Apart from the Klitschko Brothers, the division has not produced any other heavyweights of note for nearly two decades now. Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and the rehashed version of George Foreman were the last great heavyweights this generation has known, which is a pity and a painful irony considering that the division has seen the emergence of bigger fighters who are both mobile and coordinated which was a rarity in the past eras and the influx of more fighters from the former Soviet and Warsaw Pact states and Africa who are themselves products of an ever-improving Olympic/amateur boxing system.
There's no doubt about it, the division has grown bigger in size and in number of fighters but not definitely not better with the widest disparity in term of quality between the very few elites ( actually only the K Bros and perhaps one or two others) and the rest of the large field.
I can't think of other eras in the heavyweights when fighters are so wide apart in level of skills and talent and the competition is so dull and unexciting. At least in the interregnum between the decline of Holmes and the rise of Tyson in the early to mid 80s, we have had a slew of skilled fighters who can beat one another for the titles ( Tim Witherspoon, Greg Page,, Tony Tubbs, Bonecrusher Smith, Pinklon Thomas, Tervor Berbick )
I'd say it's certainly close. The one thing that might render this assessment untrue is the fact that today's heavyweights are naturally bigger, by an average of about 30 lbs., than those in the pre-Louis era.
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The group between Tunney and Louis, excluding Max Schmeling, might actually be weaker. If you consider that Wladimir Klitschko is champion, you have to consider that his brother also shares this era. He would beat most champions in history so it stands to reason that he gives a strong argument for this era.
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If you consider the fact that the brothers would never fight each other, nor should they, than you can eliminate Vitali or include both as champions, especially by today's standards of multiple champions. Excluding the Klitschko brothers, this might well be the weakest era in history.
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Another reason for this is because many would-be boxers are entering other professional sports.
Yes
Yes. Unquestionably.
Wladimir isn't even that great even. Corrie Sanders showed how easily a half decent fighter can hurt him. He has still never fought a proper fighter.
I actually rate Vitali higher but even he lost to a really old Lennox Lewis. Since Lewis retired, we've had nothing but mediocrity at best.
Tyson made his name beating some weak names in the 80s. Tubbs, Berbick, Biggs, Thomas. But he beat some decent names too like Holmes, Spinks, Ruddock. Wladimir hasn't even fought that level.
Consider Ali beat Paterson, Liston, Moore, Fraser, Foreman, Norton, Shavers, Spinks.
Then look at Wladimir's opponents: Purity, Sanders, Brewster (who all beat him).
Most other champions beat big names or lost pretty soon after taking the title. Wladimir has managed to reign for a decade fighting nobodies.
That says it all for this generation.
And when he retires, we have to fill a void with the only decent 2 of this era gone too.
Going to be pathetic.
right now we have one good heavyweight in wladimir and the rest are far behind .
i'm sure a fighter like razor ruudock would beat everyone up to wladimir and have a decent shot at wlad
Absolutely no doubt about it.
When you have a unified champion who has not fought anyone even close to world class in his whole career, then you know the division is in trouble. For me the whole division is C level.
NO, la mas debil fue del 76' al 86'
Un Ali zombie dominando la division, luego un Holmes sacador de peleas, etc
yes
