Light Heavy Weight Division in the late 70's and early 80's.

[Harvey Levy]

To me one of the most exiting periods in boxing was during the late 1970's to early 80's in which an often under represented LHW division gave the boxing fan numerous exiting fights.

The division was loaded with talent and they often fought each other to give us memorable fights.

The most notable fighters of the era were;

Victor Galindez, Matthew (Franklyn) Saad Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Dwight (Braxton) Muhammad Qawi, and finally Michael Spinks. Other very good fighters were Mike Rossman, Yaqui Lopez (my favorite), Eddie (Gregory) Mustafa Muhammad and John Conteh.

At which division was your favorite period of boxing?

[Expug]

That was a great era for the Light heavies.
Yaqui Lopez was one of my favoeitefighters also.
Jesse Burnett was a guy I appreciated also.
A guy I used to spar with once in awhile fought Yaqui. His name was Chuck Warfield.

[TheOneIsHere2008]

To me one of the most exiting periods in boxing was during the late 1970's to early 80's in which an often under represented LHW division gave the boxing fan numerous exiting fights.

The division was loaded with talent and they often fought each other to give us memorable fights.

The most notable fighters of the era were;

Victor Galindez, Matthew (Franklyn) Saad Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Dwight (Braxton) Muhammad Qawi, and finally Michael Spinks. Other very good fighters were Mike Rossman, Yaqui Lopez (my favorite), Eddie (Gregory) Mustafa Muhammad and John Conteh.

At which division was your favorite period of boxing?

Without a doubt, 60 and 70s heavies and 80's welterweights and middleweights...

[Harvey Levy]

That was a great era for the Light heavies.
Yaqui Lopez was one of my favoeitefighters also.
Jesse Burnett was a guy I appreciated also.
A guy I used to spar with once in awhile fought Yaqui. His name was Chuck Warfield.

Yaqui was always in a war, that's what I like about the guy. His one loss that really stunned me was to jailbird smart mouth James Scott. I hated that guy....BTW, did you knock out your buddy?

[Expug]

That was a great era for the Light heavies.
Yaqui Lopez was one of my favoeitefighters also.
Jesse Burnett was a guy I appreciated also.
A guy I used to spar with once in awhile fought Yaqui. His name was Chuck Warfield.

Yaqui was always in a war, that's what I like about the guy. His one loss that really stunned me was to jailbird smart mouth James Scott. I hated that guy....BTW, did you knock out your buddy?

Chuck was quite a few years older , we just went a few rounds, nothing memorable happened really.
He fought Yaqui in Stockton which is Yaquis hometown. Yaqui belted him out of there in a few rounds.
Chuck wasnt in his league.
You should checkout the West Coast thread here .
I believe there is some stuff about Yaqui in there.

[Harvey Levy]

To me one of the most exiting periods in boxing was during the late 1970's to early 80's in which an often under represented LHW division gave the boxing fan numerous exiting fights.

The division was loaded with talent and they often fought each other to give us memorable fights.

The most notable fighters of the era were;

Victor Galindez, Matthew (Franklyn) Saad Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Dwight (Braxton) Muhammad Qawi, and finally Michael Spinks. Other very good fighters were Mike Rossman, Yaqui Lopez (my favorite), Eddie (Gregory) Mustafa Muhammad and John Conteh.

At which division was your favorite period of boxing?

Without a doubt, 60 and 70s heavies and 80's welterweights and middleweights...

Yeah, I always cheered for anyone to crush Ali so that made that era exciting for me too. I hated the guy back then but I learned to appreciate his skills both as a boxer and a showman as I mellowed out with age. The elimination series of bouts to determine Ali's successor was pretty exiting too. I was a big Bonavena fan but a local (Miami) HW Jimmy Ellis really surprised everyone. I think that list had Bonavena, Karl Mildenberger, Ellis, Leotis Martin, Thad Spencer, Jerry Quarry, Flyd Patterson and Ernie Terrell.

Remember that Ellis - Patterson title fight in Stockholm? I think Patterson got robbed.

[Harvey Levy]

That was a great era for the Light heavies.
Yaqui Lopez was one of my favoeitefighters also.
Jesse Burnett was a guy I appreciated also.
A guy I used to spar with once in awhile fought Yaqui. His name was Chuck Warfield.

Yaqui was always in a war, that's what I like about the guy. His one loss that really stunned me was to jailbird smart mouth James Scott. I hated that guy....BTW, did you knock out your buddy?

