The 10 Best Fighters of the 1980s

[elmersalsa]

Greetings folks. This is my compilation in doing my research of the 10 best fighters pound per pound of the 1980s decade. A glamorous decade in boxing of welterweight and middleweight boxing greats making heavyweight champion's purses. It was breakthrough of weight classes below heavyweight that cashed in big time in big time fights, e.g. Duran vs Leonard I, Pryor vs Arguello I, Sanchez vs Gomez and Hagler vs Hearns.

A very talented era that I wished that there were more big fights to materialize like Leonard vs Pryor, Pedroza vs Sanchez and Chandler vs Pintor. But, nevertheless, it was a great era in boxing in my view. The top 10 best fighters of the 80s, pound per pound:

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Mike Tyson
3. Julio Cesar Chavez
4. Marvelous Marvin Hagler
5. Salvador Sanchez
6. Michael Spinks
7. Larry Holmes
8. Thomas Hearns
9. Azumah Nelson
10. Roberto Duran

Honorary mention and who I left out and it hurt me I did:
Eusebio Pedroza
Mike McCallum
Hector "Macho" Camacho
Wilfredo Gomez
Evander Holyfield
Myung Woo Yuh
Koxai Galaxy
Jung Koo Chang
Pernell Whitaker
Edwin "Chapo" Rosario

[elmersalsa]

Please make your comments in a decent manner. Also in your comment, pick in your post, the best fighter if the 80s decade in your opinion, and why. Let's begin the debate.

[elmersalsa]

Damn, I forgot about the great Aaron Pryor in the honorary mention. See? Lots of great boxers the 80s gave us. It was a fun decade in boxing.

How could I forget The Cincinnati Hawk?

[Tony1244]

Greetings folks. This is my compilation in doing my research of the 10 best fighters pound per pound of the 1980s decade. A glamorous decade in boxing of welterweight and middleweight boxing greats making heavyweight champion's purses. It was breakthrough of weight classes below heavyweight that cashed in big time in big time fights, e.g. Duran vs Leonard I, Pryor vs Arguello I, Sanchez vs Gomez and Hagler vs Hearns.

A very talented era that I wished that there were more big fights to materialize like Leonard vs Pryor, Pedroza vs Sanchez and Chandler vs Pintor. But, nevertheless, it was a great era in boxing in my view. The top 10 best fighters of the 80s, pound per pound:

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Mike Tyson
3. Julio Cesar Chavez
4. Marvelous Marvin Hagler
5. Salvador Sanchez
6. Michael Spinks
7. Larry Holmes
8. Thomas Hearns
9. Azumah Nelson
10. Roberto Duran

Honorary mention and who I left out and it hurt me I did:
Eusebio Pedroza
Mike McCallum
Hector "Macho" Camacho
Wilfredo Gomez
Evander Holyfield
Myung Woo Yuh
Koxai Galaxy
Jung Koo Chang
Pernell Whitaker
Edwin "Chapo" Rosario

You've got to put Holyfield and Whitaker in the top 10. But then who would you take out? I feel your (pain) hurt.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Hearns should be way higher. Chavez is far too high for the 80's. No scenario where he should rate over Tommy in that decade. Tyson either. You can make a case for Hearns at #1, even with the losses to hagler and Leonard.

[Counter-puncher]

Only had a quick look but I cant see Rosario as top 20

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Jeff Chandler, Arguello & Orlando Canizales should be in the honorable mentions.

[BoxBuzz]

Hearns should be way higher. Chavez is far too high for the 80's. No scenario where he should rate over Tommy in that decade. Tyson either. You can make a case for Hearns at #1, even with the losses to hagler and Leonard.

This coming from a guy who has never really appreciated Hearns skills and talents.

[BoxBuzz]

Damn, I forgot about the great Aaron Pryor in the honorary mention. See? Lots of great boxers the 80s gave us. It was a fun decade in boxing.

How could I forget The Cincinnati Hawk?

It was your christmas blessing if only for a day or two. Sadly sounds like you've returned to your unbalanced assessment on this subject. But this too shall pass.

He belongs no where near a top ten list........

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Hearns should be way higher. Chavez is far too high for the 80's. No scenario where he should rate over Tommy in that decade. Tyson either. You can make a case for Hearns at #1, even with the losses to hagler and Leonard.

This coming from a guy who has never really appreciated Hearns skills and talents.

LOL, no question he's my favorite, but that entire decade was his wheelhouse. Cuevas, Leonard, Benitez, Andries, Duran, etc..

I won't argue with leonard at #1, Tyson and Chavez at 2 & 3 are laughable.

[Counter-puncher]

Jeff Chandler, Arguello & Orlando Canizales should be in the honorable mentions.

