How vintage was your year?

Inspired by Truss's 1982 year of the invincibles thread and in the absence of Union who loves this kind of thing, here is a bit of fun that may, or may not, take off. It does involve a wee bit of work and disclosing how old you are, but who were the champions of the 8 original weight classes as of your date of birth. The WBC/WBA split in the early 1960's can cause a bit of grief depending on how old you are, so in that instance, and where there isn't a unified champion, just pick which of the champions you feel is the best.

We can see who was born in the best year.....

Here goes for me (5.11.1977)

Heavyweight: Muhammad Ali
Light Heavyweight: Victor Galindez
Middleweight: Rodrigo Valdez
Welterweight: Carlos Palomino
Lightweight: Roberto Duran
Featherweight: Danny Lopez
Bantamweight: Carlos Zarate
Flyweight: Miguel Canto

Not too shabby a list, and considering I missed out on Monzon at Middleweight by only a couple of months, I am definitely a contender.

Over to you.....

Mine starts pretty strong but tails off pretty badly 5th March 1973

Heavyweight – George Foreman
Light Heavy – Bob Foster
Middleweight – Carlos Monzon
Welter – Jose Napoles
Lightweight - Roberto Duran
Featherweight - Ernesto Marcel
Bantam – Romeo Anaya
Flyweight Venice Borkorsor (me neither)

Rowley wrote:
Flyweight Venice Borkorsor (me neither)

Who!

Winner of best name so far though.

Thanks for taking part, Jeff. I have a sneaky feeling this won't go down as the best/most popular thread I have every submitted!

13/05/1988

Heavyweight: Mike Tyson
Light-Heavyweight: Virgil Hill
Middleweight: Thomas Hearns
Welterweight: Marlon Starling
Lightweight: Julio Cesar Chavez
Featherweight: Jeff Fenech
Bantamweight: Miguel Lora
Flyweight: Sot Chitalada

Mine's a case of near misses - I was born just weeks after Azumah Nelson relinquished his Featherweight title, a couple of months before Michael Moorer was installed as WBO Light-Heavyweight kingpin, only just before Michael Nunn won the IBF Middleweight belt and, to top it all off, I should have been able to put Whitaker down at Lightweight but can't, thanks to him being on the wrong end of easily the most disgraceful verdict I've ever seen handed out in a world title fight against Ramirez in March '88!

Don't think my line up will be in contention, then!

Not a problem Tina, just wanted a way of reminding everyone of my impending 40th, appreciate a whip round and a signed Charley Burley picture are going to take some organising.

I was born 15 March 1984, any tips on where to look for all the relevant champs at the time?

Not vintage here, but not vinegar, either.

15/10/66:

Heavy - Muhammad Ali; Light-heavy - Jose Torres; Middle - Emile Griffith; Welter - Curtis Cokes; Light - Carlos Ortiz; Feather - Vicente Saldivar; Bantam - Fighting Harada; Fly - Horacio Accavallo.

88Chris05 wrote:13/05/1988

Light-Heavyweight: Virgil Hill


a couple of months before Michael Moorer was installed as WBO Light-Heavyweight kingpin

Would he have even usurped Hill though, Chris?

Thanks for having a go.

I am winning so far.......

captain carrantuohil wrote:Not vintage here, but not vinegar, either.

15/10/66:

Heavy - Muhammad Ali; Light-heavy - Jose Torres; Middle - Emile Griffith; Welter - Curtis Cokes; Light - Carlos Ortiz; Feather - Vicente Saldivar; Bantam - Fighting Harada; Fly - Horacio Accavallo.

Thanks Captain.

Not a bad list. Not bad at all.

Think I might still be edging it......

Not sure really, Tino, but Hill flat out refused to face Moorer and then, of course, Moorer made himself a considerable footnote in boxing history by becoming the first left-handed Heavyweight champion and one of only a small group of Light-Heavy titlists to make that transition. Would probably have put his name down ahead of Hill's had I been able to.

