This generation of heavies...does it simply suck?

Mike Tyson's legendary 80s run consisted of beating inconsistent crackheads, 2-year-retired Larry Holmes, LHW Michael Spinks (FOR THE TITLE, no less), then getting dominated by the contender Douglas at the height of his career before going to prison and returning in the 90s in a past-it state.

Holyfield himself was a cruiserweight moving up. His HW career consists of beating journeymen and fat contenders from 80s, going to distance with two 40+ 70s fighters in competitive bouts, getting the absolute hell beaten out of him by the first young top-level HW he faced and then just a mess string of performances where he went 1-1 with LHW Moorer, went 1-1 with Bowe, beat some good guys like Mercer and beat a washed up Tyson. And this guy was top 3 in the division.

Bowe came out of the Olympics as a prospect and proceeded to do absolutely nothing. Beat some washed up 80s contenders much like the other gentlemen, avoided every big puncher in arguably the most puncher-rich era of HWs, made his name out of going 2-1 with the CW Holyfield and got battered and retired by Golota when he was 29.

Lewis missed out on Bowe and faced with Tyson and Holyfield (two biggest names on his resume) when everyone involved was past their best. Did well beating some quality contenders otherwise, especially with Vitali, but it wasn't this amazing title reign either.

Only difference between 90s and today is fighters fought more often back then. That's it. And 70s wasn't much different either.

 

You might call me crazy,

but I think 260lb Chisora gives every other era HELL

except this present one.

An absolute nightmare for all of them. (Ali included)

 

you'd think with the advancements in athletes from the 60's to now.. I 100% agree if you planted Chisora in the 60's he'd dominate.

 

It sucks TBH

 

Both AJ and Fury looked soooo lackluster against Usyk too... Fury had 4 good rounds and looked just basic and unable to go up another gear... AJ had one really good round in the rematch that he still arguably could have lost... They did themselves no favors with such underwhelming efforts.... In the words of Emmanuel Steward, "Get excited in there man!" ATG's have to show a little more effort than that and they didn't..... ATG's have to show they go up another gear and they couldn't.

 

Dominate with what? He's 6'0 feet tall with a **** gas tank and a crackable chin.

 

lmao

 

chisora is a mediocre fighter in any era. but live contender in this one. just another esb myth.

 

I don't see how any of this changes the fact that Tyson's 80s opposition wouldn't even get past Dubois.

They don't deserve much credit, they were mostly either inconsistent fighters on crack or just not that good.

Ruddock I & II were his best career wins. That's the ceiling of his h2h accomplishment. Bruno was nice but he lost anytime it mattered apart from the time he fought McCall. Smith is just LOL.

Beating Berbick, Tucker and Smith are equally unimpressive, but at least they weren't fat LHWs with bad knees.

Being 40 now isn't the same with being 40 in 90s. And I love the hypocrisy of you people criticizing today's fighters for being too fat and out of shape but then acting like they are supposed to beat Usyk because the weight you used to criticize them for is suddenly an advantage now. Usyk of today dominates the big portion of 90s as well, don't worry.

Between 1990-2000, Holyfield was younger in a grand total of 5 matches in 17 total matches. Two were against Holmes and Foreman in, I repeat, COMPETITIVE matches. You guys would have a meltdown if Usyk struggled with a comebacking Wladimir today.

Mercer literally struggled with journeymen, lost to Ferguson and drew with Marion Wilson, and he was among the better contenders (and wins for Holyfield). Moorer's best opponents aside from Holyfield were Tua (oof), Cooper, Stewart, Smith, guys of that sort, also got sparked out cold by a 45 year old Foreman when he was the UNDISPUTED CHAMPION.

Who said anything about going to distance? Holmes was deadass outboxing the guy when he wasn't gassed out. Holyfield himself said he had to hold Foreman in the final round because he wasn't sure if he could exchange with him without getting slept. Dude was afraid of getting KO'd by a 42 year old man in the 12th round. These are only NOT embarrassing because they happened in the 90s, any of this happens today this forum would rip them to shreds.

"Decent" wins like Holmes giving Mercer the most decisive loss of his life and Foreman at 45 knocking the brains off of the undisputed champion. None of that would fly today.

After breaking the world record on Bowe's face for the most punches landed in a HW title match.

Holyfield beat Bowe in the only match he fought somewhat similar to Usyk and didn't brawl head to head with a 30 lbs heavier man.

None of these fighters ever got chinned by a crackhead journeyman like McCall the way Lewis (90s GOAT HW) did, who Bowe ducked and got stopped by in the Olympics. Two can play that game chief.

Zhang would knock Bowe across the continent.

The only valid part of your argument.

So 2 of the top 4 HWs ducked the top HW of their era when they were supposed to fight? Wow, sounds like a terrible era for the division. But sure, its fine when it happens in the 90s, but when Fury and AJ don't fight it's suddenly the dark age of HWs.

Couldn't fight Bowe and he beat straight up shot Tyson and past-it Holyfield. Other than that his title reign was beating guys like Rahman (who btw KTFO'd him as well), Tua etc etc. Beating the top 2 HWs in the world in AJ and Fury and then beating the most worthy contender Dubois, all twice is more impressive for me.

It was to fight with Bruce Seldon who had a title at the time.

I'm like 90% sure Cooper beats Seldon.

Yeah but just look at the names you are listing? Briggs??!?!!?! What changes if Briggs is in his prime or not lmao. Tyson was past-it. Holyfield was past-it. Mercer was 35. Ruddock is a good win but the others? Tua? Grant? Come on dude.

When have we ever seen a 45 year old spark out the undisputed HW champion? We didn't. But that's fine because it's Foreman right? Right. So what I don't understand here is why, in this circumstance, we are giving Foreman his flowers for being an absolute legend but in Usyk's case it's because of the era being bad? Why don't we just accept that Usyk is simply that good as well? Why is it "this era of HWs suck they are getting tossed around by a CW" and not "Wow man Usyk is a CW and he dominates HWs, what a legend"?

 

Chisora is too crude and lacks the ring IQ to be a top contender in any era I think. This era is one of the worst eras in HW history, and he's still never really been anything better than top 10. He was knocked spark out by Dillian Whyte, who himself was not a world-level fighter, and he got flatlined by David Haye, who was a cruiserweight who had no business at HW. Even as weak as the 80s were, probably the worst HW era, Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon Thomas, Greg Page, Bonecrusher, Holmes, and Tyson all beat Chisora pretty easily.

 

When the a top 3 HW of the era is arguably Anthony Joshua, it's a weak era.

That said, Usyk is great, he'd compete in any era and beat quite a lot of great heavyweights

 

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