Who remembers the heavyweight boxing greats from the eighties?

Question

Guys like Page, Tubbs, Coetzee, Witherspoon and Thomas.
Oh, how I remember those golden days of heavyweight history when I see the garbage today.
As bad as that era was, it was golden when compared to the current heavyweight division, which features world class chumps like Oleg Maskaev, Wladimir Klitschko and his equally useless brother, who, thank God, has retired.
Just got through trying to watch the Klitschko/Brock so-called fight. Both fighters' purses should be withheld.

sanjoman - how is the bum Klitschko 'the real deal'? He's been knocked down more times than he's stood up, been knocked out twice and quit against the great Ross Puritty.

Bklyn NYC - I liked Dokes, too. Did you see his war with Coetzee? One of the greatest title fights in the 80's.
Dokes, another genius who fukced his life up with blow.

Bklyn NYC - he got stopped by Iran Barkley in 10, for something called the WBB title.
Funny thing, I ran into Barkley a week before the fight and started chatting with him. He mentioned the coming fight with Coetzee and I suggested he watch the Coetzee/Dokes fight.
He told me they'd been doing that all through camp.
I'm in NYC, also.

Answer 1

LMAO Brad, I just mentioned something similar in a response to a question earlier. Problem is we need a Juggernaut to come in and clean it up, KO everyone he faces and take all the belts. Then it will really feel like the 80s.

I also agree with what I perceive was a distaste for the fight last night. I almost turned it off. Did you get a look at Brock's feet position?? What in the world? Is this guy just stepping into the ring for the first time? He keeps his feet so close together a stiff breeze could knock him over. Wladimir still gets frazzled when something bad happens, after he got cut he looked like a frightened little boy. "Manny Help me please, tell me its gonna be all right, kiss the boo boo"

One fighter from the 80s I liked to watch was Michael Dokes, his fight with Holyfield in March of 89 was fantastic.

Maybe they can stage a play where Wladimir plays Cooney, Valuev plays Coetzee, Toney plays Tubbs, Rahman plays Witherspoon etc etc They can enter the ring to songs like "Tainted Love" or "Sweet Dreams"..

Answer 2

The 80's was a golden age compared with the current heavyweight division. I'm waiting for the next great heavyweight to burst on the scene. When he does I'm going to make a pilgrimage bearing gifts of frankincense and myrrh. The fight was absolutely pathetic. The only way people are going to get interested in the heavyweight division is for the four champions, their management team and the promoters to put greed aside for once and start fighting each other and unify the belts. Probably a damn good idea for all the weight classes.That gives me an idea for a question.

Answer 3

Just as a sort of "foil" view - I grew up watching boxing in the 70's. I remember having this same discussion in the 80's - I remember sitting with my father who would say, "What a bunch of bums - back in the 70's...now we had some fighters then!" And then he would reel off his famous list: Ali, Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Patterson, Ellis, Holmes and on and on. I always took it as a "good ole days" reflection. Funny...20 years later same discussion. Wonder if our sons will be talking the same way? To be honest, I hope so - nice to keep the tradition alive (NO sarcasm - honest opinion, I loved those "talks" and can't wait to have them with my son).

Answer 4

Yes, those were very good days for boxing. I remember looking forward to the heavyweight title boughts before they were pay-per-view. Do you also remember Randall "Tex" Cobb, James "Bonecrusher" Smith, and even Gerry Cooney? Even the late Trevor Berbick was decent. I think Larry Holmes had the most success, but that was only because there were no really great boxers to challenge him. I think that interest peaked when Tyson demolished Berbick to win the title, but then when he went downhill, boxing went with it. It's really too bad, boxing used to be a very entertaining sport until guys like Don King came in and ruined it.

Answer 5

hey man, i agree w/you brad, it's looking pretty dismal out there right now, w/the russian mafia running boxing(except mr. briggs outta brooklyn). of the list you mentioned, though, i only liked mr. page, who had such promise as an amateur. i rem watching him on tv on saturday afternoons and hoping he would go all the way and follow ali from louisville to legendary status...alas, it never happened. personally, i prefer the saad muhammeds, braxtons, and james scotts, who i think were much better gladiators than anyone on your list...hmmmmm, remember the time indeed~

Answer 6

LOL.....Klitschko is the real deal.........quite complaining