Boxing History

1990s Boxing History of Boxing in the 1990s Recent history only serves to prove the old adage that hindsight is 20-20, and this is especially the case with boxing. Beset by the loss of most of its top draws and most exciting fighters early in the decade, whether it be to age, drugs or jail, many a fan and pundit derided the fighters who came later. In the early-to-mid 1990s, it seemed like no one could catch a break, as every pundit who could draw a breath or type at a keyboard was intent on insisting that so-and-so couldn’t carry the jockstrap of Mike Tyson or Tommy Hearns or was a protected phoney, fed on a diet of old men or European cream-puffs. After several years of continuous griping, the “experts” finally came around and realized what they had, albeit only at the very end and when it was almost gone. Where Boxing Stood in the 1990s By 1990, three of the “Four Kings” — Leonard, Hearns and Hagler — were all either in retirement or fast fading and soon to hang up th...

1980s Boxing Credit: Sugarrayleonard.net History of Boxing in the 1980s Questions loomed as the 80s began. Ali was fading into the sunset, leaving a huge void and threatening the sport’s high-profile nature. There was no such need for worry, as the 80s proved to be one of boxing’s greatest periods. It was the last golden era of the sport. Superstar fighters laid it all on the line, as historic battles were waged for giant-sized stakes. Where Boxing Stood in the 1980s There was no let-up during the entire decade, as the sport kept replenishing with new faces. It is difficult to name another decade where the volume and diversity in talent was as plentiful. The list of names competing in the 80s is a who’s-who of the upper pantheon of boxing greats. The sport enjoyed mainstream appeal throughout the decade. The round-robin fights between greats Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Wilfred Benitez, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler captivated the boxing world. The emergence of M...

1970s Boxing History of Boxing in the 1970s Credit: Ken Regan; Ali.com For many, boxing in the 1970s boils down to two words: “Muhammad Ali.” Yet Ali’s dominance and popularity are a matter of hindsight, and the decade looked very far from being the “Era of Ali” when the Louisville Lip returned from exile in 1970. Ali was still a highly questionable figure outside of African-American circles, and other heavyweights had come to the fore during his three-year absence. Elsewhere in the world, at least as much attention was focused on the great champions of the bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight divisions as on the brash American with the Muslim name. Where Boxing Stood in the 1970s Boxing in the 1970s was characterized by dominant world champions. Antonio Cervantes, Alexis Arguello, Bob Foster, Roberto Duran and Carlos Monzon all came to rule their divisions for several years each, and often in the face of substantial opposition. However, the decade is...

1960s Boxing History of Boxing in the 1960s A young man named Cassius Clay, dubbed “The Louisville Lip”, wins the Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Rome games, and the story for much of the decade in boxing, and the decade in culture and society as a whole, began. While Clay would shock the world, and Ali would go on to rule it and change it, the ’60s were also a period rich in boxing greats, including deep divisions and plenty of action in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight classes, amongst others. Where Boxing Stood in the 1960s If you wanted to summarize the 1960s in boxing, as well as offer a close reflection of the rest of the culture and feelings of the time, you could do so fairly quickly: Cassius Clay. Muhammad Ali.Vietnam War. Racism. You could end things there, and you would have a fairly strong sense of what the period was all about. But of course, there was much more to it than that. The single defining event of the decade in the...

1950s Boxing Credit: Estate of Rocky Marciano – c/o CMG Worldwide History of Boxing in the 1950s Many people consider the 50s the golden era of boxing. When you look at the sheer number of top fighters from the period, it makes sense. The fact that this was a time when all the top guys fought each other makes it a truly special period. There was hardly a compelling match that didn’t get made in the 1950s. Where Boxing Stood in the 1950s Boxing was a major sport in the 50s—competing with baseball as the most popular form of sporting entertainment at the time. The sport began to undergo major changes that continue to resonate today. Asians and South Americans started to fill prominent positions—giving the sport a distinctly international flavor. The continuing advances made in the area of aviation made it a truly global sport, as fighters could now easily cross oceans to pursue their championship dreams. Boxing thrived in the 50s in spite of itself. Great fights and highly ...

1940s Boxing History of Boxing in the 1940s Boxing is usually seen as a sport filled with storybook characters. The feisty cornerman, the shady manager, the swindling promoter, the behind the scenes mob influence, the young champions, the working class heroes and the faded legends, and on down the line from there. The 1940s was a great encapsulation of all of those stereotypical elements in the sport. A decade most remembered as belonging to Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson was filled with other memorable fights and fighters, and many developments within and around the sport. Where Boxing Stood in the 1940s A.J. Liebling said of boxing at the start of the decade: “The Second World War, which began to affect American boxing when the draft came along in 1940, stopped the development of new talent. This permitted aging prewar boxers like Joe Louis and Joe Walcott to maintain their dominance longer than was to be expected under normal conditions.” He continues, commenting o...