Is this the worst era in the history of boxing for the?

Question

Heavyweight division? Or was there an era that was worse?
And why.

Answer 1

I AGREE THAT THE LATE '20 AND PART OF THE 30'S WERE UNEXCITING. BUT WHEN U COMPARE THIS CROP OF HWTS TO THE TIME SINCE THE 40'S, IT IS PATHETIC AND PITIFUL.

IN ALL OTHER THE SPORTS, THE ATHLETES ARE GETTING BETTER EXCEPT IN BOXING.

Answer 2

This is the worst era for the Heavyweight division, probably ever. At least Larry Holmes was still around in the early 80's, along with Tim Witherspoon, Greg Page, Tony Tubbs and Tony TNT Tucker. I was reading an article by Dan Rafael, and he says the current climate in the Heavyweight division is a joke. Lennox Lewis has been retired for however long it is now (don't expect him to come back - he doesn't need the money, and knows that if he does, he'll ruin his legacy), and there still hasn't been any unification fights. If Valuev beats Chagaev, hopefully a fight between himself and Wlad will happen.

Answer 3

I am not a huge Briggs or Klitschko fan but I must defend the comment made about this being the worst era in heavyweight division history. In the 80s you had guys like Tim Witherspoon, Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Tony TNT Tucker, Pinklon Thomas, Trevor Berbick, and the 70s had Leon Spinks, an old Muhammad Ali, Mike Weaver, Big John Tate, George Foreman, a small Smokin Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry, Chuck Wepner, Jimmy Young Ken Norton. I would take Klitschko, and Lennox Lewis over almost all of those guys. Not to mention a prime Evander holyfield and Chris Byrd, a motivated John Ruiz, Sam Peter. It's not as bad as people think. The marketing of professional boxing has taken a beating not only because of crap like MMA but also because of network sponsorship (or lack thereof) and today's fighters arent receiving the exposure on weekend afternoons like in the the 70s and 80s. Todays fighters are bigger stronger and just as skilled. It's just that promoters are so afraid of their fighter losing they avoid the best matchups and in so doing, limit that fighters development. Back in the 70s and 80s a fighter could lose several times and still come back to be a superstar (Hagler, Leonard, Hearns, Sanchez, Ali, Saad Muhammad, Chacon, Boza Edwards, Arguello, Duran, etc.) It's too bad so many managers and promoters are so afraid of the effect of losing their fighters are protected to a fault and never develop into what they could had they fought the division's best. Barrera-Marquez, DeLaHoya-Mayweather, and Cotto-Judah, Castillo-Hatton, are examples of the good fights that should and are made sometimes. Let's keep it up. The proliferation of alphabet organizations hasn't helped either. As The Ring magazine has done, they recognize a true champion and forget about the WBC,IBF, WBA, IBO, IBC, WBU, WBF, IBA....I mean really! Here's to a great 2007. Marquez and Vasquez started it off. Let's keep it going!

Answer 4

This is a pretty bad era. But really, it's an era where sports marketing has ruined the sport.

Boxing is an individual sport. With all the marketing today, the boxers charisma and personality are just as important as his ability to box. That also means he needs to marketed well, in addition to having those character skills.

Many boxers just aren't good at promoting themselves. It's not to say that they are poor fighters, but they have trouble getting known. Hopefully the heavyweight class improves... Then I'd actually watch some boxing again.

Answer 5

This era is about as bad as it gets for the Heavyweight division.

You can blame Don King for that.

Answer 6

This is the worst that i have seen in a long time. These guys just aren't capturing the boxing public's imagination. I really though Wladimir was the heir apparent to Lennox at one time and then he loss to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster and then Vitali looked like he might become the man after beating Sanders, Kirk Johnson and Danny Williams, but then he retired. These guys aren't really going to get any respect until they fight each other and unify these belts or at least fight some respectable opposition. I mean, Shannon Briggs won a belt in this era, nuff said!

Answer 7

This era is about as bad as it gets for the Heavyweight division.put the blame on don king

Answer 8

Yes sir! This is the most boring and untalented heavyweight division I have ever seen Brent. What makes it even worse is they don't even fight each other and there is simply no excitement. Hopefully there will be someone to come along with a little charisma that can actually fight.

Answer 9

Not for all of boxing, just the Heavyweights. There are many great fighters from 126 to 147.

Answer 10

Absolutely not.
It is unfortunate that there are 4 heavyweight champs right now, but if you think about it historically

Jack Dempsey, as heavyweight champ, didnt fight between 9/15/1923 to 9/23/1926, which means there was not a title fight for 3 years. Similar when Joe Louis went to WWII. That was a crappy 3 years (for boxing) because the title was held hostage in Hollywood b/c Dempsey acted a little...but I dont consider that an era (just a boring 3 years in terms of the heavyweight division.)

but the worst era started right after Gene Tunney retired in 1928 and ended when Joe Louis became champ in 1937

Max Schmeling won in 1930 for the title by DQ (low blow) over Jack Sharkey (who had been previously been KOd by Dempsey years before). One fight and over 2 years later, Schmeling loses his title in the rematch vs Sharkey.
In Sharkey's next fight (over 1 year after winning the title) he loses his to Primo Carnera.
Carnera loses to Max Baer after winning two bouts.
Then in Baer's first defense (a year after winning the title) he loses versus The Cinderella Man, James J Braddock.
2 years after Braddock wins the title, he has his first title defense (first fight since winning the title) and loses to Joe Louis ending the worst era in boxing.

That was 8+ years of heavyweight boxing. Boxing historians never mention Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, or Braddock in their list of top heavyweights.
And in those 8 sad years, there were only 8 heavyweight title fights

I say this current bad era of boxing started in 2003 when Lennox Lewis retired, which was only 4 years ago.

The good news, after a bad era someone great that captures everyones imagination comes along...Think Louis, Ali, Tyson.
Hopefully we dont have to wait 4 more year though.

Answer 11

The blogbaba has to admit, talent is pretty thin in today's heavyweight group. I really can't think of a time frame that had less to offer the public. Four different alphabet champs, all of them ducking Holyfield out of fear the cane he uses to get into the ring with might trip them up. Shameful.