Top 5 Fighters of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s

IMO:

90s:

1. Jones
2. Whitaker
3. Holyfield
4. Chavez
5. Trinidad

80s:

1. Leonard
2. Hagler
3. Spinks
4. Hearns
5. Tyson

Mike might be seen as a fanboy pick, but I value the fact that he about 98% cleaned house in what was a disorganized mess of a division, and unified.

70s:

1. Duran
2. Monzon
3. Ali
4. Arguello
5. Gomez

60s:

1. Ali
2. Jofre
3. Ortiz
4. Griffith
5. Harada or Saldivar

 

@George Crowcroft Lookin forward to your list.

 

Is about only best at their peak, or accomplishments for the decade as a whole? If the latter, De La Hoya has to be on the 90's list.

 

You decide.

 

Damn, gotta edit my 70s list... forgot about Napoles. :(

70s:

1. Duran
2. Monzon
3. Ali
4. Napoles
5. Arguello

For the 70s, I'm fully aware that Ali was not as good and as dominant as a Napoles, Arguello, Gomez in that decade. But he can't be ignored for pulling one of the biggest, most significant upsets of all time, and for making history in the Spinks rematch.

However, Duran and Monzon were just toooo toooo dominant in the 70s to place Ali above them.

 

No take back-sies.

 

Unless you count in popularity or impact to sport, I can't see Holyfield that high. His prime at cruisers was in the 90s.

In the heavyweight he was never a dominant champion and the only #1 contender he beat was Tyson in the rematch, and even his ranking is arguable.

 

Same deal as Ali in the 70s.

 

But Ali was the clear world champion between 74-79 (minus the Spinks accident) and his best, of which we saw glimpses of in the 70s, was higher than Holyfield's compared to their timers

 

You're on thin ice.

 

Then what's your lists, Captain Critique?

 

Better than yours, Gladys

 

I sat right in Joey Napoles' dressing room before he came out for the first Cokes fight. I calmed his nerves, and provided him with a last-minute game plan.

The Hell were you doing that time, typist?

 

90s: Jones, Whitaker, Holyfield, Chavez, De La Hoya.

80s: Leonard, Hagler, Spinks, Duran, Hearns.

70s: Duran, Ali, Monzon, Napoles, Arguello.

60s: Griffith, Ortiz, Harada, Saldivar, Jofre.

GOAT: Nana Konadu

Most of the names are quite simple IMO. It's the order which is harder, and outside of the 80s, and 2/3 in the 90s, I'm quite happy with mine.

 

Happy with your list huh? I take that as a personal challenge. I will spend hours, days and months if necessary picking it apart.

 

Do so in vain. I can be extremely stubborn.

 

My people will be contacting you with a settlement offer.

 

What hurts Jofre in the 60s is that he doesn't have a defining win like Liston. Not his fault, but still.

I think he was a more complete fighter than Ali, and for the 1,000th time, it sucks that he didn't get to win the title from Jose Becerra.

 

I can't see a reason to rate Jofre above Harada.

I get that everyone loves the Golden Bantam, and everyone conjures excuses of being weight drained or past prime for the Harada fights, but that was absolutely not a fighter who was weight drained. Just look at him. And even if it were, Harada was much smaller naturally. Combined with Harada clearly having the better résumé outside of their two fights, I can't see why you'd pick Jofre.

Although I missed Carlos Ortiz on my 60s list. He'd be my number two.

 

I have absolutely no idea how Holy can be ranked in the 1990 lists. None.

MTF

 

To make it easier on myself, I’m gonna make a rule. One decade per fighter. And I’m more or less encompassing their full body of work, truth be told.

60s: Eder Jofre, Carlos Ortiz, Luis Rodriguez, Emile Griffith, Fighting Harada

70s: Roberto Duran, Muhammad Ali, Carlos Monzon, Jose Napoles, Alexis Arguello

80s: Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez, Michael Spinks

90s: Roy Jones Jr, Pernell Whitaker, Evander Holyfield, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad

 

Because he didn't fight on a cold night in West Brixtonshire on a Tuesday?

 

Anyone who says Harada doesn’t have a legitimate argument is fooling themselves. It actually took me a while to come around to Jofre. It’s only upon revisiting him recently that I’ve come to fully appreciate his greatness. Harada has the easier case, I’ll say that much.

 

I'm surprised I'm the only one who has Carlos Ortiz for the 60s.

I personally feel a 60s top 5 is incomplete without him, but maybe it's just me.

Edit: Nevermind. Pea has him.

 

He has as strong an argument as any for #1.

 

Yeah, I do too.

I also think he could be at #1.

 

Check your list again.

 

Probably ought to edit your list then, no?

 

Seems the 60s is the only decade here without a clear #1.

I feel Duran, Leonard, and Roy are the clear number ones of the 70s, 80s, 90s, respectively.