If I may, I’d like to keep this a four vs four battle. So respectfully, I will remove Buster Douglas from the 90’s bunch (he really doesn’t belong next to those names). For the golden age, I will remove Holmes, as he really peaked after the other four.
The 2nd golden era of heavyweights (not pictured, Riddick Bowe) featured four very talented legends with varying styles who did mix it up with each other occasionally, but with some disappointing omissions (Bowe v Lewis, Bowe v Tyson).
The original golden age (plus the already omitted Holmes) or the ‘Champions Forever’ era. Some of the most passionate and incredible action from four of the most talented men to ever fight in boxing’s glamour division.
Where do we even start?
Lennox Lewis reinvented himself following a brutal KO loss to Oliver McCall and became a brilliant tactician, though still prone to occasional laziness and small blips of error in focus (see Hasim Rahman). Overall though, the finest of the modern heavyweights and probably a top 5 ATG.
Riddick Bowe was supremely talented and seemingly had the heavyweight world at his feet. Had he defended the WBC belt against Lewis initially, he may have taken a split-decision victory if the right version of Bowe showed up. He was a fighter who could do it all but was prone to cruising for many years of his prime before seemingly losing interest in boxing altogether.
Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson. I don’t really need to go over the same ground on Quora, do I? He was fantastic to watch, the most popular fighter since Ali, and had an all too brief time at the top.
Evander Holyfield is the consummate overachiever, with a true warrior heart and a willingness to die in the ring that rivals even that of Ali/Frazier. He fought on for too long but did some truly incredible things. Tough as they come and able to hang with all.
Joe Frazier was perhaps the toughest of all 8 of the fighters listed, in the truest sense. I don’t mean he beats them all (obviously, as he lost to two of them) but Joe is truly the man who continues to show up after everyone else has given up. He would not quit, and had to be saved from his own courage (vs Ali) or literally pummelled to oblivion (vs Foreman).
George Foreman is the terrifying monster who fought in both of these eras. The fact he was a fraction of the force he was in his heyday but still managed to hang at the elite level in the nineties may be a spoiler for how this discussion will end. He hit frightening hard and was disarmingly sharp, with a punishing accuracy.
Ken Norton in any other era would have reigned for a long time. His very slippery, spring-forward style was poison to a counterpuncher and really ruined the night of many fighters who liked to sit in a rhythm. Ali fought him 3 times, losing once and not really winning the other two convincingly. Styles make fights and the Ali/Norton mix proves it (as does Foreman/Norton).
Muhammad Ali doesn’t need much here. He was Ali. Inspiration to millions and impossible to emulate. He stands alone on the top of the list of these 8 fighters and the other 7 would agree (Frazier begrudgingly)
So legacy against legacy? I’ll keep this short.
The golden era of the 70’s outshines the 90’s comfortably here, and not just for the reason of Big George holding titles in both. There is no modern equivalent to the Rumble in Jungle and there is no modern equivalent to the Thriller in Manilla.
Tyson v Lewis? a money fight that happened far too late.
Holyfield v Tyson? Tyson was past his best
Holyfield v Lewis or Holyfield v Bowe is the defining legacy matchup of the nineties, and if forced, I’ll choose the Bowe/Holyfield series for the war that they were. Lewis won both of his bouts comfortably and the draw was a blot on these fights.
So does Bowe v Holyfied compare to Kinshasha or Manila? Hell no.
