Re: Top 10 Heavyweights of the 1970's?

"The Sanity Cruzer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> "Kip King" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > "Charles Beauchamp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>  news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > > "VanCanSte" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > > Ali would clearly be #1 but after that it would be between Foreman,
>  Frazier and
> > > > Holmes. The later only really came to prominance in the last few years
>  of
>  the
> > > > decade so how high would he be really? He did defeat Ken Norton
>  narrowly..but
> > > > then would Ken's earlier accomplishments in defeating Ali and Quarry
>  etc
>  be
> > > > enough to have him leap ahead of Holmes in terms of the 1970's?
> > > > VAN
> > >
> > > 1. Ali
> > > 2. Holmes
> > > 3. Foreman
> > > 4. Frazier
> > > 5. Norton
> > > 6. Shavers
> > > 7. Young
> > > 8. Quarry
> > > 9. Lyle
> > > 10. John Tate
> > >
> > > v/r Beau
> >
> > I agree except I'd put Mike Weaver in at #10 instead of Tate.
> 
> You do?  Well, I'd like to hear how one would justify Ernie Shavers being
> the sixth best HW of the 70's.  He did stop a ready-for-retirement Ken
> Norton and Jimmy Ellis.  He stopped a 7-3 Jimmy Young and later drew with a
> 13-4 Young.  Those were his major non-losses in the 70's.  Whoo Hoo.
> 
> Shavers did manage to get stopped by: Holmes, Ron Lyle and Jerry Quarry.  He
> also lost decisions to: Ali, Holmes and Bob Stallings (1974).  Other than
> the above fights, I'd like to know what Shavers did.  Ernie Shavers built
> his reputation as a 'top fighter' by losing to Ali in a closer than it
> should have been bout.  When are people going to learn to not build a
> fighter up to much based upon looking good in a losing effort?
> 
> Jimmy Young number seven?  Wow.  Were the 70's that bad?  Young stunk out
> the early and the late 70's.  Again, here's a guy whose reputation rose due
> to looking 'good' in a loss to Ali (remember his sticking his head out of
> the ring?).  Yeah, he retired a mentally weak George Foreman.  Other than
> those two fights, only one of which he won, Young's claim to fame are two
> decision wins over Lyle (whoop dee doo) and a draw with smooth as silk Ernie
> Shavers.
> 
> Young started the 70's losing 4 of 8 bouts and ended the 70's losing 4 of 6
> bouts.
> 
> Damn, I don't think there were 10 real good HW's whose careers were mostly
> in the 70's.

I think by your standards, the Top Ten of any decade would be found
wanting. Dividing by decades is an arbitrary  meausre that raises
problems -- how to consider someone who had three great years vs.
someone with ten pretty good years.

The guy missing from this list is Joe Bugner, who was around for the
whole decade and pretty good for large portions of it.

I the 1970s, generally considered the Golden Age of the division, was
medicore, what decade was the best for heavyweights (not a rhetorical
question).

The Arranger