Boxing's greatest year

[goose 5]

What are the boards's choices ? For me, it's 1949: Robinson-Gavilan 2, Pep-Saddler 2, Gavilan-Ike Williams 2 and 3.

[Tony1244]

I like 1976. The Olympics with the 5 American Gold Medals. Unlikely to see that again. Foreman's comeback.

[margaret thatcher]

Muricans had 9 gold medalists in 1984

[elmersalsa]

For me, it was 1982, 1979 or 1978

1978:
Roberto Duran vs Esteban De Jesus III
Leon Spinks vs Muhammad Ali I
Alexis Arguello vs Alfredo Escalera I
Wilfredo Gomez vs Carlos Zarate
Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks II
Danny Lopez vs Juan Domingo Malvarez
Mike Rossman vs Victor Galindez I
Vilomar Fernandez vs Alexis Arguello
Larry Holmes vs Ken Norton

1979:
Ali retires.
Duran relinquishes the lightweight crown.
Wilfred Benitez vs Carlos Palomino
Roberto Duran vs Carlos Palomino
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Andy Price
Wilfredo Gomez vs Carlos Mendoza
Eusebio Pedroza vs Ruben Olivares
Alexis Arguello vs Alfredo Escalera II
Larry Holmes vs Mike Weaver
Matthew Saad Muhammad vs Marvin Johnson II
Larry Holmes vs Earnie Shavers II
Lupe Pintor vs Carlos Zarate
Danny Lopez vs Mike Ayala
Marvin Hagler vs Vito Antuofermo I
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Wilfred Benitez
Marvin Johnson vs Victor Galindez


1982:
Eusebio Pedroza vs Juan LaPorte
Wilfred Benitez vs Roberto Duran
Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini vs Arturo Frias....Mancini becomes champion and accomplished his father's dream.
Larry Holmes vs Gerry Cooney
Aaron Pryor vs Alexis Arguello I
Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini vs Dook Ko Kim
Bobby Chacon vs Rafael "Bazooka" Limon IV
Salvador Sanchez vs Azumah Nelson
Sanchez' death.
Thomas Hearns vs Wilfred Benitez
Wilfredo Gomez vs Lupe Pintor
Sugar Ray retires.
Kirkland Laing vs Roberto Duran

[DrDuke]

1989 also was quite great. Tyson had a more or less competetive fight against Bruno, Holyfield had wars against Dokes and Stewart, there were super entertaining Leonard-Hearns II and Duran-Barkley.


1992 was a great for the HW. There was Holyfield-Bowe I and a lot of other extremely entertaining stuff, like Lewis-Ruddock, Foreman-Stewart, Morrison-Hipp, Moorer-Cooper. Also, there were some big fights in the lower classes, like Barkley-Hearns II, Toney-McCallum II, Nelson-Fenech II. In addition to that future pro stars De La Hoya and Casamayor won at the Olympics. Plus, Savon won his first Olympic gold then.

[Ambling Alp II]

Guess most people are going with fights they saw growing up. Liked that Goose picked a year from farther back, which was a great year indeed.

How about 1952?

Marciano-Walcott I
Moore-Maxim I
Maxim-Robinson
Robinson-Graziano
Gavilian-Graham III

A bit more recent: 1974

Ali-Foreman
Ali-Frazier II
Foreman-Norton
Monzon-Napoles
Duran-DeJesus
Arguello-Olivares

[Duran1970]

Duran / Buchanan was 1972

[evrenb]

I always remembered 1990 being a good year ..but I was a mere lad ....

[Ambling Alp II]

Duran / Buchanan was 1972

Good catch. I edited and put in Dejesus.

[AntonioMartin]

Benitez-Duran
Gomez-Meza
Mancini-Frias
Arguello-Ganigan
Holmes-Cooney
Sanchez-Nelson
Qawi-Saad Muhammad 2
Pryor-Arguello
Gomez-Pintor
Hearns-Benitez
Chacon-Limon 4

All took place in 1982, that's why I say 1982.

[Ambling Alp II]

Certainly has to be considered. would have to go through some fights in an earlier era (say another one from the 1950s or 1960s) and see how many really good matchups there was then.

[Onetimeonly]

Certainly has to be considered. would have to go through some fights in an earlier era (say another one from the 1950s or 1960s) and see how many really good matchups there was then.

4 great fights on that list, though obviously there were more.