Chuck was quite a few years older , we just went a few rounds, nothing memorable happened really.
He fought Yaqui in Stockton which is Yaquis hometown. Yaqui belted him out of there in a few rounds.
Chuck wasnt in his league.
You should checkout the West Coast thread here .
I believe there is some stuff about Yaqui in there.

O. K., I will. Thanks!!

[TheOneIsHere2008]

I remember when Bob Foster fought Ali... He was the first fighter to cut Ali and make him need stitches...

Foster also said of Ali no man that big should have been so fast...

I just realized this is a late seventies thread...

[TheOneIsHere2008]

To me one of the most exiting periods in boxing was during the late 1970's to early 80's in which an often under represented LHW division gave the boxing fan numerous exiting fights.

The division was loaded with talent and they often fought each other to give us memorable fights.

The most notable fighters of the era were;

Victor Galindez, Matthew (Franklyn) Saad Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Dwight (Braxton) Muhammad Qawi, and finally Michael Spinks. Other very good fighters were Mike Rossman, Yaqui Lopez (my favorite), Eddie (Gregory) Mustafa Muhammad and John Conteh.

At which division was your favorite period of boxing?

Without a doubt, 60 and 70s heavies and 80's welterweights and middleweights...

Yeah, I always cheered for anyone to crush Ali so that made that era exciting for me too. I hated the guy back then but I learned to appreciate his skills both as a boxer and a showman as I mellowed out with age. The elimination series of bouts to determine Ali's successor was pretty exiting too. I was a big Bonavena fan but a local (Miami) HW Jimmy Ellis really surprised everyone. I think that list had Bonavena, Karl Mildenberger, Ellis, Leotis Martin, Thad Spencer, Jerry Quarry, Flyd Patterson and Ernie Terrell.

Remember that Ellis - Patterson title fight in Stockholm? I think Patterson got robbed.

Did you live in Miami? I missed Ali by about ten minutes...But the story only makes sense if you are familiar with Miami in the mid 70's...

[Expug]

I have not seen any of the Yaqui Lopez - Jesse Burnett fights but they must have been good.
They fought 4 times .Twice for the California State Title.
They went 2-2 overall.
You dont hear about this rivalry too much.

[Harvey Levy]

Did you live in Miami? I missed Ali by about ten minutes...But the story only makes sense if you are familiar with Miami in the mid 70's...

Sorry..I don't follow what you mean.

[TheOneIsHere2008]

Did you live in Miami? I missed Ali by about ten minutes...But the story only makes sense if you are familiar with Miami in the mid 70's...

Sorry..I don't follow what you mean.

You mentioned Miami...If you lived in Miami or visited in the 70's my littel story of how I almost met Ali would make sense...

My mom did meet him and said he was very gracious and personable...I have his autograph framed...It means more to me because it has my name on it...

[Harvey Levy]

Did you live in Miami? I missed Ali by about ten minutes...But the story only makes sense if you are familiar with Miami in the mid 70's...

Sorry..I don't follow what you mean.

You mentioned Miami...If you lived in Miami or visited in the 70's my littel story of how I almost met Ali would make sense...

My mom did meet him and said he was very gracious and personable...I have his autograph framed...It means more to me because it has my name on it...

O. K...

[TheOneIsHere2008]

Did you live in Miami? I missed Ali by about ten minutes...But the story only makes sense if you are familiar with Miami in the mid 70's...

Sorry..I don't follow what you mean.

You mentioned Miami...If you lived in Miami or visited in the 70's my littel story of how I almost met Ali would make sense...

My mom did meet him and said he was very gracious and personable...I have his autograph framed...It means more to me because it has my name on it...

O. K...Sorry, but I missed your story. How does it go? I would be familiar to your story since I've lived in Miami for 38 years. I'm a transplanted South Carolinian.

I used to live in Sunny Isles in the mid 70s...There was a game room in the Marco Poloi Hotel where I used to play pool...In the lower level was a club called The Swinger Lounge...This was 1976 and Melba Moore was performing there... Sometimes my buddies and I would hang out outside The Lounge to watch the people coming in since were underage and couldn't get in ourselves... One time we went down there and the bouncers told use we missed Ali by about ten minutes...Him and his entourage were there to see Melba Moore...

My friend lives in Weston and used to see Dan Marino and Angelo Dundee all the time...

