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I could bang on about the injustices of the great black fighters of yesteryear who due to prejudice never got the opportunity to show their greatness on the big stages, fighters like Langford, McVey, Jeannette, Willis, Godfrey, Burley etc, etc. Or I could go on about the great modern fighters than we never really got to see; Galaxy, Yuh, Chang, Chitalada. But no I thought I would mention more modern/known fighters and my list is as follows:
Michael Spinks: Forever remembered for the Tyson fight and being Leon’s little brother which is a grave injustice for the only modern fighter to hold true undisputed status as the world light heavyweight champion. A man who never lost a fight at 175-pounds and beat the likes of Johnson, Muhammad and Qawi in the process. And then became the first reigning undisputed 175-pound champion to win the heavyweight championship of the world, by taking the “0’ away from the great Larry Holmes’ record.
Carlos Deleon: Sure he was part of the biggest b******ized division of the eighties, but this man was a genuine world-class fighter, who on and off held title claims at 190-pounds for nearly ten years. Too big to show his potential at 175-pounds, too small to compete at heavyweight, he was caught in the 190-pound division and thus destined to never show his potential on the world stage. And when he finally got his big fight against Holyfield, he was a good three years past his best.
Terry Norris: Yeah he was an arrogant so and so, who built his reputation on beating naturally smaller men. But victories over Sugar Ray Leonard, Mugabi, Brown and Taylor were good achievements. And he was the man at 154-pounds for a good six to seven years.
Julio Cesar Chavez: This man spoiled us, and in my mind never gets the kudos he deserves. This man is the finest fighter Mexico has ever produced!!! A country that produced Olivares, Zarate, Sanchez, Pintor, Morales and Barrera; and yet Chavez is better than them all. A man who did not lose his first ninety fights; a man who was involved in the greatest one-sided fight in boxing history (Chavez/Rosario) and the greatest finish (Chavez/TaylorI). Arguably the finest fighter of both the eighties and nineties.
Aaron Pryor: Sure, the drugs got to him in the end, but what a fighter he truly was. Too good for his own good as a 135-pounder, he had to move up to 140-pounds to win his title. And he took his frustration out on the excellent Antonio Cervantes, annihilating the Colombian in four rounds. Five brutal KO defenses followed before the first fight with Arguello, which along with Hagler/Hearns was the fight of the eighties. After the brutal destruction of Arguello, Pryor’s lifestyle caught up with him, and he was never the same again, but between 1980 and 1982, he was up there with Leonard, Holmes and Hagler as boxing’s finest fighter.
Hector Camacho Snr: Yep, I loathed the fighter as well. But he was a superb 130-pounder, and was good enough to beat Limon, Rosario and Chacon, winning titles at 130-pounds through to 160-pounds in his time. And he showed against Chavez, that he does have a fighting heart.
Alexis Arguello: Again, would be a legend if he had come along twenty years later, but he was a truly amazing fighter. After beating Mexican legend Ruben Olivares in 1974 to win a 126lb world title, until losing to Pryor in 1982, Arguello lost just one fight (a sloppy dropped non title fight decision) and won titles at 126, 130 and 135-pounds, beating the likes of Escalera, Watt, Mancini, Limon, Chacon and Ramirez on the way.
Eusebio Pedroza: What happened to Salvador Sanchez was tragic, but it should not shadow Pedroza’s achievements. From 1978 to 1985, he made nineteen successful defenses of his title. Sure, he was dirty fighter, but he got the job done, and many an expert believes that if they had met Pedroza may have had the style to upset Sanchez.
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