28 years ago today...

[ross]

Forgive me, I neglected to write youngest man to win a version of the Heavyweight Title. EVERYBODY knows Wilfred Benitez is the youngest man inclusive of all weight classes.

My Mum does not...

WBO was garbage at the time, nobody gave that Title any respect. It was WBA, WBC, and IBF.

The WBO was an off shoot of the WBA, so why were they garbage and the WBA were not? Also as we found out another off shoot of the WBA, the IBF, had a President taking bribes at the time, yet they get respect? And do not get me started on Suliman and his cronies...

Lineage was broken because lineal Champ Michael Spinks retired as Champ.

Spinks did not retire pre Tyson, with the exception of a short period in the late 1970's. I think you are getting confused when the Jinx gave up the IBF crown to fight Cooney. Then Spinks was debating whether to have the knee surgery he required, as the Tyson fight did not look like happening, on his and Lewis' terms.

In 1989, prior to the 1990 Douglas fight, I distinctly remember Ring Magazine had Mike Tyson at pound-for-pound #1.

Alas, not so:



Sorry about that, it is an old scan, and I do not have the original magazine now.

But here is The Ring's first offical pound for pound rankings:



Now, although there is no date, Carbajal was 32-2, which meant the rankings began around early 1995...

Well Steve Farhhod the old editor of the ring says
“I voted for Tyson, and he's a definite first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Showtime boxing analyst Steve Farhood told me. As editor of KO Magazine and also former editor of The RING, Farhood covered Tyson’s pro career from the earliest stages.

“Those who don't think so are practicing revisionist history,” Farhood said. “I laugh when I read how Tyson was an underachiever and should have been dominant for much longer. First of all, he was not only the top heavyweight in the world, and the first undisputed champion in years, but he was the No. 1-ranked fighter in the game, pound for pound. And to secure that position, he beat the No. 2, Michael Spinks.”

Tyson worthy of his hall of fame induction | RingTV

I have a lot of time for Farhood, he was a brilliant editor of 'The Ring', and badly treated by them. But he made his name selling 'The Ring' as not Farhood's magazine, but a genuinely independent free spirit in boxing. Trying to repair the damage of the US Boxing Championship.

Believe it or not, I too like Farhood ranked Tyson #1 pound for pound post Hagler, until the Douglas defeat. My point was many had Chavez in that spot, and with hindsight, they were probably right.

I dont know much about Chavez career but did he ever have a period where unquestionably he was the very best in his weight with no challengers? Did he unify? Was he undisputed?