88Chris05 wrote:Not sure really, Tino, but Hill flat out refused to face Moorer and then, of course, Moorer made himself a considerable footnote in boxing history by becoming the first left-handed Heavyweight champion and one of only a small group of Light-Heavy titlists to make that transition. Would probably have put his name down ahead of Hill's had I been able to.

Yeah, when you put it like that, he probably would be in that slot.

Life is all about timing mate!

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Think I might still be edging it......

Don't be so sure about that Tina, Napoles, Foreman, Foster, Monzon and Duran all feature on mine, if we can gloss over the lower weights that is some list.

how do you find the champs?

Rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Think I might still be edging it......

Don't be so sure about that Tina, Napoles, Foreman, Foster, Monzon and Duran all feature on mine, if we can gloss over the lower weights that is some list.

Aye, stellar names up to that point Jeff.....

Perhaps it says more about me than anything else, but I think Zarate and Canto just about nip in front of Romeo Anaya and Venice Borkorsor.....

seanmichaels wrote:how do you find the champs?

Just googled them sean. Nothing more technical than that.

12/7/1991

Heavyweight: Evander Holyfield
Light-Heavyweight: Thomas Hearns (WBA), Dennis Andries (WBC)
Middleweight: Mike McCallum (WBA), Julian Jackson (WBC)
Welterweight: Meldrick Taylor (WBA), Simon Brown (WBC)
Lightweight: Pernall Whitaker
Featherweight: Young-Kyun Park (WBA), Marcos Villasana (WBC)
Bantamweight: Luisito Espinosa (WBA), Greg Richardson (WBC)
Flyweight: Yong-Kang Kim (WBA), Muangchai Kittikasem (WBC)

Will plead once again my inferior boxing knowledge but apart from Holyfield, Hearns, McCallum and Sweetpea, I'm not hugely familiar with a lot of these names and would I be right in thing Hearns was on the way down at this stage?

Dr Gregory House MD wrote:12/7/1991

Heavyweight: Evander Holyfield
Light-Heavyweight: Thomas Hearns (WBA), Dennis Andries (WBC)
Middleweight: Mike McCallum (WBA), Julian Jackson (WBC)
Welterweight: Meldrick Taylor (WBA), Simon Brown (WBC)
Lightweight: Pernall Whitaker
Featherweight: Young-Kyun Park (WBA), Marcos Villasana (WBC)
Bantamweight: Luisito Espinosa (WBA), Greg Richardson (WBC)
Flyweight: Yong-Kang Kim (WBA), Muangchai Kittikasem (WBC)

Will plead once again my inferior boxing knowledge but apart from Holyfield, Hearns, McCallum and Sweetpea, I'm not hugely familiar with a lot of these names and would I be right in thing Hearns was on the way down at this stage?

Yep, on the way down by then but a decent enough list, buddy.

Doesn't put you in the lead or anything but seeing as I am the sole judge, there is a very good chance I will win hands down.

Very similar to Tina as we're less than 4 months apart. Think we can all agree that my heavyweight trumps his though.

1 March 1978

Heavyweight: Leon Spinks
Light Heavyweight: Victor Galindez
Middleweight: Rodrigo Valdez
Welterweight: Jose Cuevas
Lightweight: Roberto Duran
Featherweight: Danny Lopez
Bantamweight: Carlos Zarate
Flyweight: Miguel Canto

13/04/1979

Heavy - Larry Holmes / Mohammed Ali
Light Heavy - Marvin Johnson / Mike Rossman
Middle - Monzon (may have retired therefore vacant) / Hugo Pasto Corro
Welter - Wilfred Benitez / Pipino Cuevas
Light - Roberto Duran / Vacant
Feather - Danny Lopez / Eusebio Pedroza

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Think I might still be edging it......

Don't be so sure about that Tina, Napoles, Foreman, Foster, Monzon and Duran all feature on mine, if we can gloss over the lower weights that is some list.

Aye, stellar names up to that point Jeff.....

Perhaps it says more about me than anything else, but I think Zarate and Canto just about nip in front of Romeo Anaya and Venice Borkorsor.....

