Best heavyweights of the 1980s

[DrDuke]

We had similar threads about the 90s and the 2000s, so why not to do it with the 80s?

Here's my rating based only on 80s achievements:

1. Mike Tyson - an undisputed champ, defeated almost all available best opposition of his times including rusted and past prime, but still holding a big name Larry Holmes.
2. Larry Holmes - a lineal champ, was fairly recognised as the leader of the division, defeated almost all available best opposition of his times.
3. Michael Spinks - a lineal champ, defeated Holmes twice, once controversially though. Battered Cooney.
4. Tim Witherspoon - 2-time World champ, won Page for WBC and Tubbs for WBA. Gave Holmes a very tough fight, knocked out rising Bruno. Had a 1-1 rivalry with Bonecrusher Smith, KOed Tillis in the 1st.
5. Pinklon Thomas - won WBA vs Witherspoon by MD, but ranked below due to smaller amount of big wins. KOed Tillis, Weaver, drawn with Coetzee.
6. Bonecrusher Smith - avenged a loss to Witherspoon by knocking him out in the 1st for WBA. Knocked Weaver out also in the 1st. Knocked rising Bruno out. Troubled Holmes before being stopped on a cut, didn't allowed Tyson to KO him not in a very clean fight.
7. Michael Dokes - won WBA by knocking Weaver out in the 1st and then retained it by controversially scoring draw with the same Weaver. Scalps of Ocasio, Cobb.
8. Mike Weaver - won WBA by scoring a comeback knockout over John Tate. Also KOed Coetzee and Carl Williams. Awarded Tillis with his first loss. Arguably drawn with Dokes in their second fight.
9. Tony Tubbs - won WBA vs Page, scalps of not so young Jimmy Young, Bonecrusher Smith.
10. Tony Tucker - stopped Douglas for IBF, won not so young Jimmy Young, rocked Tyson early and survived to the final bell.
11. Greg Page - knocked out Coetzee for WBA, Scalps of Young, Snipes, LeDoux. Close loss to Witherspoon.
12. Trevor Berbick - outclassed Thomas for WBC, had a scalp of Ali's shadow.
13. Gerrie Coetzee - knocked out Dokes for WBA, drawn with Thomas, scalps of LeDoux, Tillis.
14. Gerry Cooney - no belts, KO wins over some legendary oldmen: Young, Lyle, Norton.
15. Evander Holyfield - was a contender stopping in a row Tillis, Thomas, Dokes, Rodrigues, Stewart.
16. Carl Williams - wasn't a champ, but was robbed vs Holmes for the championship. Had scalps of Tillis, Cooper, Berbick.
17. Frank Bruno - was a contender, had scalps of LeDoux, old Joe Bugner. Knocked Coetzee out in the 1st. Troubled Bonecrusher Smith and rocked Tyson before being KOed in both those fights.
18. Buster Douglas - was a contender with scalps of Cobb, Page, Berbick, McCall.
19. Renaldo Snipes - was somewhere near top, had wins over Coetzee and Berbick. Troubled Holmes despite losing eventually.
20. Marvis Frazier - had a big surname for most, but still had scalps of Tillis, Bugner and Bonecrusher Smith.
21. Donovan Ruddock - was a prospect holding a win over Weaver and a KO win over Bonecrusher Smith.
22. Francesco Damiani - the first WBO champ, KOed Johnny du Plooy for that. The belt became a major one much later though. Aso KOed Tyrell Biggs.
23. Tyrell Biggs - a blown prospect with wins over Tillis, Snipes, Ocasio.
24. Tex Cobb - scalps of old Shavers, Leon Spinks, but generally was losing every big fight.
25. James Tillis - held a scalp of old Shavers too, but was a clear journeyman with tons of losses to bigger names. Became the most famous probably for breaking Tyson's KO sequence, lost to him by decision in a pretty close fight.

[elmersalsa]

Good list.

[HomicideHenry]

#1- Larry Holmes

#2- Mike Tyson

#3- Tim Witherspoon

#4- Gerrie Coetzee

#5- Greg Page

#6- Dynamite Dokes

#7- Tony Tucker

#8- Pinklon Thomas

#9- Gerry Cooney

#10- Michael Spinks