Why do People on forums/comments constantly claim the Heavyweight division is weak?

[klitoris]

People who honestly think this era is weak are being ridiculous.
- Fury beat a prime Wlad, beat Wilder (who had more title defences that Vitaliy). Yeah, he doesn't really have anything that impressive on his record after that (apart from maybe the first Chisora fight when they were both undefeated), but he's a lock HOFamer and could have beaten any ATG with that skillset at his size.
-Joshua had one of the best HW fights of all time with Wlad, demolished Martin, unified the division (3 belt holder) against really good HWs like Parker, and had that impressive win against Povetkin. And he's a fringe HOFamer IMO and an Olympic gold medalist.
- Usyk is arguably a top 5-10 HW of all time after moving to the division from Cruiserweight (and he's basically the best Cruiserweight of all time) and an ATG, not to mention all the incredible amateur boxing accomplishments.
- Then you add guys like Wilder (obviously washed now but in the recent past he was good), Parker, Ruiz, Dubois as well as the young guys coming up right now...

There's never really such a thing as an era, strictly speaking, because every era intersects with the previous era and the next era. But if we look at the guys at the top in the last 6-8 years who inherited the HW crown from the Wlad era, then it's clear this era is definitely stronger than the previous one and definitely very respectable in HW history.

39 year old Klitschko was in his prime? Joshua-Klitschko one of the best HW fights of all time? It wasn't even the best heavyweight fight of that year.

Yeah it's true Wlad wasn't prime in Fury fight, but Joshua-Klit was one of the great HW fights of all time. And it was the Ring fight of the year in 2017. So idk what you're talking about.

[gilgamesh]

Joshua vs Klit is probably the most entertaining bout that either one of them were ever in I'd say.

Well...scratch that. Joshua vs Andy Ruiz 1 was pretty damn fun also.

[zorndeslammes]

Was Ali the #1 Heavyweight of all time while he was the Active Champion? Like did people give him that accolade or did it only come later when he wasn't active.

Boxing fans have a habit of not appreciating guys until they're gone, and the next guy isn't able to fill his shoes.

I mean, we can answer that. It's not like the magazines and newspapers all dissolved; people have them. Ali obtained those accolades after he had earned them. Nobody considered him that in '67, but '78 wasn't '67.

[zorndeslammes]

This comment all day long. The issue with the HW division is it's shallow as hell . . .coming into fights obese is routine now even for top 10 fighters. No fighter under 6'6 should be weighing above 250 lbs.

I had people in my DMs convinced that Tyson Fury couldn't be beaten by any fighter in history and I was telling them post Wilder "Usyk and Joshua aren't Deontay Wilder." If I had to guess, their interpretation of events would not have been to assess their previous conviction that Fury was unbeatable by mortal men to be incorrect. Their interpretation would first involve them being correct always and forever, which means Usyk is an all time great instead of a very good fighter who happens to exist in one of the most shallow heavyweight divisions of all time. Seriously for the believers: tell me who #8-15 are and compare it to Ring or sanctioning body rankings from the 90s, much less the 60s.

[cormack]

yanks who just voted for a rapist criminal to run their country

[Contendeh]

At least its constant is that it’s always been that way.

There were millions of people who were sure that Holy, Lewis and Bowe would have been easy pickings for Ali, Frazier and Foreman, and that those guys would have been themselves squashed by Louis, Dempsey and Rocky.

How many people would have said Holmes was a top 5 heavy in say, 1984?

Always like that. Enjoy what’s out there now. Enjoy what comes next.

Was Ali the #1 Heavyweight of all time while he was the Active Champion? Like did people give him that accolade or did it only come later when he wasn't active.

Boxing fans have a habit of not appreciating guys until they're gone, and the next guy isn't able to fill his shoes.

Exactly.

[Thomastearns]

Joshua vs Klit is probably the most entertaining bout that either one of them were ever in I'd say.

Well...scratch that. Joshua vs Andy Ruiz 1 was pretty damn fun also.

No other modern HW has been in as many exciting fights as Anthony Joshua.

Joshua v Fury would sell out in minutes and firmly establish the winner as the 2nd best HW of the modern era.

Fury's performance last night was rather lacklustre, even if he survived better than in the first fight.

That was the best that Tyson Fury could have hoped for and it was far short.

116 - 112 on all 3 judges cards and the AI judge had it even wider, only giving Fury 2 rounds.

Let's not also forget that Fury's plant judge, Fernando Barbosa, had to be removed after his close links with Queeensberry Promotions were exposed.

Credit to Riyadh Season for fixing that and shame on those boxing agencies who reported his replacement as being due to "health reasons".

Corruption is not yet classed as a health issue, not even when it comes to the slipperiest con man HW boxing has seen - Tyson Fury.


As for the judges in the Allen v Parker, his excellency needs to have a quiet word with two of the judges.

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Paddy Power pay out on Dave Allen as the winner of his bout against Johnny Fisher as 'justice' for his controversial split-decision defeat on undercard of Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxin ... isher.html

[gilgamesh]

Slipperiest conman the division has ever seen?

I get not being a fan of Fury, but you're being a tad dramatic there with your assessment of him. He's not Tony Soprano for god's sake

[cormack]

Slipperiest conman the division has ever seen?

I get not being a fan of Fury, but you're being a tad dramatic there with your assessment of him. He's not Tony Soprano for god's sake

no fire without smoke .

furys career has always had a whiff of controversy and things going on behind the scenes .

[The Docker]

This HW era is pure shit, and that is me fence sitting somewhat.

[gregregegg]

I think its fairly clear for me 3 fold....

1) SIZE... when conducting the eye test people fail to acount for size. someone 6'2 will natraly move much better and look much more coordinated than someone 6'6. also someone 220lb should have better cardio and speed and therefor output than someone 250lb... when the era was smaller the levle looked better, but that dosent acount for the effectivness of size. Forman was a big strong plodding brute. at times.. but in his prime he was the size of this eras cruiserweights. most of Alis opponents would of been small cruisers in this era, many would have probably cut down to 175lb. not saying size is king, but its important to acount for in eye tests or comparisons.

2) Drugs... Just based on how many jacked heavys with unlimmited cardio there were in the 80s/90s i belive drugs had a lot to do with it.... drug manufacture is still likely ahead of testing, and theres definatly still drug issues now. but when people cheat now they have to be subtle at least take drugs that give am an edge but dont make them superman... i feel the 80s and 90s likely had a lottt of roids. thats why people are still shocked with how some of the current heavies look, because for decades they watched bodybuilders throwing heat for 12 rounds and not gassing at all.

3)nostalgia. everything is looked back on fondly.

...Note: there may actualy be some weakness caused by the drain on big guys to go into sports like football, basketball, rugby, ect.

[SeanBrennan]

I think every current generation looks to the last or past as better. Bit like everyone thinks it used to better in UK less crime / better weather bla bla

I also think people love to be whinge

"The Grass ain't Greener. The Wine ain't Sweeter. On either side of the hill"

- Jerry Garcia

A lesson a lot of people would do well to remember.

Amen

[ordsalloriginator]

Boxing scene have this 2020's era as the 4th best HW decade ever out of 14

https://www.BS.com/ranking-the ... ng--201033