End of Year HW Top 10 through the Years POLL

[SAPFO]

Here is the EOY Ring Top 10 as long as I’ve been alive.

We are always complaining this era is ‘weak’, but is it?

Which era is the most stacked?

91 & 97 look pretty decent.



1982

Larry Holmes, Champion

Michael Dokes
Mike Weaver
Gerrie Coetzee
Renaldo Snipes
Trevor Berbick
Greg Page
Gerry Cooney
Pinklon Thomas
Randall (Tex) Cobb
Tim Witherspoon






1986

Michael Spinks, Champion

Mike Tyson
James (Bonecrusher) Smith
Pinklon Thomas
Tim Witherspoon
Tony Tubbs
Trevor Berbick
James (Buster) Douglas
Tony Tucker
Frank Bruno
Tyrell Biggs



1988

Mike Tyson, Champion

Evander Holyfield
Carl Williams
Adilson Rodrigues
Tim Witherspoon
Michael Dokes
Razor Ruddock
Tony Tucker
Orlin Norris
James (Buster) Douglas
Francesco Damian




1991

Vacant

Evander Holyfield*
Mike Tyson
Riddick Bowe
Razor Ruddock
Ray Mercer
George Foreman
Tim Witherspoon
Tony Tucker
Lennox Lewis
Michael Moorer



1995

Title Vacant
Riddick Bowe
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Michael Moorer
Evander Holyfield
Bruce Seldon
Frank Bruno
George Foreman
Alexander Zolkin
Henry Akinwande


1997

Vacant

Evander Holyfield
Lennox Lewis
Michael Moorer
Ray Mercer
Tim Witherspoon
George Foreman
Shannon Briggs
Ike Ibeabuchi
David Tua
David Izon




2000

Lennox Lewis, Champion

Wladimir Klitschko
Mike Tyson
Chris Byrd
Hasim Rahman
Kirk Johnson
Evander Holyfield
John Ruiz
Jameel McCline
Fres Oquendo
David Tua


2004

Vitali Klitschko, Champion

Chris Byrd
John Ruiz
Hasim Rahman
James Toney
Monte Barrett
Andrew Golota
Fres Oquendo
Jameel McCline
Corrie Sanders
Lamon Brewster



2007

Title Vacant
Wladimir Klitschko
Samuel Peter
Oleg Maskaev
Ruslan Chagaev
Nikolay Valuev
Sultan Ibragimov
Serguei Lyakhovich
Vladimir Virchis
Tony Thompson
Alexander Povetkin



2010

Wladimir Klitschko, Champion

Vitali Klitschko
Alexander Povetkin
Tomasz Adamek
Eddie Chambers
Alexander Dimitrenko
Robert Helenius
Denis Boytsov
Ruslan Chagaev
Chris Arreola
Kubrat Pulev


2014

Wladimir Klitschko, Champion

Alexander Povetkin
Bermane Stiverne
Tyson Fury
Kubrat Pulev
Bryant Jennings
Deontay Wilder
Vyacheslav Glazkov
Mike Perez. (Why so inactive)
Chris Arreola
Ruslan Chagaev



2017

Tyson Fury, Champion

Anthony Joshua
Deontay Wilder
Joseph Parker
Alexander Povetkin
Luis Ortiz
Kubrat Pulev
Andy Ruiz Jr.
Dillian Whyte
Dominic Breazeale
Jarrell Miller


2023 Boxrec Current 10

Oleksandr Usyk

#2 Anthony Joshua

#3 Joseph Parker

#4 Tyson Fury

#5 Daniel Dubois

#6 Agit Kabayel

#7 Zhilei Zhang

#8 Joe Joyce

#9 Filip Hrgovic

#10 Derek Chisora

[SeanBrennan]

91 and 95 was formidable.

[NazNaci1]

1991, by a fair stretch, though as Sean states, 1995 was pretty loaded, followed by, probably, 1997.

From 2007 up to today, the HW division has been pretty dead, save for a couple of good / very good fighters.

Quality, skilled, hardened fighters have been at an exceptionally scarce premium, for which there are reasons, obviously.

2017 & 2023 are particularly dire, considering.

[SeanBrennan]

1991, by a fair stretch, though as Sean states, 1995 was pretty loaded, followed by, probably, 1997.

From 2007 up to today, the HW division has been pretty dead, save for a couple of good / very good fighters.

Quality, skilled, hardened fighters have been at an exceptionally scarce premium, for which there are reasons, obviously.

2017 & 2023 are particularly dire, considering.

Looking back at the 90s makes the modern era a bit depressing doesn't it. I remember watching the latter half of the 90s as I was born in '84 but definitely did not appreciate it at the time.

[joshj909]

I think a lot of the problem is that most of the guys in the past couple of years have only ever faced one, or sometimes two, top guys. Therefore they're mostly just guys with padded records rather than hardened heavyweights who we acknowledge the skill off. If only they realised that the more they faced high level guys, even if they were favourites to lose, the more chance of an upset and they could end up top of the pile.

[Coco]

It's easy to look back at the past with rose tinted spectacles, but it was pretty poor, Holmes and Tyson had cleaned up weak divisions

[stujones]

It's easy to look back at the past with rose tinted spectacles, but it was pretty poor, Holmes and Tyson had cleaned up weak divisions

Yes and even in the 90s - there was once a photo of the three "main" champions - albeit very briefly and one was later disqualified from it - but it was Bruno, Seldon and Botha! Had Botha not tested positive and FW / Bruno not taking the cash option, Frank might have even unified!

