BOXING: CHAMPIONS & CONTENDERS (1980 - 1989)

[Zelley]

Aside from the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympics, boxing in the Eighties had its share of great and exciting champions such as Larry Holmes, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard,
Alexis Arguello, Salvador Sanchez and Lupe Pintor. Then there were those many contenders
from the likes of Randall (Tex) Cobb, Tony Sibson, and Yaqui Lopez.

And what about those Commonwealth boxers scattered from Canada to Australia
Some were stars like England's Tony Sibson, Alan Minter, and Maurice Hope,
Canada didn't have many high ranked contenders but we had Trever Berbick,
Gary Summerhays, Chris Clarke, Clyde Gray, and Lennox Lewis.

And who could forget England's own Davey (Boy) Green despite his loss to Ray Leonard in 1980.

But, one sad moment for the decade was the loss of the Welsh Warrior, JOHNNY OWEN
from his title bout with bantamweight champion LUPE PINTOR.

And for the many amateurs that may have lost an early bout remember
the words of Confucious:
"The glory is not in never falling but in rising ever time we fall"

Or from the Brits, the SAS motto: "Who Dares Wins"

[Ezzard]

Some great fighters in that decade.

Who was the fighter of the decade?

Leonard beat a tring of top names. But had a sort of mid decade absence. Hagler has a solid reign as champion as did Holmes. Spinks had a fantastic career. Hearns was up and down the weights and all but avenged his defeat to Leonard. Guys like Gomez were a stalwart of the decade. Then we had the emerging talents of all-time greats like Fenech, Chavez and Whittaker.

I often think though that Salvador Sanchez already had Nelson, Gomez and Lopez as great scalps. He also beat a whole raft of other top fighters... There were fights with Pedroza, rematch with Nelson, Arguello, Chavez, Camacho, Mitchell and Lockridge out there. It was a real tragedy for the decade.

[Nile4000]

It was the decade where many fighters who had the potential to tear it up got derailed by drugs or bad habits.Greg Page and Donald Curry were arguably the top two.

[pazfan1976]

i wonder what you guys think of vinny pazineza and greg haugen

[ringsider]

i wonder what you guys think of vinny pazineza and greg haugen

I liked Haugen, thought he was robbed in the one fight with Pazineza. No use for the Paz, he was a clown with limited ability.

[Randyman]

i wonder what you guys think of vinny pazineza and greg haugen

I think both Pazienza and Haugen were both good fighters with respectable careers but both fell short of being great.Guys like that are what I call second tier fighters. Ironically some of the best fights were put on by second tier fighters. I felt that both Arturo Gotti and Mickey Ward fell into that category but but they both gave us three incredible fights with each other.

[Randyman]

Aside from the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympics, boxing in the Eighties had its share of great and exciting champions such as Larry Holmes, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard,
Alexis Arguello, Salvador Sanchez and Lupe Pintor. Then there were those many contenders
from the likes of Randall (Tex) Cobb, Tony Sibson, and Yaqui Lopez.

And what about those Commonwealth boxers scattered from Canada to Australia
Some were stars like England's Tony Sibson, Alan Minter, and Maurice Hope,
Canada didn't have many high ranked contenders but we had Trever Berbick,
Gary Summerhays, Chris Clarke, Clyde Gray, and Lennox Lewis.

And who could forget England's own Davey (Boy) Green despite his loss to Ray Leonard in 1980.

But, one sad moment for the decade was the loss of the Welsh Warrior, JOHNNY OWEN
from his title bout with bantamweight champion LUPE PINTOR.

And for the many amateurs that may have lost an early bout remember
the words of Confucious:
"The glory is not in never falling but in rising ever time we fall"

Or from the Brits, the SAS motto: "Who Dares Wins"

"Who Dares Wins" I like that. It says it all. Who dares indeed! Don't forget about the other two fighters that died during the eighties (two that I can recall), Kiko Bejines died as a result of being stopped by Alberto Davila in 1983 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, and Duek Koo Kim who died after getting knocked out by Ray Mancini in 1982 at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Also though Roberto Duran was no longer at his peak in the 1980's he was still a factor in some of it's best fights.

[elmersalsa]

The 1980s, what a decade. It could have been a better decade it these things would have or never happened:

1. Sugar Ray Leonard not retired for 3 years
2. Salvador Sanchez would have not died so young...He was only 23.
3. Aaron Pryor would at least "Just say no to drugs"
4. Larry Holmes unifying the world heavyweight title
5. Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard megafight would have been in 1982 instead of 1987.
6. Jose Sulaiman, President of the WBC, should have never changed his mind of 15 rounds to 12 rounds in world title bouts.

But it was a great decade for boxing regardless.

Watching fights of the 80s...Priceless

[Randyman]

The 1980s, what a decade. It could have been a better decade it these things would have or never happened:

1. Sugar Ray Leonard not retired for 3 years
2. Salvador Sanchez would have not died so young...He was only 23.
3. Aaron Pryor would at least "Just say no to drugs"
4. Larry Holmes unifying the world heavyweight title
5. Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard megafight would have been in 1982 instead of 1987.
6. Jose Sulaiman, President of the WBC, should have never changed his mind of 15 rounds to 12 rounds in world title bouts.

But it was a great decade for boxing regardless.

Watching fights of the 80s...Priceless

Great list and I agree 100% but let me just add :

7. Roberto Duran had waited at least six months before giving Sugar Ray Leonard a rematch, lost weight properly and eaten a smaller meal before the fight.

Randy