Heavyweights by decades

[TitoFan]

@joe smith

I'm genuinely interested in pursuing this "old vs new" argument, because I feel there is some merit to it. But I have some questions. Is this a gradual improvement that continues through each decade? Is there a cutoff point where all heavyweights from there forward are comparable with each other? I put together a partial list of representative champions in each decade. I'm sure I've missed some good candidates, but it's a start.

1940s: Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles
1950s: Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore
1960s: Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier
1970s: Ali, Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers
1980s: Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Tim Witherspoon
1990s: Holyfield, Tyson, Foreman (comeback), Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe
2000s: Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, Chris Byrd
2010s: Wladimir, Alexander Povetkin, Tyson Fury
2020s: Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder


So again... do you feel there is a decade from which the level of heavyweights has remained level? Because in some threads I've seen the 80s treated as old. Or the 70s... or the 90s.

These are serious questions, meant for a good debate. We've seen your videos. It's discussion we like to have here, also. I encourage you to try and not be aggressive or insulting.

Thanks.

[TitoFan]

Thanks for engaging.

I've seen videos of fights from all the aforementioned decades. My own personal opinion is that technique and size have definitely changed throughout the years. Yes... if you compare a Joe Louis to everyone is his era... he's head and shoulders above. But size and technique changes definitely put him at a distinct disadvantage against many, more modern fighters. Going back even further, you've got Jack Dempsey, Max Schmeling, and Max Baer in the 20's and 30's. Decidedly robotic against today's standards... but the standard bearers of their time.

I agree that the 60's brought about the first significant jump in technique. Ali did the most to revolutionize the division with his speed and movement. His massacre of Cleveland Williams in 1966 made it look like Williams was standing still.
Most heavyweights were still plodders.

The 80's to me were a good decade. Holmes had speed, movement, and a great jab. Iron Mike was a wrecking machine. Holyfield was an indestructible force at heavyweight.
I see any of them sweeping the floor with competition from the 50's or earlier. Tyson with his speed, movement and punching power would've literally murdered any champion from the 50's and earlier.

Size advantages became super obvious in the 90's. Lennox was what... 6-5? Averaging 250 pounds? Way too big for any 60's and earlier champion. He was a tremendous boxer as well.

I think the last three decades have plateaued, though. Personally, I don't see a Joshua, a Wilder, or even a Fury having any automatic advantage over a Lennox Lewis, or even a motivated and trained Riddick Bowe.

It's all a matter of opinion, although it IS important to watch videos of old fights and take size and technique into account.

I watch American football... and similar comparisons and logic can be applied to comparisons in eras, also.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

You think wilder beats Bowe🤣🤣🤣

[NoSavingByTheBell]

You Talkin bout the atomic windmill flailing deontay 😂😂😂❓ BWAHAHAHAHAH

He beats NOBODY. fucking even Kenny "I got blown out by every big Puncher in history" Norton would give him a boxing lesson

Larry Holmes would fucking SMOKE Wilder and fuck his mother

[Master]

The Klit brothers only replaced Lennox because he got old. They were not better or improved.

The old Wlad would probably have beaten AJ.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.

You see strange things Mr Joe Smith.

[joe smith]

The Klit brothers only replaced Lennox because he got old. They were not better or improved.

The old Wlad would probably have beaten AJ.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.

You see strange things Mr Joe Smith.

Deontay isn't better tech than guys in 20s-30s, you need to prove it in full matches show the videos...,if you can't you're a liar

klits weren't better then len you prove it in matches,I can easily show they were

[TitoFan]

You think wilder beats Bowe🤣🤣🤣

You seem to have reading comprehension issues.

[TitoFan]

You think wilder beats Bowe🤣🤣🤣

What part of "I don't see Wilder having any automatic advantage over Bowe" did you NOT understand?

[Master]

You think wilder beats Bowe🤣🤣🤣

What part of "I don't see Wilder having any automatic advantage over Bowe" did you NOT understand?