[Big Bad John]

While I don't think that the late 1970s light heavyweights were the best crop the division's ever seen, they sure were the most exciting. For the best, I'd go with the late 1920s:

• Gene Tunney
• Harry Greb
• Tommy Loughran
• Tommy Gibbons
• Maxie Rosenbloom
• Georges Carpentier
• Jack Delaney
• Paul Berlenbach
• Mike McTigue

I mean, a great fighter like Jim Braddock was basically lost in the division. Also take a look at the 1940s. The middleweight division of that era was better than the light heavyweight division, but look at some of the names:

• Ezzard Charles
• Archie Moore
• Lloyd Marshall
• Joey Maxim
• Jake LaMotta
• Curtis Sheppard
• Jimmy Bivins
• Harold Johnson
• Billy Conn

[Collins2000]

While I don't think that the late 1970s light heavyweights were the best crop the division's ever seen, they sure were the most exciting. For the best, I'd go with the late 1920s:

• Gene Tunney
• Harry Greb
• Tommy Loughran
• Tommy Gibbons
• Maxie Rosenbloom
• Georges Carpentier
• Jack Delaney
• Paul Berlenbach
• Mike McTigue

I mean, a great fighter like Jim Braddock was basically lost in the division. Also take a look at the 1940s. The middleweight division of that era was better than the light heavyweight division, but look at some of the names:

• Ezzard Charles
• Archie Moore
• Lloyd Marshall
• Joey Maxim
• Jake LaMotta
• Curtis Sheppard
• Jimmy Bivins
• Harold Johnson
• Billy Conn

Zac,didn't you claim you wanted to spend less time on the 'net as it was rotting what's left of your mind?

Yet, every time I log on you seem to be making a fool of yourself in every thread in here.

Turn the computer off, mate and spend some time with your kid.

You'll thank me for this one day.

[Ambling Alp]

To me one of the most exiting periods in boxing was during the late 1970's to early 80's in which an often under represented LHW division gave the boxing fan numerous exiting fights.

The division was loaded with talent and they often fought each other to give us memorable fights.

The most notable fighters of the era were;

Victor Galindez, Matthew (Franklyn) Saad Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Dwight (Braxton) Muhammad Qawi, and finally Michael Spinks. Other very good fighters were Mike Rossman, Yaqui Lopez (my favorite), Eddie (Gregory) Mustafa Muhammad and John Conteh.

At which division was your favorite period of boxing?

This was a great era in the division. A couple of people mentioned James Scott and Jesse Burnett. There was also Jerry "The Bull" Martin, Maury Sutherland, and Richie Kates.

A lot of good and very good fighters here. a lot of great, exciting fights. This is one of the most overlooked era's in a given weight division.

[Harvey Levy]

While I don't think that the late 1970s light heavyweights were the best crop the division's ever seen, they sure were the most exciting. For the best, I'd go with the late 1920s:

• Gene Tunney
• Harry Greb
• Tommy Loughran
• Tommy Gibbons
• Maxie Rosenbloom
• Georges Carpentier
• Jack Delaney
• Paul Berlenbach
• Mike McTigue

I mean, a great fighter like Jim Braddock was basically lost in the division. Also take a look at the 1940s. The middleweight division of that era was better than the light heavyweight division, but look at some of the names:

• Ezzard Charles
• Archie Moore
• Lloyd Marshall
• Joey Maxim
• Jake LaMotta
• Curtis Sheppard
• Jimmy Bivins
• Harold Johnson
• Billy Conn

Good points but I would add Charley Burley to the MW list and subtract Bivins and Conn. I mean, Bivins began as a MW in 1940 but fought at about 180 thereafter. Billy Conn last fought as a MW against Teddy Yarosz in July 1938.

[Big Bad John]

That second list is of light heavyweights of the 1940s. I apologize for the ambiguous wording. True, most of those fighters did start out at middleweight, but they made their names at light heavyweight as well. Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore are arguably 1 and 2 at 175. Bivins and Conn are also top-10. Johnson and Maxim are arguably top-15, and Sheppard, LaMotta and Marshall simply terrorized the division. Marshall knocked out Ezzard Charles and beat Joey Maxim. Sheppard arguably hit harder than any fighter under 175 pounds. And LaMotta was a ranked light heavyweight who would've been a top fighter at that weight if it hadn't been for the Fox dive.