80 Heavyweights -- The lost generation

[slappy]

The decade takes some grief but I remember some pretty good fighters who had a ton of potential (Page, Tubbs, Tucker, Carl Williams and Witherspoon). Many had a lot of problems out of the ring, which may have cut their career short or lowered their ceiling.

Are there any that stand out to you as guys who could have been really special?

The one that stands out to me is Dokes. Quickest hands in the division, good ability, steel chin and, earlier in his career -- could move too.

[Seamus]

Steel chin ?

[jas80s]

I think it's an interesting period as it seems that so many top fighters of the era dealt with issues outside the ring that impacted their careers significantly. Definitely a what might have been feel, would probably make for a fascinating book.

[AntonioMartin]

Steel chin ?

Definitely not steel, but solid enough..

[AntonioMartin]

Tim Witherspoon had the talent to be one of the all time greats, but not the luck or the something else..

[f read]

Witherspoon was hit and miss. He had talent but seemed unmotivated at times. Gerry Cooney i believe could beat the other heavyweights beside Holmes on June 11 1982. This was an era of champions just passing through until Tyson came on the scene. With Tyson it was not how just when. Tony Tubbs i thought was good quick handed and slick. Pinklon Thomas for a few years was decent. Many were just a flash in the pan. Larry Holmes was declining by 1983-84. As mentioned Michael Dokes was good. There are too many what ifs during this decade.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Dokes was good. I always thought tubbs was good too.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

But no better than recent hw title holders like byrd

[hhaehre]

A lot of criticism and ridicule at the time, so I would say they were underrated then, but definitely overrated now. For pure talent I'd go with Witherspoon. Obviously none of them had the psychological makeup needed to be great.

[evrenb]

Buster Douglas Tony Tucker

[slappy]

Buster Douglas Tony Tucker

oh yeah, when Douglas was on, he was something.

[Nile4000]

Greg Page, pre-Berbick.

[cfang]

They were a poor bunch. Some more talented than others but many were not well prepared.

I wouldn't pick many of them against guys from 70s or 90s Dokes would be the best, then the spoon. Tyson came along and cleaned them all up.

I do recall numerous boring title fights with no knockdowns or stoppages mostly involving page, Thomas, spoon, tubbs, berbick.

[Ambling Alp II]

You never knew what you were going to get with these guys. sometimes a guy would come to fight and other guy did not. Sometimes neither would; sometimes both.

There are several guys (Dokes, Witherspoon, Page, Tubbs, Coetzee, Thomas, Berbick, Cooney, Williams, Snipes etc.) who on balance were pretty close.

This period suffers in comparison to the 1970s. However it wasn't that bad. Add Holmes in the early part of the decade and Tyson at the end, and it's decent.

[Bodyshot3]

Witherspoon had a lot of ability and should have gone further....it was a tight fight with Holmes and he boxed beautifully against Bruno despite not really being in great shape. He was still beating ranked heavyweights into the 90s and his career was by no means a disgrace....he got both the WBA and the WBC for short spells.

But Don and Carl King jacked him around and Tim by all accounts became demoralised and was not always the model professional....after beating Bruno at Wembley he got banjaxed by James Smith, a guy he had beaten earlier