time my mate commenting that, that was not bad for a Canadian!:yep

 

It went:

Best Puncher: Tyson
Best Boxer: Bowe
Most Protected: Lewis
Favourite Opponent: Michael Greer
Matchmaker's Dream Fight: Tyson/Foreman
Best Kept Secret: Phil Jackson
Deserves a Title Shot: Riddick Bowe
TV's Favourite: Tommy Morrison
On the Way Down: Alex Stewart
Underrated: Tony Tucker
Best Fight this Year: Moorer/Stewart