Aye, it doesn't half tail off in quality, pity as I was going through it at the start I thought I had this one in the bag.

superflyweight wrote:Very similar to Tina as we're less than 4 months apart. Think we can all agree that my heavyweight trumps his though.

1 March 1978

Heavyweight: Leon Spinks
Light Heavyweight: Victor Galindez
Middleweight: Rodrigo Valdez
Welterweight: Jose Cuevas
Lightweight: Roberto Duran
Featherweight: Danny Lopez
Bantamweight: Carlos Zarate
Flyweight: Miguel Canto

Yeah, Neon Leon takes it for you, Superfly.

Heavyweight: Larry Holmes
Light Heavyweight: Matthew Saad Muhammad
Middleweight: Alan Minter
Welterweight: Roberto Duran
Lightweight: Jim Watt
Featherweight: Samuel Serrano
Bantamweight: Lupe Pintor
Flyweight: Shoji Oguma

Some great names there.

Larry.

And Holmes.

I jest of course. Shoji Oguma? This game is mine.

Rowley wrote:

Aye, it doesn't half tail off in quality, pity as I was going through it at the start I thought I had this one in the bag.

Down to Lightweight, it was all yours Jeff!

Actually - could swap Cuevas for Palamino and leave it down to a straight fight between Neon Leon and Ali. There's only one winner and that man had a rubbish dentist!

Il Gialloblu wrote:

I jest of course. Shoji Oguma? This game is mine.

Is he even better than Venice Borkorsor?

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:

I jest of course. Shoji Oguma? This game is mine.

Is he even better than Venice Borkorsor?

You really have to ask?

Il Gialloblu wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:

I jest of course. Shoji Oguma? This game is mine.

Is he even better than Venice Borkorsor?

You really have to ask?

Considering I haven't heard of either of them, then yes. Yes I do.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Il Gialloblu wrote:

I jest of course. Shoji Oguma? This game is mine.

Is he even better than Venice Borkorsor?

You really have to ask?

Considering I haven't heard of either of them, then yes. Yes I do.

I wish you didn't have to ask.

14/05/1966
Heavy - Muhammad Ali
Light-heavy - Jose Torres
Middle - Emile Griffith
Welter - Emile Griffith
Light - Carlos Ortiz
Feather - Vicente Saldivar
Bantam - Fighting Harada
Fly - Salvatore Burruni

Just take my word for it Venice is better.

skimpton wrote:14/05/1966
Heavy - Muhammad Ali
Light-heavy - Jose Torres
Middle - Emile Griffith
Welter - Emile Griffith
Light - Carlos Ortiz
Feather - Vicente Saldivar
Bantam - Fighting Harada
Fly - Salvatore Burruni

Cracking list! Only let down by those pesky Flyweights.

It is a belter Skimpton, we may have our new leader.

Rowley wrote:It is a belter Skimpton, we may have our new leader.

Hold an a minute. I don't give a monkeys whether you're an admin or not.

My game, my rules.

Canto > Burruni

I am still in the lead.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Rowley wrote:It is a belter Skimpton, we may have our new leader.

Hold an a minute. I don't give a monkeys whether you're an admin or not.

My game, my rules.

Canto > Burruni

I am still in the lead.

Calm down Pol, he said may.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Rowley wrote:It is a belter Skimpton, we may have our new leader.

Hold an a minute. I don't give a monkeys whether you're an admin or not.

My game, my rules.

Canto > Burruni

I am still in the lead.

He has got a better middleweight than you

TopHat24/7 wrote:I was born 15 March 1984, any tips on where to look for all the relevant champs at the time?

Sorry TopHat, missed this.

I just know them, pal. Every champion from every division in every year. I'm a boxing savant.

Alternatively, you could type Heavyweight Champion and the year into google and then it takes you to wiki pages that will give you the answers to the various weights.

Rowley wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Rowley wrote:It is a belter Skimpton, we may have our new leader.

