When was Boxing at its Peak? I propose that it is NOW.

Heck yeah! People used to get dressed up in their Sunday's finest to go to closed circuit!

 

No this is wrong. Ali-Frazier was certainly a bigger deal than this in every respect.

 

The 3rd fight?

 

...of course.

 

Nicely put...you make a fair argument.

But a lot of holes in it...the only real way to be sure is to have a very through understanding of the boxing history. I dont think I have that either.

Boxing had very little competition in the 20's from sports like NFL and Basketball, which hadnt fully professionalized by that stage. It really, truly was one of the premier sports in America and the world. Its social impact can not compare with todays.
Basically you had Filipino like followings of several fighters in several countries throughout that whole era and beyond.

There have been many from Africa and Asia before...none with the profile of Manny but they were there.

As for the money issue I think shows how the distribution of wealth in boxing has changed. A select few make all the money, whilst the rest pick up the scraps. I mean the top couple of earners probably make just about as much as every boxer on earth combined. Of course thats may be true but you understand what Im getting at.
In a way it shows how efficient boxing has become as a money making enterprise in the PPV era but I dont thats necessarily a good thing for the sport overall.

There is only a certain amount of money in the sport and in combat sports in general. A lot of the lower tier guys who in the past could have made a decent living off boxing, have to do it part time. And of course if you do something without all your heart in it, your not going to be doing your best.

I think that links in with difference of depth in boxing and the overall talent pool...Now the very best of this era are among the best ever of any era...among the best fighters I have laid my eyes on. But dig a little deeper and the next tiers dont compare with past.

I mean look at the middleweight eras of the last 15-20 years compared to the eras of the 50's and 60's...just so ridiculously stacked back then because you had 1 or 2 titles to contend for and there were not as many jnr/super divisions to thin out the talent pool.

Ill add more later...lunchtime.

 

I chose the 2000's which has overflowed to today. Most people picked the 1990's, but I can't see that for some reason, unless you're talking about the late 1990's which led up to the 2000's. How many boxers that were in their prime in the 1990's will be inducted as a HOFer or ATG compared to those that were in their prime in the 2000's? Just ask that question.

Boxers that were in their prime in the 2000's that may make it into the HOF:
Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Erik Morales
Marco Antonio Barrera (had some of his best fights in the 2000s including trilogy w/Morales)
Juan Manuel Marquez
Kostya Tszyu
Ricardo Mayorga (possibly a HOFer)
Felix "Tito" Trinidad (from late 1990's to early 2000's)
Acelino Freitas
Diego Corrales
Joel Casamayor
Jose Luis Castillo
Ricky Hatton (possibly a HOFer)
Miguel Cotto
Shane Mosley (late 1990's to present)
Winky Wright
Jermaine Taylor
Zab Judah (possibly a HOFer)
Wladimir Klitschko
Vitali Klitschko
Rafael Marquez (possibly a HOFer)
Israel Vasquez
Ivan Calderon
Nonito Donaire (possibly a HOFer)
Vic Darchinyan (possibly a HOFer)
Oscar Larios (possibly a HOFer)
Joan Guzman (possibly a HOFer)
Humberto Soto (possibly a HOFer)
Carlos Baldomir (possibly a HOFer)
Joe Calzaghe
Chad Dawson (late 2000's to present)
Andre Ward (late 2000's to present)
Paul Williams (late 2000's to present)
Cory Spinks (possibly a HOFer)
Kelly Pavlik (possibly a HOFer)
Antonio Tarver (possibly a HOFer)
Glengoffe Johnson (possibly a HOFer)
Fernando Vargas (possibly a HOFer)
Vernon Forrest (possibly a HOFer)
Antonio Margarito (possibly a HOFer)

Boxers who I dubb as from the 1990's eventhough some fought well through the 2000's:
Roy Jones Jr.
Bernard Hopkins
Oscar De La Hoya
Ike Quartey (possibly a HOFer)
Junior Jones (possibly a HOFer)
Evander Holyfield
Riddick Bowe
Lennox Lewis
David Tua (possibly a HOFer)
Julio Cesar Chavez
Hector "Macho" Camacho
Pernell Whitaker
Naseem Hamed (possibly a HOFer)
Meldrick Taylor
Gerry Penalosa (possibly a HOFer)
Manuel Medina (possibly a HOFer)
Johnny Tapia
Ricardo "Finito" Lopez

 

The 1980's was totally better than the 90s or now. The 1970's opened up everything for the 1980's like it was one big decade those 20 years. You had Ali,Frazier,Foreman,Norton,Leonard,Hearns,Duran,Hagler.

 

If you are talking about mainstream relevance, there is no contest - 1970s-80s during the time of the HWs. Network, regular stadium sellout (no 50k out of 100k), headlines in front page newspapers, etc (even today boxing struggles to be the headline in the front page), etc.

I give the 1970s a slight edge.

If you are talking about talent level the 2000s competes well with other decades.

 

I say the 70's and 80's. So many fans, especially the casual ones were really tuned in because the HW div. was packed w/ big names, not to mention the lower div. w/ the likes of Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Duran, just to name a few. Titles really meant something in those days.

 

Good Post buddy.:good

 

70's then 80's.

How people can seriously think 2000's is the biggest time for boxing is beyond me. If there right its a very sad time for Boxing!

Chuckin out a few names....

Pacquaio,De La Hoya, Mayweather.

Sure these are great now but there so current thats when there reputations are at their hottest. give it 30 years when theyv cooled down abit. then see if they compare to ali,frazier,foreman or duran,hagler,leonard?

 

I am not sure when the peak was since all of us will say the era we were into boxing the most. I say the 1980's although I was into it in the 1970's also. But the 1980's were exciting for me. I cannot comment on the 1950's or 1960's as far as feeling. The 1940's seemed like a big time for boxing from what I have read. I do know that from the 1980 to now there has been a decline each decade. 1980's were big in boxing, and the 1990's were much less than the 1980's. The legends of the 80's like Hearns and Duran still fought regularly , but Hagler and Ray had retired or had bad comebacks, and the top guys in the 1990's did not have as much excitement as the four guys in the 80s Leonard,Hearns,Duran and Hagler. I do not think anyone will disagree with that, and the last decade from 2000 to 2010 has not been great. One of the best fighters of that decade was past 40 years old-Hopkins. How great is an era when Bernard was the top guy past 40.

 

I guess if the 2000s will be known for anything it is the further internationalization (wooo long word!) of the sport. Countries all over the world, but especially the fall of the Iron Curtain which opened up many Eastern European boxers to professional boxing. Also the expanded use of the internet.

 

I also think that boxing is having to compete with other sports more so than before. Look at the growth of the NBA, NFL, Baseball, Soccer, Hockey, Tennis, MMA, Extreme sports, and etc. I'm not a 100% sure, but I think boxing had less competition back then as today, and that's why it was probably more mainstream back then. Now before anyone puts me on a firing squad and blindfolds me, boxing may have its highest peak today actually (I really don't know), but it's just that other sports are overshadowing it, and making it look like boxing is at a low. I hope what I said doesn't offend anyone, it is just a hypothesis that I am throwing out there. I dont' have all the facts to back it up. It's just a thought to consider. That's all.