Boxers of the decade

[Ezzard]

Below is a list of Monte Cox's fighters of each decade.

[Ezzard]

1900s

Joe Gans

HM: Abe Attell, Jack Johnson, Stanley Ketchel, Tommy Ryan, Joe Walcott

[Ezzard]

1910s

Sam Langford

HM: Jack Britton, Jack Dempsey, Ted 'Kid' Lewis, Freddie Welsh, Jimmy Wilde, Kid Williams

[Ezzard]

1920s

Benny Leonard

HM: Johnny Dundee, Harry Greb, Tommy Loughran, Gene Tunney, Mickey Walker

[Ezzard]

1930s

Joe Louis

HM: Lou Ambers, Henry Armstrong, Tony Canzoneri, Jimmy McLarnin, Barney Ross

[Ezzard]

1940s

Ray Robinson

HM: Charley Burley, Ezzard Charles, Willie Pep, Sandy Saddler, Ike Williams, Tony Zale

[Ezzard]

1950s

Archie Moore

HM: Carmen Basilio, Joe Brown, Gene Fullmer, Kid Gavilan, Rocky Marciano, Pascual Perez, Ike Williams

[Ezzard]

1960s

Muhammad Ali

HM: Nino Benvenuti, Flash Elorde, Emile Griffith, Fighting Harada, Eder Jofre, Carlos Ortiz, Dick Tiger

[Ezzard]

1970s

Roberto Duran

HM: Alexis Arguello, Wilfred benitez, Bob Foster, Wilfredo Gomez, Carlos Monzon, Jose Napoles, Carlos Zarate

[Ezzard]

1980s

Ray Leonard

HM: Julio Cesar Chavez, Don Curry, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Salvador Sanchez, Mike Spinks, Mike Tyson, Aaron Pryor

[Ezzard]

1990s

Roy Jones

HM: Oscar De la Hoya, Naseem Hamed, Evander Holyfield, Tony Lopez, Johnny Tapia, Felix Trinidad, Pernell Whittaker

[Ezzard]

I'd have Greb as the number 1 for the 1920s. I'd swap Curry for Holmes in the 1980s HMs. I'd have Whittaker as number 1 for the 1990s.

[Ezzard]

America, which has dominated much of boxing history falls off the scale in 1960s and 1970s but then comes bacvk again in the 80s... Any thoughts on this?

[Seamus]

I'd pick Gene Tunney as the best fighter of the 20's.

I'll have to check later for notable exclusions.

[elmersalsa]

The majority of Monte Cox's selections are great. I just differ from him in his pick as the best of the 1990s.

To me, IMO, the great Pernell Whitaker was the very best of the 90s decade. He beat better fighters than Roy Jones, Jr.

[Ezzard]

I'd pick Gene Tunney as the best fighter of the 20's.

I'll have to check later for notable exclusions.

Tunney comes in for a lot of criticism these days and is definitely underrated.

[Ezzard]

I also think that of the 1980s Fenech, Pedroza and Nelson should be in before Pryor

[dr_devious]

The only number 1 I would disagree with is Greb at No 1 in the 1920s instead of Benny Leonard

[bjermaine]

mayweather will probably win fighter of this decade unless someone like pacquiao or cotto steps up and has some huge wins. the bwaa named jones the fighter of the the 90s and i believe named leonard fighter of the 80s.

you can argue some of these and change a fighter or two during some of the decades but any way you have it, this is a list of all-time great fighters. there's no question.

i also vote john l. sullivan fighter of the 1880s and bob fitzsimmons fighter of the 1890s.

[Expug]

America, which has dominated much of boxing history falls off the scale in 1960s and 1970s but then comes bacvk again in the 80s... Any thoughts on this?

I think the 76 American Olympic team with all those golds helped generate some real interest in boxing in the US.
Probably sent some kids to the gyms to try to emulate those stars of that team.
And of course a few of the guys on that team were succesful in the 80s.
Amateur boxing was strong here back then .
And that is the farm system of the 80s pros.

[Ezzard]

America, which has dominated much of boxing history falls off the scale in 1960s and 1970s but then comes bacvk again in the 80s... Any thoughts on this?

I think the 76 American Olympic team with all those golds helped generate some real interest in boxing in the US.
Probably sent some kids to the gyms to try to emulate those stars of that team.
And of course a few of the guys on that team were succesful in the 80s.
Amateur boxing was strong here back then .
And that is the farm system of the 80s pros.

What happened in the 60s-70s... Did the rest of the world catch up? Could Vietnam have been a factor in losing young men?

[dajuggernaut]

mayweather will probably win fighter of this decade unless someone like pacquiao or cotto steps up and has some huge wins. the bwaa named jones the fighter of the the 90s and i believe named leonard fighter of the 80s.

It's Mayweather's to lose but other fighters can make a case.
If Pacquiao beats some big names at Lightweight I can see him getting it.
Calzaghe has a case but he will have to beat Jones Jr. and Pavlik for me to consider him #1 and he has said he only wants one fight left.
Cotto will have to beat Margarito, De La Hoya, and Mayweather.

[Ezzard]

mayweather will probably win fighter of this decade unless someone like pacquiao or cotto steps up and has some huge wins. the bwaa named jones the fighter of the the 90s and i believe named leonard fighter of the 80s.

It's Mayweather's to lose but other fighters can make a case.
If Pacquiao beats some big names at Lightweight I can see him getting it.
Calzaghe has a case but he will have to beat Jones Jr. and Pavlik for me to consider him #1 and he has said he only wants one fight left.
Cotto will have to beat Margarito, De La Hoya, and Mayweather.

I'm not sure Calzaghe beating Jones Jr would make that much difference. Roy is in that place now where defeats don't really hurt him. if he wins then it's an amazing victory, if he loses then it's to be expected.

I think Pac should be the number 1 now. His record is better than Mayweather's IMO.

[Poncey]

Maybe I'd have Lynch in amongst the HM for the 1930s.

[Senya13]

1900s
Joe Gans
HM: Abe Attell, Jack Johnson, Stanley Ketchel, Tommy Ryan, Joe Walcott

Ryan, Walcott?
Sam Langford, Packey McFarland