When did the Heavyeight champion title lose its sparkle?

The loss of the "baddest man on the planet" status that the heavyweight champion had not long ago. NOw we have MMA heavyweight champions that, in all likelihood, have lessened the "universal tough guy" glamour that boxing's heavyweight champion held for so long. No longer can the boxing heavyweight champion be considered the baddest guy around. And believe me, I hate having to write this!

 

That's correct too.

 

It's by degrees, and depending on who you talk to (and from which country as well). I'm guessing this topic means "sparkle in the US", for instance. Germany for one is perfectly overjoyed with the heavyweight championship.

Either which way, I think it's pretty tough to argue against the splitting (and creation) of the different belts. The IBF and WBO titles coming along in the 80s, even if the latter in particular didn't get more recognition until like the 2000s, added to the watering down of things.

And nothing against the Klitschkos, superior fighters who wanted that brotherhood dream so badly, but 'The Man' became 'The Men' and that's never going to be the same thing. "I can beat every man in this room apart from my bro who I'll never fight" is wonderfully fraternal but won't ever give us a true top dog.

We arguably need someone to beat one of the Klits to give us a genuine 'winner takes all' revenge bout for them and the other brother. If they don't lose again and just retire with their belts vacated, you'll have the same vacuum we had to trudge through for a few years post-Lewis.

 

After Tyson lost to Douglas. Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield would restore the lustre,sporadically.

 

The loss of mainstream coverage of the sport.

Lewis and Holyfield were really respected by the mainstream, but lacked charisma. The last time the Heavyweight Champion of the World really mattered to even the mainstream, was after a Championship fight on November 5th 1994...

 

After Lennox Lewis

Lewis was the start of it though. He never put his ass on the line against his toughest opposition. He took the safest route to victory in all his biggest fights and thats not what was expected from THE heavyweight champion especially coming after the likes of Evander Holyfield Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson who always came to fight.

 

When Johnny du Plooy lost to Mike Weaver.

 

Well in that case the answer for you maybe Tyson/SpinksI (From KO August 1988)

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Things got ****ed up with Ali's forced exile in 1967 / '68.... Making Ellis a WBA champ was not kool..... Ellis was a good boxer, but not a solid champ.... Thank Amon-Ra that Joe Frazier straightened out that mess by kayoing Ellis and getting recognition as the true champ in 1970 while Ali argued his case in a court of law..... BUT!!! Then the WBC was lame in stripping Leon Stinks for granting a rematch with Ali in 1978..... And the WBC was also lame is telling Holmes to give up his belt by refusing to fight # 1 pretender Greg Page in 1984.... These here are some key points in heavyweight history....

MR.BILLhat

 

After Bowe-Holyfield I. I haven't watch a live hw championship fight since that night.

 

yeah ok buddy
yes in your brilliant viewpoint
a champion should never be forced to fight the top guys
and defend against whomever he wants....

holmes being stripped, wow just after he somehow managed to not fight
every top 80's heavweight...from dokes to page etc etc etc

but yes i see what you mean
he is the champ, he cannot lose the title outside of the ring
so if you cant get get him in the ring
well too bad LOL

 

Take a look at the Klits last few defences and tell me if you would want to see them again. Take a look at the **** that is in the division, it stinks. After Lewis retired, they should have shut the heavyweights down.

 

After every exciting heavy comes a boring heavy and then after every boring heavy comes an exciting one.

Holmes got **** due to coming after ALi, then people forgot about him when tsyon came along. Once Tyson went south we had guys like Holy and Bowe who didnt really capture the WORLDS imagination. Then Lewis came along, like Holmes, he came after charismatic champion in Tyson so the world didnt take to Lewis. After Lewis there should have been a dominating KO type champ (Ike?) but he never came and we had the Klits who, with all due respect, havent really captured the publics imagination. Then Haye came along running his mouth and we thought we would see a regime change......

 

Yes.

As soon as there were more alphabet belts to hand out, the credibility of the actual title holder diminished.

WBA, WBC, IBF and the Ring Magazine. Don't know if the NABF is now the IBF, but I'd give it an exception because it's been around for a long time. Regardless, those are the four that should be recognized titles despite the corruption. At one time, they had most of their fighters ranked evenly between the three.

Don't need the WBO, WBF, IBC, IBO, IBA etc, etc, etc.

 

Agree McVey.

No disrespect to the Klitschkos, but the division is a big farce right now. Problem is, they don't have a Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, Bowe or Rudduck. They don't even have a Morrison, Mercer, Bruno or Douglas for that matter. This is why the UFC is becoming more popular even though I'm not a big fan of it.

I sometimes wonder if Frank Bruno could deal with the Klitschkos today. A prime version probably does. Same with Tim Witherspoon.