I think he is on about Joe Smith who wrote it.

[Master]

The Klit brothers only replaced Lennox because he got old. They were not better or improved.

The old Wlad would probably have beaten AJ.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.

You see strange things Mr Joe Smith.

Deontay isn't better tech than guys in 20s-30s, you need to prove it in full matches show the videos...,if you can't you're a liar

klits weren't better then len you prove it in matches,I can easily show they were

I can show you in reality. Lennox stopped Vitali.

[joe smith]

The Klit brothers only replaced Lennox because he got old. They were not better or improved.

The old Wlad would probably have beaten AJ.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.

You see strange things Mr Joe Smith.

Deontay isn't better tech than guys in 20s-30s, you need to prove it in full matches show the videos..., if you can't you're a liar

klits weren't better then len you prove it in matches,I can easily show they were

I can show you in reality. Lennox stopped Vitali.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.you need to prove it in full matches show the videos..., if you can't you're a liar

1 match doesn't work on me, Vitali fought 10 years after that, you said for a fact they weren't better or improved i can show for a fact Vitali 10 years after that match with Len was way more advanced than Len ever was, which means you lied

His brother wlad even fought longer than Vit and he was even way more advanced than Len ever was to

And the opponents matter too so even the average person Len fought wasn't even close to as advanced as guys Klits fought, so you really exposed yourself bad

[Master]

The Klit brothers only replaced Lennox because he got old. They were not better or improved.

The old Wlad would probably have beaten AJ.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.

You see strange things Mr Joe Smith.

Deontay isn't better tech than guys in 20s-30s, you need to prove it in full matches show the videos..., if you can't you're a liar

klits weren't better then len you prove it in matches,I can easily show they were

I can show you in reality. Lennox stopped Vitali.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.you need to prove it in full matches show the videos..., if you can't you're a liar

1 match doesn't work on me, Vitali fought 10 years after that, you said for a fact they weren't better or improved i can show for a fact Vitali 10 years after that match with Len was way more advanced than Len ever was, which means you lied

His brother wlad even fought longer than Vit and he was even way more advanced than Len ever was to

And the opponents matter too so even the average person Len fought wasn't even close to as advanced as guys Klits fought, so you really exposed yourself bad

You are exposing yourself. Wlad got stopped a couple of times to unremarkable boxers. Vitali opponents got worse the longer he went on.

[joe smith]

The Klit brothers only replaced Lennox because he got old. They were not better or improved.

The old Wlad would probably have beaten AJ.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.

You see strange things Mr Joe Smith.

Deontay isn't better tech than guys in 20s-30s, you need to prove it in full matches show the videos..., if you can't you're a liar

klits weren't better then len you prove it in matches,I can easily show they were

I can show you in reality. Lennox stopped Vitali.

Wilder is raw and no better technique than the fighters you criticise in the 1920's.you need to prove it in full matches show the videos..., if you can't you're a liar

1 match doesn't work on me, Vitali fought 10 years after that, you said for a fact they weren't better or improved i can show for a fact Vitali 10 years after that match with Len was way more advanced than Len ever was, which means you lied

His brother wlad even fought longer than Vit and he was even way more advanced than Len ever was to

And the opponents matter too so even the average person Len fought wasn't even close to as advanced as guys Klits fought, so you really exposed yourself bad

You are exposing yourself. Wlad got stopped a couple of times to unremarkable boxers. Vitali opponents got worse the longer he went on.

I'm done responding to you liar you have said Deontay wasn't more advanced than 20s-30s I said twice to show it you refuse, now are saying Wlad and vit opponents were worse no proof of this you're a lunatic liar

[Master]

How can I prove to you how wild Wilder is to you by making a video?

[ykdadamaja]

Does anyone here think Joshua would have beaten Željko Mavrović? Lewis would have sure as hell found a way to beat Andy Ruiz... that's how I measure those men.