Which light heavy era was strongest

[uncle ben]

The 40's and 80's era's spring to mind. Does anyone have any opinion of this subject?

[OctoberRed]

The 40's and 80's era's spring to mind. Does anyone have any opinion of this subject?

I'm a bit biased so I lean towards the 80s with late 70s to early 80s.. Victor Galindez, Yaqui Lopez, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Michael Spinks, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Matthew Saad Muhammad and Marvin Johnson and John Conteh and Mike Rossman and brothers Johnny and Eddie Davis and James Scott and Jerry Martin.

To be honest, the current crop is really strong - Stevenson, Jack, Beterbiev, Gvozdyk, Kovalev, Alvarez...the strongest that I've remembered in years.

[Rockybigblower]

Dennis Andries vs Jeff Harding was one of the best LH fights I've seen...so I'm trending the late 80's.

[Humean]

The 40's and 80's era's spring to mind. Does anyone have any opinion of this subject?

Definitely the late 70s and early 80s. The 40s wasn't especially strong. There was a point in the mid 90s where the top 10 was very strong and I agree with OctoberRed that the current crop is also strong. Think how much stronger the light-heavyweight division would have been in the past 30 years if they never invented the super-middleweight and cruiserweight divisions?

[GhostofDempsey]

Late 70's - mid-80's was stacked. The late 40's - 50's had Archie Moore, Harold Johnson, Ezzard Charles, Bob Satterfield, Joey Maxim, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall. Id say those two eras were most rich with talent and competitive.

[uncle ben]

Late 70's - mid-80's was stacked. The late 40's - 50's had Archie Moore, Harold Johnson, Ezzard Charles, Bob Satterfield, Joey Maxim, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall. Id say those two eras were most rich with talent and competitive.

Yeah these were the era's I were thinking of

[Humean]

Late 70's - mid-80's was stacked. The late 40's - 50's had Archie Moore, Harold Johnson, Ezzard Charles, Bob Satterfield, Joey Maxim, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall. Id say those two eras were most rich with talent and competitive.

Those fighters don't all overlap at light-heavyweight. I mean Bivins was not a light-heavyweight by the conventions of the day for most of the 1940s. By the time Maxim and Johnson are considered top light heavies Ezzard Charles is no longer considered a light-heavy but a heavyweight and Marshall is largely finished as a top light-heavy. So the depth at 175 at any given time in the late 40s and early 50s is not as strong as I often read people claim.

[GhostofDempsey]

Those fighters don't all overlap at light-heavyweight. I mean Bivins was not a light-heavyweight by the conventions of the day for most of the 1940s. By the time Maxim and Johnson are considered top light heavies Ezzard Charles is no longer considered a light-heavy but a heavyweight and Marshall is largely finished as a top light-heavy. So the depth at 175 at any given time in the late 40s and early 50s is not as strong as I often read people claim.

That is why I include late 40’s to late 50’s. Back then fighters often teetered between MW and HW to earn paychecks. But, at 175, each of them was at the top of their profession and likely rule any era of LHWs, especially Moore, Johnson and Charles.

[Bundana]

To be honest, the current crop is really strong - Stevenson, Jack, Beterbiev, Gvozdyk, Kovalev, Alvarez...the strongest that I've remembered in years.

I agree... a lot of talent in the division right now! And I would add Bivol to those you have already mentioned.

[The Old LefHook]

Light heavyweights are known for slabs of chest.