The Lost Generation Of 80's Heavyweight's vs The Heavyweights Of Today.

I see the 80's Heavyweight's taking this.

Tim Witherspoon
Greg Page
Tony Tucker
Tony Tubbs

All at there peak would be champs today no question IMO.

I think Mike Tyson would have done it at his peak. Wlad would have lost, but Vitali would have been the biggest problem.

I definetley would give the heavyweight's of the 80's a great shot but then again they were called the lost generation for a reason. I do mean drugs if they didn't come in the ring high like most of the heavyweight's of that era did I'd say absolutely not.

The Klit brothers would beat them all even if they did enter the ring not using drugs.

Pinklon Thomas was a decent fighter as well as Dokes on his day.

Maybe....I think some of the overshaddowed 1990's fighters would have done well in today's era, guys like Ruddock and Mercer.

A Ruddock-Peter fight would have been pretty cool

I think you'd have to give a prime Witherspoon a great shot at putting Wlads lights out, maybe even favour him to do so. The other 3 would all be hard pressed to beat either Klitschko on their best day imo.

....I have to disagree with making Witherspoon the favorite to KO Wlad. You've obviously got your own viewpoint, but I don't see it happening.

ruddock vs. peter wouldn't be competitive at all.

80's beat heavys of today! & 90's would destroy 80's & todays easy

Tbh, I'd say all of those guys bar Witherspoon are worse than the guys today. Pinklon Thomas & Tony Tubbs are two of the worst HW champs of all time IMO, I'd expect Wlad & Vitali to comfortably beat everyone on that list & Haye, Valuev, Chagaev & Chambers to beat 2 or 3 out of the 4.

I do love Tim. He is simply the man. A great guy,funny, and he does know his boxing. Pinning Wlad against Witherspoon I would have to go with Wlad. People do forget Tim had some very bad fight's as well and most of all the shocker which was James Bonecrusher Smith. Who knocked him down three times in the first round. Wlad is ten times the better fighter Bonecrusher was and Pinklon Thomas was. Both of these men beat Tim in his prime. I would have to give Wlad the win.

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Originally Posted by Drago

80's beat heavys of today! & 90's would destroy 80's & todays easy

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Have to agree.More and more the 90's are shining.Say what you want about Bowe but at tip top form,I know,rare,Igive him an excellent shot at beating Wlad or Vitali.Prime Lewis also,Holyfield.So many did not break through the top tier but those early years were stacked solid.The also rans of today would be pavement for many.

Does anyone else think that Witherspoon v Smith fight wasnt what it seemed? At the time i thought he was just caught cold, but reading and watching things years later about his plight with Don King and the vice-like grip he had on fighters, a cynic might suggest TW may have,lets say, not been as well-prepared as he could of been.
The 80s heavyweights as a whole were every bit as bad as what there is now. Probably the worst ever collectively. Even their names didnt sound like fighters names.Its like asking who was the best actor between Seagal and VanDamme.(and no,i dont mean george)

The 70's era Heavy's were the best in history but the 90's were probably the 2nd best. Other than Larry Holmes who is an all-time great the 80's fighters were a horrible bunch. Face it - Tyson never beat anything but a bunch of B- fighters during his rein but the heavy's are alsmost always a bad lot.

I agree on Witherspoon, he was the best of a bad lot and could have been a really good champ. His problem was spending all his energy fighting Don King outside the ring.

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Originally Posted by jdonaher1

The 70's era Heavy's were the best in history but the 90's were probably the 2nd best. Other than Larry Holmes who is an all-time great the 80's fighters were a horrible bunch. Face it - Tyson never beat anything but a bunch of B- fighters during his rein but the heavy's are alsmost always a bad lot.

I agree on Witherspoon, he was the best of a bad lot and could have been a really good champ. His problem was spending all his energy fighting Don King outside the ring.

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Don't forget drug use.

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Originally Posted by JazMerkin

Tbh, I'd say all of those guys bar Witherspoon are worse than the guys today. Pinklon Thomas & Tony Tubbs are two of the worst HW champs of all time IMO, I'd expect Wlad & Vitali to comfortably beat everyone on that list & Haye, Valuev, Chagaev & Chambers to beat 2 or 3 out of the 4.

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Your not giving Tony Tubbs enough credit, he had some of the fastest hands in Heavyweight history, and was pretty slick remember he gave a prime Riddick Bowe a boxing lesson.

Also Pinklon Thomas looked like a legit Heavyweight, until drugs ruined him. And IMO he certainly looked the business until the drugs.

Maybe all these guys didn't achieve what they should have, but were they talented ? yes they were infact they had the talent to be the dominant Heavyweight of there era.

Now lets for one second forget the messes they ended up, and remember what they were like in there prime. Greg Page impressed Muhammad Ali and did seem to fight like Muhammad Ali although not as good obviously, and Tony Tubbs before his weight got ridiculous was a good slick fighter with very good hand speed

Lastly someone said about Tim Witherspoon, many people thought he took a dive against Bonecrusher Smith, because of the problems he was having with Don King. That was not even close to his prime, he was a fat beached whale who had no motivation, in his prime he easily beat Bonecrusher Smith, and looked like a great Heavyweight against Larry Holmes.

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Originally Posted by ICB

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Originally Posted by JazMerkin

Tbh, I'd say all of those guys bar Witherspoon are worse than the guys today. Pinklon Thomas & Tony Tubbs are two of the worst HW champs of all time IMO, I'd expect Wlad & Vitali to comfortably beat everyone on that list & Haye, Valuev, Chagaev & Chambers to beat 2 or 3 out of the 4.

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Your not giving Tony Tubbs enough credit, he had some of the fastest hands in Heavyweight history, and was pretty slick remember he gave a prime Riddick Bowe a boxing lesson.

Also Pinklon Thomas looked like a legit Heavyweight, until drugs ruined him. And IMO he certainly looked the business until the drugs.

Maybe all these guys didn't achieve what they should have, but were they talented ? yes they were infact they had the talent to be the dominant Heavyweight of there era.

Now lets for one second forget the messes they ended up, and remember what they were like in there prime. Greg Page impressed Muhammad Ali and did seem to fight like Muhammad Ali although not as good obviously, and Tony Tubbs before his weight got ridiculous was a good slick fighter with very good hand speed

Lastly someone said about Tim Witherspoon, many people thought he took a dive against Bonecrusher Smith, because of the problems he was having with Don King. That was not even close to his prime, he was a fat beached whale who had no motivation, in his prime he easily beat Bonecrusher Smith, and looked like a great Heavyweight against Larry Holmes.

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I totally agree on Witherspoon, he was a very good fighter and his problems with Don King ruined him in the end. But even before his prime he gave Holmes a very hard night and had Tyson come along a couple of years earlier I would have loved to see that fight. I don't even know for sure which way i'd go, probably Tyson but I know how things panned out in both's careers.