Canizales? It struck me as slightly odd call soni thought id remind myself of his record to see what I was missing

I'm still no wiser, I'm seeing seabrooks and a.couple of billy hardy fights which from memory Brits claim one was a robbery, and ummmm, I'm not seeing a top.20 type.resume, and you're normally a.resume guy pretty much, so ummmm...

What am I missing?

[Counter-puncher]

Zaragoza strikes me as.closer to HM than canizales, admittedly I'm biased

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Jeff Chandler, Arguello & Orlando Canizales should be in the honorable mentions.

Canizales? It struck me as slightly odd call soni thought id remind myself of his record to see what I was missing

I'm still no wiser, I'm seeing seabrooks and a.couple of billy hardy fights which from memory Brits claim one was a robbery, and ummmm, I'm not seeing a top.20 type.resume, and you're normally a.resume guy pretty much, so ummmm...

What am I missing?

You didn't miss anything, my time frame was way off. His resume isn't the greatest, but he had a long sustained period of excellence. I rate that too, just not as much.

[BoxBuzz]

Hearns should be way higher. Chavez is far too high for the 80's. No scenario where he should rate over Tommy in that decade. Tyson either. You can make a case for Hearns at #1, even with the losses to hagler and Leonard.

This coming from a guy who has never really appreciated Hearns skills and talents.

LOL, no question he's my favorite, but that entire decade was his wheelhouse. Cuevas, Leonard, Benitez, Andries, Duran, etc..

I won't argue with leonard at #1, Tyson and Chavez at 2 & 3 are laughable.

When you are going pound for pound it's hard to include a HW, I think the human body sort of peaks out around welterweight.
Blow up the best of the WW's in ratio, to the HW division, and I think monsters would be roaming the division dining on every one who made it to that weight naturally.

Look at Tyson F. and the K'co's. They look like albatrosses ...shrink them down, put them up against a WW like SRL,SRR, Duran or a (roughly) a SWW like Hearns, and tell me they last more than a few rounds. The best of them......Ali, Foreman, Frazier,Holmes, maybe Tyson if he had a healed psyche...could MAYBE hang with them and see the bell, but not likely at all to carry the day. IMHO.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

This coming from a guy who has never really appreciated Hearns skills and talents.

LOL, no question he's my favorite, but that entire decade was his wheelhouse. Cuevas, Leonard, Benitez, Andries, Duran, etc..

I won't argue with leonard at #1, Tyson and Chavez at 2 & 3 are laughable.

When you are going pound for pound it's hard to include a HW, I think the human body sort of peaks out around welterweight.
Blow up the best of the WW's in ratio, to the HW division, and I think monsters would be roaming the division dining on every one who made it to that weight naturally.

Look at Tyson F. and the K'co's. They look like albatrosses ...shrink them down, put them up against a WW like SRL,SRR, Duran or a (roughly) a SWW like Hearns, and tell me they last more than a few rounds. The best of them......Ali, Foreman, Frazier,Holmes, maybe Tyson if he had a healed psyche...could MAYBE hang with them and see the bell, but not likely at all to carry the day. IMHO.

Tyson rates over Tommy in no way. I just assumed this was resume based, either way Mike and JCC over Hearns is silly.

[BoxBuzz]

LOL, no question he's my favorite, but that entire decade was his wheelhouse. Cuevas, Leonard, Benitez, Andries, Duran, etc..

I won't argue with leonard at #1, Tyson and Chavez at 2 & 3 are laughable.

When you are going pound for pound it's hard to include a HW, I think the human body sort of peaks out around welterweight.
Blow up the best of the WW's in ratio, to the HW division, and I think monsters would be roaming the division dining on every one who made it to that weight naturally.

Look at Tyson F. and the K'co's. They look like albatrosses ...shrink them down, put them up against a WW like SRL,SRR, Duran or a (roughly) a SWW like Hearns, and tell me they last more than a few rounds. The best of them......Ali, Foreman, Frazier,Holmes, maybe Tyson if he had a healed psyche...could MAYBE hang with them and see the bell, but not likely at all to carry the day. IMHO.

Tyson rates over Tommy in no way. I just assumed this was resume based, either way Mike and JCC over Hearns is silly.

Once again this is Elmer's hypothetical, but am I wrong to think that Whitaker could be considered in this group? JCC is #3, but his daddy aint listed?
Cmon....and "regrets" that there is no place for Pryor.....I'm just left wonderin wassup.

[Counter-puncher]

This coming from a guy who has never really appreciated Hearns skills and talents.

LOL, no question he's my favorite, but that entire decade was his wheelhouse. Cuevas, Leonard, Benitez, Andries, Duran, etc..

I won't argue with leonard at #1, Tyson and Chavez at 2 & 3 are laughable.

When you are going pound for pound it's hard to include a HW, I think the human body sort of peaks out around welterweight.
Blow up the best of the WW's in ratio, to the HW division, and I think monsters would be roaming the division dining on every one who made it to that weight naturally.

