Modern day ATG.

[Boxer4life]

I think most of us are living in a great generation from boxing, we have witnessed guys like roy jones, mike tyson, bernard hopkins, manny, floyd, and etc...my question is, who do you guys think is the topdog of the last 20 years..


Also to spare another thread, where does roy jones stand in all time rankings, at lhw and overall, do we rate him on skill? or opposition?

[Hornfinger]

Overall my top dogs would be

Erik Morales
Lennox Lewis
Floyd Mayweather
Mike Tyson
Roy Jones

[marbleheadmaui]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

[BIG H]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

In terms of breadth of talent you have a point, but the period you mention has produced
Whitaker, Floyd, Manny (all of whom have a claim for being in the top 10 of all time) We have had RJJ, B-Hop, MAB, Morales, ODLH, Mosley, Tito, Finito. Not all listed were prime after 1995, but were all active.

[marbleheadmaui]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

In terms of breadth of talent you have a point, but the period you mention has produced
Whitaker, Floyd, Manny (all of whom have a claim for being in the top 10 of all time) We have had RJJ, B-Hop, MAB, Morales, ODLH, Tito, Finito. Not all listed were prime after 1995, but were all active.

I't comparitive of course. Take 1965-1980 as a comparison. Ali, Tiger, Benvenuti, Griffith, Napoles Carlos Ortiz, Laguna, Locche, Elorde, Saldivar, Jofre, Harada, Kingpetch, Frazier, Foreman, Duran, Buchanan, Hearns, Leonard, Hagler, Benitez, Olivares, Zarate, Bob Foster, Monzon, Kid Pambele, Galindez, Palomino, Little Red Lopez, Arguello, The Hawk, Miguel Canto, Larry Holmes, Bobby Chacon, Salvador Sanchez, Eusabio Pedroza, Bazooke Gomez, Jeff Chandler, Yoko Gushiken, Pipino Cuevas (and I'm beginning to bore even me).

Like I said, boxing is still my favorite sport, but I don't think anyone wants to make the argument this is anything but a down period. The only question is how badly down.

None of Manny, Floyd or Sweet Pea have an argument for the top ten in my view. More like top 30 or so, top 50 or so and top 20 or so respectively. Certainly Ali, Duran and Leonard belong ahead of all three and Ali and Duran are probably both top tenners.

One thing I have come to understand is just how badly the lack of depth has screwed up the port. 25 years ago a guy like Marvin Hagler or Carlos Monzon before him didn't have to move divisions to find worthy challengers. The 160's were chock full of competent, talented guys that fight fans could see were threats. Over 12 years those two defended what? 25-30 times? The division just kept reloading. Today look at what Manny has had to do to fight twice a year against perceived solid challenegers. And in some corners he is being pilloried even for this! And its not like manny is the only guy who has to move to find fights. I mean what is Sergio Martinez to do?

I'm not sure there is anything to do about it. Just an observation.

[BIG H]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

In terms of breadth of talent you have a point, but the period you mention has produced
Whitaker, Floyd, Manny (all of whom have a claim for being in the top 10 of all time) We have had RJJ, B-Hop, MAB, Morales, ODLH, Tito, Finito. Not all listed were prime after 1995, but were all active.

I't comparitive of course. Take 1965-1980 as a comparison. Ali, Tiger, Benvenuti, Griffith, Napoles Carlos Ortiz, Laguna, Locche, Elorde, Saldivar, Jofre, Harada, Kingpetch, Frazier, Foreman, Duran, Buchanan, Hearns, Leonard, Hagler, Benitez, Olivares, Zarate, Bob Foster, Monzon, Kid Pambele, Galindez, Palomino, Little Red Lopez, Arguello, The Hawk, Miguel Canto, Larry Holmes, Bobby Chacon, Salvador Sanchez, Eusabio Pedroza, Bazooke Gomez, Jeff Chandler, Yoko Gushiken, Pipino Cuevas (and I'm beginning to bore even me).

Like I said, boxing is still my favorite sport, but I don't think anyone wants to make the argument this is anything but a down period. The only question is how badly down.

None of Manny, Floyd or Sweet Pea have an argument for the top ten in my view. More like top 30 or so, top 50 or so and top 20 or so respectively. Certainly Ali, Duran and Leonard belong ahead of all three and Ali and Duran are probably both top tenners.

One thing I have come to understand is just how badly the lack of depth has screwed up the port. 25 years ago a guy like Marvin Hagler or Carlos Monzon before him didn't have to move divisions to find worthy challengers. The 160's were chock full of competent, talented guys that fight fans could see were threats. Over 12 years those two defended what? 25-30 times? The division just kept reloading. Today look at what Manny has had to do to fight twice a year against perceived solid challenegers. And in some corners he is being pilloried even for this! And its not like manny is the only guy who has to move to find fights. I mean what is Sergio Martinez to do?

I'm not sure there is anything to do about it. Just an observation.

I used to feel that way, but I like you used to very much favour older fighters. I have changed that view to a degree in the past 5-10 years, I think we see the past with rose tinted spectacles sometimes. Whether or not the 3 I mentioned belong in the top 10 or not, they certainly all 'have an argument' imo at least. As does RJJ.

If fights were 12 rounds in 1981, I wonder how different Hearns and Leonards career paths would have been (if at all)

[Master]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

In terms of breadth of talent you have a point, but the period you mention has produced
Whitaker, Floyd, Manny (all of whom have a claim for being in the top 10 of all time) We have had RJJ, B-Hop, MAB, Morales, ODLH, Mosley, Tito, Finito. Not all listed were prime after 1995, but were all active.

I would add Juan Manuel Marquez to your list.

[Boxer4life]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

i would disagree, the matchups haven't been great, but the fighters we have witnessed have been equivalent to sugar robinson days

[marbleheadmaui]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

i would disagree, the matchups haven't been great, but the fighters we have witnessed have been equivalent to sugar robinson days

There are perhaps ten guys in the last 20 years one can say that about. In Robinson's 20 years we had Robinson, Burley, Louis, Conn, Yarosz, Overlin, Zale, Bivins, Armstrong, Montgomery, Chalky, Moore, Marshall, Williams, LaMotta, Pep, Ike Williams, Charles, Turpin, Gavilan, Saddler, Manuel Ortiz, Basilio, Fulmer, Pascual Perez, Elorde, Liston, Harold Johnson, Giardello, Luis Rodriguez, Emile Griffith, Carlos Ortiz, Duilio Loi, Sugbar Ramos, Jofre, Dick Tiger, Pastrano and I can go on and on.

[Boxer4life]

Sorry, but this is an absolutely dismal time in the sport. It just is. From about 1995 on has been as bad a period as the the sport has seen since the late 1950's. Fewer fighters, fewer fights, weaker talent pool.

But it is still my favorite sport.

i would disagree, the matchups haven't been great, but the fighters we have witnessed have been equivalent to sugar robinson days

There are perhaps ten guys in the last 20 years one can say that about. In Robinson's 20 years we had Robinson, Burley, Louis, Conn, Yarosz, Overlin, Zale, Bivins, Armstrong, Montgomery, Chalky, Moore, Marshall, Williams, LaMotta, Pep, Ike Williams, Charles, Turpin, Gavilan, Saddler, Manuel Ortiz, Basilio, Fulmer, Pascual Perez, Elorde, Liston, Harold Johnson, Giardello, Luis Rodriguez, Emile Griffith, Carlos Ortiz, Duilio Loi, Sugbar Ramos, Jofre, Dick Tiger, Pastrano and I can go on and on.

def see your point