Which Was The Strongest Decade For The Light Heavyweights?

[Willow The Wisp]

Jessie Burnett was a favorite of mine. A really spotty record but when he was on, watch out! He used to beat the **** out of Kenny Norton in the gym. Absolutely a legendary gym fighter. No jive.

[Willow The Wisp]

Lonnie Bennett was another tough hombre I've gotta add. He could spark almost anyone who he could nail.

[DeeMoney]

Off the top of my head I'll say the '20's. The '70's should be pretty close though followed by the 40's and 30's. Jmo and didn't put any research behind this, just going on memory.

This was my initial thought. 20s, and some what into the 30s, had great depth. 40s had WWII to deal with, but was carried by a top heavy run by Charles and Moore, and Lesnevich to a lesser extent. The 70s had Foster at the start and Muhammad at the end, with lots of good guys in between

[BattlingNelson]

Oh yes sure.for myself I'm going from Jan to Dec.

Well my thought was that the greatest period was the one beginning about the time of prime Saad Muhammad to Micheal Spinks. That period would likely go from late 1970's to late 1980s. It weakens a bit when it has to start at januar 1 1980.

However the lineup is still strong af and has Saad Muhammad, Yaqui Lopez, John Conteh, Eddie Mustaffa Muhammad, Marvin Johnson, Dwight Qawi, Michael Spinks, Charles Williams and more.

[Ivich]

Jessie Burnett was a favorite of mine. A really spotty record but when he was on, watch out! He used to beat the **** out of Kenny Norton in the gym. Absolutely a legendary gym fighter. No jive.

I liked the way he brought his jab up from the hip.

[The D3vil]

I've always heard about the '70s with Saad, Qawi, Spinks, Eddie Mustafa, Marvin, Galindez, and Lopez.

Talk about a stacked ass era.

Spinks is underrated as hell for coming out on top of that era.

[Willow The Wisp]

Leonard Morrow. 30-8-1 (19).
That record doesn't begin to tell the story of this brilliant forgotten lightheavyweight of the 1940's.

[Ivich]

Leonard Morrow. 30-8-1 (19).
That record doesn't begin to tell the story of this brilliant forgotten lightheavyweight of the 1940's.

Knowing nothing about Morrow I've wondered about the Moore fights, thanks for this info!

[Willow The Wisp]

Knowing nothing about Morrow I've wondered about the Moore fights, thanks for this info!

You're very welcome! Feeling good whenever bringing a worthy ringman "back from the dead" for interested experts. Ask most students of boxing history "Who's the lightheavyweight you've never heard of who beat Jimmy Bivins, Bert Lytell, Paulie Peters, Fitzie Fitzpatrick, Oakland Billy Smith, Arturo Godoy, Willie Bean and blew away prime time Archie Moore in the first round?"
They look at you and say "get the F outta here! Nobody like that ever existed!"
But he most certainly did. How I'd loved to have managed Leonard Morrow!".

[GhostofDempsey]

The 1970's, seen as a full decade certainly deserves some mention. Bob Foster, Vicente Rondon, Jimmy Dupree, Pierre Fourie, Mike Quarry, Len Hutchins, Chris Finnigan, Jorge Ahumada, Victor Galindez, John Conteh, Yaqui Lopez, Ritchie Kates, Tom Boggs, Jesse Burnett, Bobby Cassidy, Marvin Johnson, Mate Parlov, James Scott, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Eddie Gregory, Mike Rossman, etc. Pretty darned deep.

Spinks and Braxton/Qawi debuted in the late 1970s as well.