But yeah 1991 was pretty good and remember also there were one "inactive" fighter who would show later that they would have belonged in that 10 - Larry Holmes. Infact Holmes was active in 1991 but beating tomato cans, but in 1992 he whooped Mercer and gave a decent account vs Holyfield.

1995 - why no Oliver McCall?

[Nightmare Roy]

Witherspoon had a good run didn't he.

[polecateddy]

Who voted 2023? Are you on glue?

[knockout]

Who voted 2023? Are you on glue?

Hahahaha

1991 top 10 great all be it some of the guys a bit green or past their best.

But in their prime, you would give even the worst of the 1991 top list a chance of beating the current Top 3.

They were all so much more natural , fluid than the current crop ( Usyk excluded)

[Twinkle Toes]

Been watching a few fights from the 90's and the heavys did let their hands go and could put a decent combination together.

This era is dross in comparison.

[funso banjo baby]

Obviously somewhere between 82-95

I went for 88 and the rise of Tyson and the unification era....but it's close.

Early 90`s had some moments but also some circus nonsense.

Ironically the rise of Tyson coincided with the rise of global ppv sky etc which like the British premier League started off with a golden era but eventually decayed.

The media today have hailed the recent Saudi bill as a historic bill of heavyweight talent but that's an absolute joke. In the 80`s bills were stacked with talent.

I've also observed that from the late 90`s we see a steady rise in rabbit punching, I don't remember much back of the head punching in the golden era....now it's a constant in fights, along with pretend complaints about back of head punching. Messy stuff all round.

[margaret thatcher]

2010 and 2014 are so grim

[tonyevs]

Who voted 2023? Are you on glue?

My guess is Coco. He probably included those tough guys he drinks with in his local

95 gets my vote - the great names of 91 didn't really start fighting each other until around 95, so they hadn't proved themselves really.

In 23 there are lots of household names, but none really has any proven quality .. they kind of like the winner of the tallest midget competition.

[funso banjo baby]

It's also worth noting the decline in US Olympic boxers. That downward line has been reflected in the pro game.

[DrDuke]

91 for sure, no surprise with it's lead.

[SeanBrennan]

It's also worth noting the decline in US Olympic boxers. That downward line has been reflected in the pro game.

Interesting point. Do we know what drove the decline? Improvement in other countries amateur programmes, or movement of potential US ams to other sports?

[Coco]

Who voted 2023? Are you on glue?

My guess is Coco. He probably included those tough guys he drinks with in his local

95 gets my vote - the great names of 91 didn't really start fighting each other until around 95, so they hadn't proved themselves really.

In 23 there are lots of household names, but none really has any proven quality .. they kind of like the winner of the tallest midget competition.

I've got a new year's resolution for you, be more interesting.....

[SAPFO]

It's easy to look back at the past with rose tinted spectacles, but it was pretty poor, Holmes and Tyson had cleaned up weak divisions

Yes and even in the 90s - there was once a photo of the three "main" champions - albeit very briefly and one was later disqualified from it - but it was Bruno, Seldon and Botha! Had Botha not tested positive and FW / Bruno not taking the cash option, Frank might have even unified!

But yeah 1991 was pretty good and remember also there were one "inactive" fighter who would show later that they would have belonged in that 10 - Larry Holmes. Infact Holmes was active in 1991 but beating tomato cans, but in 1992 he whooped Mercer and gave a decent account vs Holyfield.

1995 - why no Oliver McCall?

The 95 rankings were produced early 96, and by that point, McCall had been banned for refusing the drugs test after Bruno previous September if you remember. If you look at 1994, below, his 2nd to George Foreman, which seems crazy and itself really. He just beat Lewis in 94 as well.


Where would we put the Atomic Bull in this era?


1994


Title Vacant

George Foreman
Oliver McCall
Riddick Bowe
Michael Moorer
Lennox Lewis
Herbie Hide
Larry Holmes
Henry Akinwande
Jorge Luis Gonzalez
Lionel Butler

[polecateddy]

It's easy to look back at the past with rose tinted spectacles, but it was pretty poor, Holmes and Tyson had cleaned up weak divisions

Yes and even in the 90s - there was once a photo of the three "main" champions - albeit very briefly and one was later disqualified from it - but it was Bruno, Seldon and Botha! Had Botha not tested positive and FW / Bruno not taking the cash option, Frank might have even unified!

But yeah 1991 was pretty good and remember also there were one "inactive" fighter who would show later that they would have belonged in that 10 - Larry Holmes. Infact Holmes was active in 1991 but beating tomato cans, but in 1992 he whooped Mercer and gave a decent account vs Holyfield.

1995 - why no Oliver McCall?

The 95 rankings were produced early 96, and by that point, McCall had been banned for refusing the drugs test after Bruno previous September if you remember. If you look at 1994, below, his 2nd to George Foreman, which seems crazy and itself really. He just beat Lewis in 94 as well.


Where would we put the Atomic Bull in this era?


1994


Title Vacant

George Foreman
Oliver McCall
Riddick Bowe
Michael Moorer
Lennox Lewis
Herbie Hide
Larry Holmes
Henry Akinwande
Jorge Luis Gonzalez
Lionel Butler

Gonzalez and Butler were clearly pants. Larry Donald would be above Holmes but behind Akinwande. McCall about 5th or 6th.