BoxRec

I see your point.
The early portion of the decade it was Alexis Arguello.
He beat guys who at one point had parts of the title.
Jim Watt , Boom Boom and some others.

elmersalsa wrote:Who was the best lightweight of the 1980s?
I cannot see a complete winner on this one.

In the 20s was Benny Leonard.
In the 40s was Ike Williams
In the 50s Joe Brown
In the 60s Carlos Ortiz
In the 70s Roberto Duran and 90s Pernell Whitaker. But in the 80s, I do not see a great lightweight that dominated the era.

1930s: Canozieri or Ambers
1980s: one of Arguello, Mancini, Camacho, Haugen

I would put Edwin Rosario and J.L. Ramirez before Mancini and Haugen

Broncano wrote:I would put Edwin Rosario and J.L. Ramirez before Mancini and Haugen

Yeah, you have a hopeless pro-US bias....

pundit wrote:
Yeah, you have a hopeless pro-US bias....

wrong, I have a hopeless pro-good fighter bias.

Ray did beat Ramirez head to head. But Ramirez had a long and great career. So for overall longevity probably Ramirez. Ray did show signs of greatness, but for a shorter period of time. Wasn't on top long enough to be considerd an all time great.

Definitely Alexis Arguello, with Edwin Rosario second.

Seamus wrote:Definitely Alexis Arguello, with Edwin Rosario second.

I second that

Borinken25 wrote:

Seamus wrote:Definitely Alexis Arguello, with Edwin Rosario second.

I second that

Actually, I overlooked Rosario.

Chavez and Ramirez should be rated above Rosario.

In a head to head sense it would be Arguello and Chavez that were the best.

Arbachakov wrote:Chavez and Ramirez should be rated above Rosario.

In a head to head sense it would be Arguello and Chavez that were the best.

Chavez was for a too short period at 135.

Chavez or Whittaker

Pernell Whittaker was the best lightweight of the 80's IMO.

Syntax Error wrote:Pernell Whittaker was the best lightweight of the 80's IMO.

He came through in 1989, is that enough for a 1980s ranking? By a similar token, Chavez stayed less than a year at lightweight.

Arguello without a doubt...

Decagon wrote:

pundit wrote:

Syntax Error wrote:Pernell Whittaker was the best lightweight of the 80's IMO.

He came through in 1989, is that enough for a 1980s ranking? By a similar token, Chavez stayed less than a year at lightweight.

That bothered me, too. I was going to say something, but he did beat Mayweather, Ramirez (twice), Layne and Haugan.

That's why I plumped for him.

I suppose it's unfair to rate him, as pundit says, he was not prominent for long enough in the decade, but on the evidence of his victories in the late 80's, might it be fair to say that he is the best lightweight to have competed in the 1980's, if not the overall best, if you get my drift???? :P

Whitaker was the best lightweight for a couple of years before he won the title

No mention of Hector Camacho?

>>>Doesn't really matter. What he did at 130 and 135 was better than anyone did around the era.<<<

That's what I was getting ready to say about Chavez! It doesn't matter how short of a time he was there...look at who he beat...that what matters. It doesn't matter if there was a fighter who held either the WBA, or WBC belt from 1980 up to 1990...if that fighter never fought any top figjhter of name and someone else comes around and for two years fights at 135 during which he beats two of the best of the division of that era then the two year guy, in the two years, really did more than the ten year guy...At lightweight Chavez beat Edwin Rosario and Jose Luis Ramirez...arguably two of the best of the 80s lightweights. Though Arguello has a strong case also! Arguello, at 135, beat Jose Luis Ramirez, Jim Watt, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Ray Mancini and Andrew Ganigan...which that is just as impressive, or actually more so than what Chavez did.

barry wrote: Though Arguello has a strong case also! Arguello, at 135, beat Jose Luis Ramirez, Jim Watt, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Ray Mancini and Andrew Ganigan...which that is just as impressive, or actually more so than what Chavez did.

Agreed on Arguello, not only did he beat those men, but (with the exception of Ramirez) he beat Watt by a mile and simply destroyed the other ones you mentioned.

His fight with Mancini was close and hard fought for most of it.

Ray was eventually brutally dispatched, but i would not say Arguello destroyed him.

Arbachakov wrote:His fight with Mancini was close and hard fought for most of it.

Ray was eventually brutally dispatched, but i would not say Arguello destroyed him.

I always think of that fight when people try to say Mancini was a hype job, not many people gave Arguello as much to think about a he did early on in that one.

Out of all the lightweights who fought in the '80s, it has to be Pernell Whitaker then Julio Cesar Chavez, followed by Alexis Arguello.

But Duran would have whacked them all 8)

Borinken25 wrote:

Seamus wrote:Definitely Alexis Arguello, with Edwin Rosario second.

I second that

I also agree with this. As for Camacho, a case can be made, however he beat fighters who other top lightweights had already gotten to first, not to discredit him, his name deserves a mention too, but I think Arguello was the top lightweight of the 80's followed closely by Rosario.