Hold an a minute. I don't give a monkeys whether you're an admin or not.

My game, my rules.

Canto > Burruni

I am still in the lead.

He has got a better middleweight than you

Fair point, but have you even heard of Salvatore Burruni?

Thought not.

Rowley wrote:

He has got a better middleweight than you

And Duran trumps Ortiz as well.

july '67

ali
tiger
benvenuti
cokes
ortiz
saldivar
harada

shares some common ground with the captain, a decent start and end, but a little soft around the middle, rather like the poster.

On a more positive note, whiter shade of pale was no 1, about to be replaced by all you need is love.

Skimpton, being born five months before me, has an almost identical list to mine. In the interests of claiming precedence over him, however, would like to say that Griffith vacated his welterweight crown about three weeks before Skimpton was born!

I therefore triumph with Cokes against his no-one. Burruni wasn't as good as Accavallo, either, although he was decent enough (lost his crown to Scotland's Walter McGowan later in 66).

Have a feeling that TopHat is going to win this one, by the way. By my reckoning, he's got Holmes, Spinks, Hagler, Curry, Rosario, Pedroza, Chandler and Laciar, all of them out of, or nearly out of, the top drawer.

captain carrantuohil wrote: Holmes, Spinks, Hagler, Curry, Rosario, Pedroza, Chandler and Laciar, all of them out of, or nearly out of, the top drawer.

Ouch, that is some year. That will take some beating.

Can't believe you did all his leg work though Captain.

In all honesty, I just checked Chandler's precise dates, Tino! The rest I was reasonably confident about, since the 70s and 80s coincide with my most anoraky period as a boxing aficionado.

captain carrantuohil wrote:In all honesty, I just checked Chandler's precise dates, Tino! The rest I was reasonably confident about, since the 70s and 80s coincide with my most anoraky period as a boxing aficionado.

Well props to you then, that shows Windy like powers of retention!

Truss will be pleased with the Welterweight pick if nothing else.

Not sure I'm winning any prizes with March '84 (even cheating and addining non-trad weights):

Tim Witherspoon HW (missed Larry Holmes by 6 days for WBC, not quite in time for IBF)
Carlos de Leon CW
Michael Spinks LHW
Marvin Hagler MW
Thomas Hearns LMW
Don Curry WW
Billy Costello LWW (miss out on Aaron Pryor by a couple of months)
Ray Mancini/Edwin Rosario LW
Hector Camacho SFW (miss JCC by 6 months)
Eusebio Pedroza/Juan LaPorte FW
Jeff Chandler BW
Santos Benigno Laciar FlyW

On the contrary, TopHat, I make you the winner. It's only the eight original divisions in any case, and Holmes didn't lost to Spinks till 85, so I reckon he counts as your heavyweight champ. Much the best so far, I reckon.

TopHat24/7 wrote:Not sure I'm winning any prizes with March '84 (even cheating and addining non-trad weights):

Tim Witherspoon HW (missed Larry Holmes by 6 days for WBC, not quite in time for IBF)

Now we have a problem.

According to the Captain you should have Holmes as the HW Champ. If that is the case then your well in the lead for the traditional 8 classes. If it is Terrible Tim, then I am not so sure you deserve such a lofty placing.....

Showing up my lack of knowledge..... :S

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

TopHat24/7 wrote:Not sure I'm winning any prizes with March '84 (even cheating and addining non-trad weights):

Tim Witherspoon HW (missed Larry Holmes by 6 days for WBC, not quite in time for IBF)

Now we have a problem.

According to the Captain you should have Holmes as the HW Champ. If that is the case then your well in the lead for the traditional 8 classes. If it is Terrible Tim, then I am not so sure you deserve such a lofty placing.....

I went by BoxRec, will check again....

Yep, I think the Captain is right. Holmes was IBF champ in 1985.

TopHat streaks into the lead.

BoxRec has WBC as Larry defending it last 10 Sep '83 with Witherspoon beating Greg Page for it 9 March '84. Pinklon beating him 31 Aug.