Look at Tyson F. and the K'co's. They look like albatrosses ...shrink them down, put them up against a WW like SRL,SRR, Duran or a (roughly) a SWW like Hearns, and tell me they last more than a few rounds. The best of them......Ali, Foreman, Frazier,Holmes, maybe Tyson if he had a healed psyche...could MAYBE hang with them and see the bell, but not likely at all to carry the day. IMHO.

I would tend to agree that there seems to be some kind of point in the boxing weights where skill-levels can only seem to regress as the weight goes above that point. Just on the eye-test kinda thing. Like what Leonard did to hagler, fought a middleweight using a welterweights skillset. Sort of.

[elmersalsa]

The great Mike Tyson was the personality boxer of the 80s. From America to Australia, all around the world, he was known. He was the heavyweight of the 80s. Like the greats Jack Dempsey in the roaring 20s, Joe Louis in the 1930s and Muhammad Ali in the 60s, Tyson was the main man at heavyweight. The Baddest Man in the Planet.

[elmersalsa]

The great Julio Cesar Chavez was 68-0 in the 80s decade. Won 3 world titles in 3 weight classes, beating top notch opposition. One of the most underrated boxers of the decade. Maybe was because he came after his country man Salvador Sanchez as the top dog of Mexican boxers.

He was the first Mexican ever to win 3 world crowns in 3 different weight classes.

He destroyed lightweight champ Edwin "Chapo" Rosario. It was a masterpiece.

[BoxBuzz]

The great Julio Cesar Chavez was 68-0 in the 80s decade. Won 3 world titles in 3 weight classes, beating top notch opposition. One of the most underrated boxers of the decade. Maybe was because he came after his country man Salvador Sanchez as the top dog of Mexican boxers.

He was the first Mexican ever to win 3 world crowns in 3 different weight classes.

He destroyed lightweight champ Edwin "Chapo" Rosario. It was a masterpiece.

Don King was a bit helpful with him maintaining that remarkable run. But Whitaker beat him soundly, and it mystifies me that you don't have him on your list. Or is that what he gets for embarrassing JCC?

Or....(and I mean this more seriously) was Whitaker's time line a bit off to be considered in your 80's list?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The great Julio Cesar Chavez was 68-0 in the 80s decade. Won 3 world titles in 3 weight classes, beating top notch opposition. One of the most underrated boxers of the decade. Maybe was because he came after his country man Salvador Sanchez as the top dog of Mexican boxers.

He was the first Mexican ever to win 3 world crowns in 3 different weight classes.

He destroyed lightweight champ Edwin "Chapo" Rosario. It was a masterpiece.

Julio won titles in 2 divisions in the 80's, Tommy won titles in 5. Lmao

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Then again Rosario was greater than benitez, Leonard and Duran. Elmo, once in a blue moon you should just admit you talked out of your ass and are woefully wrong. Edit: thinking about, JCC did get his 3 in the 80's, his signature 'win' was in 1990. As far as opposition, he fought club fighters compared to hearns.

[gilgamesh]

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Marvin Hagler
3. Mike Tyson
4. Thomas Hearns
5. Larry Holmes
6. Michael Spinks
7. Arron Pryor
8. Khaosai Galaxy
9. Evander Holyfield
10. Wilfred Benitez

[elmersalsa]

The great Julio Cesar Chavez was 68-0 in the 80s decade. Won 3 world titles in 3 weight classes, beating top notch opposition. One of the most underrated boxers of the decade. Maybe was because he came after his country man Salvador Sanchez as the top dog of Mexican boxers.

He was the first Mexican ever to win 3 world crowns in 3 different weight classes.

He destroyed lightweight champ Edwin "Chapo" Rosario. It was a masterpiece.

Don King was a bit helpful with him maintaining that remarkable run. But Whitaker beat him soundly, and it mystifies me that you don't have him on your list. Or is that what he gets for embarrassing JCC?

Or....(and I mean this more seriously) was Whitaker's time line a bit off to be considered in your 80's list?

Yes, the great Pernell Whitaker time line in the 80s decade was a little bit off. He had a greater resume and better success in the 90s

[elmersalsa]

Then again Rosario was greater than benitez, Leonard and Duran. Elmo, once in a blue moon you should just admit you talked out of your ass and are woefully wrong. Edit: thinking about, JCC did get his 3 in the 80's, his signature 'win' was in 1990. As far as opposition, he fought club fighters compared to hearns.

Thomas Hearns was a bonafide superstar and a great fighter but he lost the two biggest fights of his career. No shame in losing to Sugar Ray and Marvelous. But, he failed twice in two of the biggest and most anticipated fights of the decade.

Julio Cesar Chavez greatest win came in 1990, but his masterpiece against Edwin "Chapo" Rosario was too great to ignore. Plus, he was undefeated in the decade in 68 contests. Some feat.